Review: She Killed in Ecstasy

The controversial medical experiments of Dr. Johnson (Fred Williams) see him barred from the medical profession. This leads the not-so-good doctor on a downward spiral that leaves his bewitching wife (Soledad Miranda) feeling vengeful. She decides to stalk, seduce, and kill all members of the medical board whom she feels wronged her husband. These doctors are played by Howard Vernon, Paul Muller, Ewa Stroemberg, and Jesus Franco himself. Horst Tappert plays a police detective investigating the murders.

 

Not the equal of the Sapphic Fantastic vampire flick “Vampyros Lesbos”, this 1971 Eurotrash thriller from Jesus Franco is still one of his more respected films. I just think that 23 minutes into a less than 90 minute film is far too long to wait for the action that kicks the plot into gear to take place. There’s no way anyone could sustain the height of ecstasy for that long without it getting messy. Oh shut up, you come up with a better joke, then! While “Vampyros Lesbos” had wild and somewhat pretentious camerawork, this time the pretension comes from the dialogue and slightly pompous performances. That said, Fred Williams is the only truly bad actor in the film. At one point he even looks like he’s reading off cue cards! (Mind you, Ewa Stroemberg looks to be reading off a piece of paper in her first scene, too. It’s obvious)

 

There’s no doubt that Franco’s visual style and adherence to narrative are more ‘traditional’ (whatever that means to you) than the previous film…slightly. That’s both good and bad, really, though the real killer is talk. There’s way too much talk in particularly the opening 15 minutes. Whatever you want to say about “Vampyros Lesbos”, that’s not something you could accuse it of. Although not as arty, it’s still a bloody good-looking film with particularly lovely locales. Costuming, sets, exteriors, and uber 70s music score by Hubler/Schwab (“Vampyros Lesbos”) and Bruno Niccolai (Dario Argento’s “Cat O’ Nine Tails”) are all typically top-notch. One building in particular is the most phallic thing you’ll ever see that’s not actually a penis. Franco knows what he’s doing, the dirty perve. I mean, with that building and all these Johnsons, you’d swear Franco had some kind of hang-up.

 

One of the things I did like about the film is that only Franco would have a guy like Dr. Johnson set up as a tragic hero, when he’s really only a half-step removed from Joseph Frigging Mengele. Hey, I’m pro-choice and pro-stem cell research, but this guy’s a criminal, he wants absolutely no limits to scientific experimentation. We’re talking animal-human cross-breeding here, folks, so let that one sink in. So that gives the film a bit of an edge you wouldn’t get from other filmmakers (Speaking of Mengele, Veteran German TV star Horst Tappert, who has a role here, has been posthumously revealed as an SS guy back in the day, causing his long-broadcast detective show “Derrick” to cease repeats in some countries!).

 

Lead actress Soledad Miranda, who was sadly not long for this world, is stunning as usual, perhaps even more than usual. Her outfit in the opening scene is…man, I can’t even describe it, you just have to see the film. In her last film, she’s also the acting highlight, as she sells the character’s anger at this perceived injustice against her husband. She and Ms. Stroemberg once again have undeniable sexual chemistry in their one big scene together, it’s just a shame about the dopey wig Miranda wears for the scene. It’s the most memorable scene in the film, and probably the one scene where Franco shows off with the camera, occasionally to the point of distraction. It’s definitely crazy and weird, and two stunning bodies don’t hurt, either. It’s a shame Howard Vernon isn’t around very long, because he makes more of an impression in short time than any of the other ‘victims’, effective as Franco himself is as one of them. Paul Muller is pretty good, too as another one, though Horst Tappert’s police detective character proves completely useless at the end of the day.

 

In some ways this might be considered ‘better’ than “Vampyros Lesbos”, but it’s nowhere near as memorable or as sexy, though it might appeal to giallo fans. Slow and talky, this one just isn’t as much fun as “Vampyros Lesbos”, nor is it as psychedelic and dreamlike. More of a straightforward giallo, there’s still a lot to like, especially the beguiling Soledad Miranda. But as much as I enjoyed the film on a superficial level, I have to be fair and critical. This one’s got some issues, and with my critic’s hat on, I’d only give this one a slightly above average grade. Sorry, but it’s just too slow.

 

Rating: B-