If you were a child of the ’80s, there’s a good chance you would stay up late at night to watch more adult fare, which would air on channels like Cinemax, affectionately dubbed Skin-emax. Some of the films and talent would stand out; one such actress was Sylvia Kristel. Her Emmanuelle films are exemplary examples of the genre and are beloved worldwide. Apart from those films and her more mainstream American films like The Nude Bomb (1980) and Private Lessons (1981), the rest of her filmography is mostly foreign to me. I was excited to check out the Blu-ray for Alain Robbe-Grillet’s 1975 feature film, Playing with Fire.
Carolina (Anicee Alvina) is the daughter of Georges de Saxe (Philippe Noiret), a wealthy banker. He reports that she has been kidnapped even though he knows it isn’t exactly true. You see, the kidnappers have grabbed the wrong girl. Georges hires Franz (Jean-Louis Trintignant), a private detective, to find Carolina and hide her from everyone. He takes her to this mysterious mansion full of other kidnapped women who are drugged and forced into all sorts of different types of depraved sexual behavior.
The film is for those who have an interest or affinity for 1970s arthouse erotic cinema, which I certainly do. It’s more linear than other films from Alain Robbe-Grillet though it still packs a punch through a dream-like haze. Thin on plot, you can’t help but appreciate the eroticism though some of the comedy feels out of place. The cast is terrific, and Robbe-Griller, as off-putting as some of his material may be to mainstream audiences, proves he’s highly intelligent and has the ability to deliver material that will challenge audiences.
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The popularity of Playing with Fire (Le jeu avec le feu) hinges on the love of Sylvia Kristel. This title was previously available from Cult Epics in their Sylvia Kristel 1970s Collection with Pastorale 1943, Julia, and Mysteries. The only other title to receive a separate release was Julia.
This release will be limited, so you might want to pick this up or even the box set. The disc boasts a new 2K HD transfer and restoration from the original negative, a commentary track from Film Critic Tim Lucas, an interview with Catherine Robbe-Grillet, a promotional gallery, trailers, a reversible sleeve with uncensored artwork, and the first printing will include a book with an essay on Robbe-Griller by Film Scholar Marcus Stiglegger.
For more information, visit the official Cult Epics site.
