Release CalendarTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV NewsIndia TV Spotlight
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsBest Picture WinnersBest Picture WinnersEmmysSTARmeter AwardsSan Diego Comic-ConNew York Comic-ConSundance Film FestivalToronto Int'l Film FestivalAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • All
  • Titles
  • TV Episodes
  • Celebs
  • Companies
  • Keywords
  • Advanced Search
Watchlist
Sign In
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
IMDbPro

Beyond Love and Evil

Original title: La philosophie dans le boudoir
  • 19691969
  • XX
  • 1h 32m
IMDb RATING
6.1/10
114
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
121,162
6,532
Beyond Love and Evil (1969)
DramaHorror
Zenoff enters a heavily guarded country mansion. He finds a vast orgy occurring within, presided over by Yald, a debauched libertine seeking to orchestrate an atmosphere of unbridled sensual... Read allZenoff enters a heavily guarded country mansion. He finds a vast orgy occurring within, presided over by Yald, a debauched libertine seeking to orchestrate an atmosphere of unbridled sensual pleasure with no concessions to conventional morality. Zenoff is quite shocked, particula... Read allZenoff enters a heavily guarded country mansion. He finds a vast orgy occurring within, presided over by Yald, a debauched libertine seeking to orchestrate an atmosphere of unbridled sensual pleasure with no concessions to conventional morality. Zenoff is quite shocked, particularly when Yald announces he's about to be married and that he expects all his guests to hav... Read all
IMDb RATING
6.1/10
114
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
121,162
6,532
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Director
      • Jacques Scandelari
    • Writers
      • Jean-Pierre Deloux(screenplay)
      • Jacques Scandelari(screenplay)
      • Jean Stuart(story and screenplay)
    • Stars
      • Souchka
      • Lucas de Chabaneix
      • Fred Saint-James
    Top credits
    • Director
      • Jacques Scandelari
    • Writers
      • Jean-Pierre Deloux(screenplay)
      • Jacques Scandelari(screenplay)
      • Jean Stuart(story and screenplay)
    • Stars
      • Souchka
      • Lucas de Chabaneix
      • Fred Saint-James
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 4User reviews
    • 6Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • Photos6

    Beyond Love and Evil (1969)
    Beyond Love and Evil (1969)
    Beyond Love and Evil (1969)
    Beyond Love and Evil (1969)
    Beyond Love and Evil (1969)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Souchka
    • Xenia…
    Lucas de Chabaneix
    • Zenoff…
    Fred Saint-James
    • Yald…
    Jean-Christophe Bouvet
    Jean-Christophe Bouvet
    • Le grand prêtre…
    Sabry
    Serge Halsdorf
    Michel Lablais
    Milarka Nervi
    Doris Thomas
      Nadia Kempf
      Ursule Pauly
      Nicole Huc
      Anita Bauer
      Paul Pehel
      Marc Coutant
      Martine de Breteuil
      Manu Pluton
        Dominique Tortel
        • Director
          • Jacques Scandelari
        • Writers
          • Jean-Pierre Deloux(screenplay)
          • Jacques Scandelari(screenplay)
          • Jean Stuart(story and screenplay)
        • All cast & crew
        • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

        More like this

        Love Trilogy: Reborn
        6.7
        Love Trilogy: Reborn
        The Ultimate Degenerate
        5.5
        The Ultimate Degenerate
        Succession
        7.2
        Succession
        La philosophie dans le boudoir
        6.0
        La philosophie dans le boudoir
        Fasl-e panjom
        7.0
        Fasl-e panjom
        Jak to sie robi
        6.2
        Jak to sie robi
        Hitotsu no uta
        6.1
        Hitotsu no uta
        La communion solennelle
        6.3
        La communion solennelle
        The Two Sights
        7.9
        The Two Sights
        Philosophy in the Bedroom
        7.3
        Philosophy in the Bedroom
        Il ladro della Gioconda
        5.4
        Il ladro della Gioconda
        None But the Brave
        6.4
        None But the Brave

        Storyline

        Edit

        Did you know

        Edit
        • Connections
          Edited into Ravissements (1990)

