Review: Emmanuelle 6

Professor Jean-Rene Gossart is treating an amnesiac named Emmanuelle (Natalie Uher), who due to her illness, no longer possesses her trademark sexuality. Through his treatment (using sexual arousal to trigger memories, I shit you not), the film slowly unravels in flashbacks, just how she came to be in this state. We find out that Emmanuelle was leading several fashion models on a cruise bound for Caracas. Meanwhile, a native stowaway (the singularly monikered Tamira) is hiding inside some luggage in Emmanuelle’s sleeping quarters. Unscrupulous ship captain Gustavo Rodrigues conspires to have the girls into slavery, and steal the jewels Emmanuelle and her models have on board for a fashion shoot. He is working in conjunction with a stereotypical evil rich dude, of course.

 

Although uber-producer/occasional director Roger Corman is actually listed as EP here in this 1988 “Emmanuelle” film, this film from director Bruno Zincone is a slight step in the direction of the better “Emmanuelle” films in terms of plot/atmosphere, if not quality. Although elements of “Emmanuelle 5” are still somewhat evident (it’s not a lame boobs and guns film, though), the film more closely resembles “Emmanuelle IV”, with that film’s bizarro, pretentious plastic surgery storyline replaced by a pretentious amnesia framework here by screenwriter Jean Rollin. Yes, that Jean Rollin, director of some of the most boring and pretentious Sapphic vampire films you’ve ever seen. The stupid psycho-babble is pure Rollin, and if I didn’t know Zincone was the director, I’d have assumed it was Rollin from the oh-so late 80s washed-out blue filtered look of the opener. Which is funny, because I sure don’t remember seeing any naked chicks in The New Kids on the Block’s ‘The Right Stuff’ video. Thank you, I’m here all week. Apparently Rollin did indeed do uncredited work as co-director, but how much, I cannot say. Despite that pretentious opener, it’s the best-looking film of the series (if shot a tad too much like a fashion show), and it has clearly been shot by a visual stylist (Otto Weisser, a former fashion photographer, was apparently on board here). The interiors, exteriors, the girls- all really nice to look at.

 

It also fits in better with the other films than the previous one did plot-wise, but it’s also by far the slowest film in the series. In fact, it’s one of the slowest films I’ve ever seen. Bald weirdo Jean-Rene Gossart is pretentious and absolutely awful as the professor (he seems to be under the impression that his character has been overtaken by an alien), and the title song played over images of star Natalie Uher is appalling, too. You’d think of all the “Emmanuelle” plots, this one featuring models stranded in the Amazon would be the most promising. Unfortunately, the film never really gets out of first gear, spending way too much time on board the ship. This would be forgivable if the sex were off the charts, but although it’s sexier several of the other films (“Emmanuelle”, “Goodbye, Emmanuelle”, and “Emmanuelle 5”), it’s not explicit enough for my liking, and it’s not a censorship thing this time, seemingly. The early striptease on a bus is pretty silly, but what disappointed me most was the appalling way the lesbian content was handled. You knew Emmanuelle and her Pocahontas-looking girl with the spankable arse (Tamira) were likely to get it on at some point, but when it does, it’s the worst sex scene of all-time. Yes, even worse than Kevin Costner and Madeleine Stowe in a moving jeep in Tony Scott’s appalling “Revenge”. Yes, even worse than Glory Annen and her Thai gal pal fumbling about aimlessly in “Felicity”. In fact, it’s quite similarly choreographed to that scene in “Felicity”, they just touch each other slowly, and move around in such a dopey way that we can’t damn well see much, and then it just ends. Completely infuriating, unsexy, and just really badly choreographed. Later, rather than watch a beautiful display of Sapphic lust, the director would seemingly rather put most of the attention on the androgynous and frightening snake dance performed for Emmanuelle, and even that doesn’t last long. Stupid! Much more interesting is the interracial doggystyle scene in a stable, with both horses and Emmanuelle watching the action. It’s weird, pretty amusing…and kinda weirdly hot, too. Voyeurism, by the way, seems prevalent throughout the film, which is annoying. Don’t watch, join in the party for cryin’ out loud, watching is my job! Meanwhile, credit where it’s due, a sex scene in the ship’s boiler room is a clever idea. Unfortunately, coitus interruptus and a partially-clothed participant drag it down a bit. Some will love the masturbation scene at the end. It’s pretty insane and a bit silly, but I’m not really into watching someone else play with themselves, and Uher’s partially clothed for it. Still, it’s definitely ‘out there’.

 

It’s not the most explicit film in the series, and the sex scenes are uneven, but it’s certainly sexier than the original “Emmanuelle”, or “Goodbye, Emmanuelle”, and certainly sexier than the previous entry. But it’s still not nearly sexy enough. Austrian actress Natalie Uher (in her third and strangely last film) deserves credit for going bottomless, I’ll give her that. The only other actress I can recall doing bottomless nudity was the frumpy and butchy Susie Porter in 2000’s pretentious “The Monkey’s Mask”. She’s got a nice body, but a generic 80s era face and hair, though still much more attractive than the original Emmanuelle, Sylvia Kristel.

 

Although good-looking, it’s appallingly slow, and the sex is pretty uneven. A big improvement over the previous film, and slightly better than the deadly “Goodbye, Emmanuelle”, this is still a poor and disappointing one. Another waste of hot chicks.

 

Rating: C-