Bloodtype Online

Jess Franco 

    Rich, bored Cecilia is a fairly unlikable bitch who enjoys stripping in front of her servants, teasing them, and getting them fired.  One day, her former employees, a group of brothers, decide to get their revenge.  One brother picks her up after a boating excursion and delivers her right into the hands of the others who proceed to rape her in the back seat of her own car.  Sex film rules and porno shenanigans firmly in play, she, of course, becomes aroused and begins to respond with lust and excitement. With her sexual passions reawakened, a naked Cecilia drives home to her husband.  They make mad, passionate love.  She then tells him all the details of her violation.  Andre vows murderous revenge.  Yet, she doesn’t want an act of retribution.  Instead she proposes that they enter into an open marriage filled with sexual adventure.  It will bring them closer together.  Andre isn’t so sure though.  After much macho posturing, Cecilia and a confidant orchestrate an encounter for the hesitant hubby and the sexy romp begins.  Can their marriage really become stronger or will their philandering tear them apart and destroy Cecilia? 

    As far as the sex scenes go, I found them to be pretty tame and standard, until the sex party scene.  As the film progresses, there is a sense that things are getting out of control and the characters don’t seem any happier for it.  In fact, they seem to get progressively more miserable.  This little drug party is the point where things really go south.  After picking up two strangers, a small group, which includes Cecilia and Andre, gather for a drug party.  Everyone is in a daze, lounging on each other.  The music, consistently lousy, really goes wrong here.  I guess they were going for psychedelic, but I found myself convinced that one could compose hymns to christ with this crap and that’s what makes this scene all the more surreal, in a really bad way.  So, the two strangers are doing a sex show for everyone.  The guy has his eyes closed, but there are eyes painted on his eyelids, so it’s kinda creepy.  The woman is rubbing herself all over his rigidly positioned hands and he isn’t responding in any way at all…until she goes down on him.  So, everyone’s getting really into it and then…this woman says something.  She says something so wrong that there is no way I am ever going to remember anything else about this picture.  Trust me.  It wouldn’t matter how sexy this little orgy was or how trashed…this is “instant sobriety and party is over” wrong.  Ahem.  Back to the actual movie…sex games turn into desperation and Cecilia loses all control over her husband, their games, and herself. 

    I have to admit, Cecilia is pretty sleazy.  (Especially that scene.  You know. The one I wouldn’t shut up about in the previous paragraph.) The film does try to have enough of a story and there is actual character development, but at times it just drags on and on.  There are flashbacks, insanely long shots of flowers, tons of clichés, and scenes that don’t know when to end.  As far as the soundtrack, it’s not good, but I have to mention it because, even if it is unintentional, it makes a disgusting revelation even worse. 

    I’m not trying to say that the film has nothing of value. Cecilia has an absolutely gorgeous Portuguese setting, featuring a huge mansion surrounded by magnificently tended gardens.  If you watch the Jess Franco interview included on this rare release, you will learn a lot of interesting trivia about the making of the film, the setting, and about Jess Franco’s views.  I enjoyed this interview more than I enjoyed the entire film.  If you are a huge fan, you’ll probably want to check this out.   

(Cecilia is available for the first time on DVD from Blue Underground, remastered and uncut beginning 29 January 2008.) 

**

Jennie Milojevic