        User reviews4

        Review
        Top review
        10/10
        90 minutes of hilarity, depravity, dazzling color from--where else?--France
        Released in France in 1969 as "La Philosophie dans le Boudoir," 2 years passed before Allied Artists released it in the U.S. with the almighty X-rating luring in sex-starved audiences of that era. With its non-stop nudity and lip-smacking portrayal of every sexual deviation (including intercourse)known to mankind (except the scene where a lovely young morsel arrives in her room with a shopping bag of live squids, which she dumps on her bed and proceeds to have an all-time erotic time with--that was a new one for this jaded viewer), all photographed in ravishing Technicolor and lush settings (this was obviously a costly venture) this one-of-a-kind wallow in sexual deviance should be confined to a time capsule. The director, one Jacques Scandelari (a pseudonym?), stages a smorgasborg of erotica not seen since the film was belatedly released in the U.S. (were it not for the Supreme Court's lofty decision that "IAm Curious Yellow" was NOT obscene--and if only it were!), "Beyond Love and Evil" would have been seized by Customs and never released in the U.S. The story is simple enough: A young, handsome, pouty pretty-boy (Lucas De Chabanieux) is vamped by a well-preserved older woman , who in no time flat invites him to spend the weekend with her at her palatial country chateau. Lucas is in heaven, until he arrives at the place, which is its own kind of hell for a square kid like him. The mansion abounds with inhabitants totally at ease with none-stop orgies, floggings, rape, a nude conga line(including a few buck-naked black studs), you name it, it's all there presented for your delectation with a cast of exhibitionists never seen before--or since--on the silver screen (I certainly hope the producers of this gem splurged on a first-rate caterer). In the afternoon, the film presents it's one sole interlude of healthy, happy, hedonistic sex. Lucas joins Souchka on her invitation to explore the grounds of this "Shadey Pines for the Under-30 set", and, after passing such segments as various young naked studs tied to trees while being whipped by angry lesbians, the two would-be lovers become so aroused that they take a long-overdue rest by a muddy pond--resulting in one of the most heated depictions of sexual passion any moviegoer will probably come across in a lifetime. And I'll stop right here. The rest of the film, while still elegantly filmed, descends to a degree of debauchery that verges on the hilarious. Souchka is so enraged by poor Lucas's objections to her marriage and the orgy that follows (not to mention her husband's attempt to cut off poor Lucas's bare-buns purple-leather see-through outfit are thwarted by the poor lad's grabbing the dirty old man's dagger and plunging it into his varicose veins) that the old hag throws a hissy fit and has her burly guards expel him from her enchanted palace and toss him, sniveling and weeping, into the always-present mud (did it rain during the entire production). You'll never see me again, the old crone screams, while poor Lucas writhes around in the slime begging her to take him back (still attired in that damned purple see-through jumpsuit--which had already been torn off him at least three times in that magical weekend in the country--one hopes at least the dry-cleaners were well paid). There's no use going on. "Beyond Love and Evil" is the hoot of the century, and, except for the squids, an erotic carnival unknown to American audiences in 1971--or, I fear, to this day. Whether intentional or not, the undercurrent of humour gives this doozy of a movie a look at places you'll probably never want to go to, but does so with such robust, carefree energy (and, thankfully, it comes close to hardcore, but stops whenever it does) that it's a totally unexpected, gorgeously produced and photographed, and disarming delight! Whatever happened to it? (The original French version appears to have been heavily cut, but the dubbed, edited American version will more than suffice for conniseurs of eye-popping camp. Next to "Beyond Love and Evil," Russ Meyer comes off a rank amateur!)
        helpful•12
        3
        • sdiner82
        • Mar 26, 2003

        Details

        Edit
        • Release date
          • March 1971 (United States)
        • Country of origin
          • France
        • Language
          • French
        • Also known as
          • The Philosophy of the Bedroom
        • Production company
          • Comptoir Français du Film Production (CFFP)
        • See more company credits at IMDbPro

        Technical specs

        Edit
        • Runtime
          1 hour 32 minutes
        • Color
          • Color
        • Sound mix
          • Mono
          • Stereo

        Related news

        Contribute to this page

        Suggest an edit or add missing content
        Beyond Love and Evil (1969)
        Top Gap
        What is the English language plot outline for Beyond Love and Evil (1969)?
        Answer
        • See more gaps
        • Learn more about contributing
        Edit page

        More to explore

        View list
        List
        The Best Movies and Shows to Watch in August
        See the full list
        View list
        List
        Fall TV Guide: The Best Shows Coming This Year
        See the full list
        View image
        Photos
        Double Take: Celebrity Twins
        See the full list

        Recently viewed

        Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
        Back to top
        Get the IMDb App
        Sign in for more access
        Sign in for more access
        • Get the IMDb App
        • Help
        • Site Index
        • IMDbPro
        • Box Office Mojo
        • IMDb Developer
        • Press Room
        • Advertising
        • Jobs
        • Conditions of Use
        • Privacy Policy
        • Interest-Based Ads
        IMDb, an Amazon company

        © 1990-2022 by IMDb.com, Inc.