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Released by: Mondo Macabro
Released on: 11/22/10NR
Director: Jess Franco
Cast: Montserrat Prous, Anne Libert, Kali Hansa, Jacqueline Laurent, Howard Vernon, Manuel Pereiro, Jesus Franco
Year: 1973
The Movie:
One of many films that Jess Franco made for producer Robert de Nesle in the seventies, Sinner: Diary Of A Nymphomaniac starts off, not all too surprisingly, in a nightclub where a middle aged man (Manuel Pereiro) gets drunk and is picked up by a beautiful young woman named Linda (Montserrat Prous). She takes him to a hotel and after getting naked with him, calls the police and tells them to come to the room because a woman has just been murdered. She then proceeds to slit her throat and place the knife in the hand of the drunken, lecherous man she's conned.
From there we meet the wife (Jacqueline Laurent) of the man accused of murder as she talks to one of Linda's friends, Anna de Monterey (Anne Libert), about how her husband came to be in this situation to try and deduce whether he actually committed the crime or not. Through a series of flashbacks we learn how Linda moved to the city from the country only to be consistently taken advantage of by men and woman alike. As she falls further into sexual depravity and drug addiction, she takes on lovers of all kinds from both sexes and soon becomes a nymphomaniac. Together, the wife and friend read through Linda's diary and uncover not only the truth about her death but also about her evolution and loss of innocence.
As packed with sex and debauchery as Sinner is, and there's quite a bit of it, what is most striking about the film is the sense of sadness that surrounds the central character. Less a celebration of sexual freedoms and more a condemnation of those who would take advantage of a younger, more innocent type. The movie may be packed to the rims with nudity and sex of both the homo and hetero variety but the sex here is rarely joyful, rather, it's frequently unpleasant and serves not as titillation but as foreshadowing of the end we already know is coming. Montserrat Prous, who worked with Franco semi-regularly during this period, has got the right sort of screen presence and facial features to give her character the air of sexualized tragedy that makes her work, sometimes saying more with a look than with a line of dialogue.
As far as the pacing of the film goes, it's erratic in that there isn't a whole lot of complexity to the story and much of the film is taken up with sex scenes, but unlike some of his other work, here they do serve a purpose. With each coupling Linda undertakes, we see her take one step further into the abyss. That's not to say that there's no erotic value to be found in the film - bleak as the subjectivity of the sex scenes may be, they can be steamy enough to get a rise. Franco has always had a good eye for the female form and his casting choices here are no exception.
Like many of his other films, here the director himself has a supporting role as a detective. He doesn't really alter the film all that much but it's fun to see him show up in the movie. Typically, the film also features quite a few night club scenes, some shot with the odd fetishistic glee that is so common in some of his other pictures, though there isn't as much zoom lens obsession on display here as in other films (not a complaint, mind you). The score isn't the straight up jazz that backs up a lot of his other movies but is instead a fuzz guitar rock score. It's not out of place, however - it suits the material and the era well. The film is quite well shot and makes good use of its different locations, from the smoky nightclubs to the fancy seaside mansions, and it has a nice look and feel to it. While Franco has made better pictures (and also many far worse ones), Sinner is interesting in how it foreshadows some of the areas that he, just like his central protagonist in this film, would dive head first into in the years to come.
Video/Audio/Extras:
Sinner looks pretty good in this 1.66.1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. It's hard to say if some of the tightness at the top of the frame is inherent in the original photography or not, but thankfully this affects only a few scenes in this otherwise fairly well composed film. There's a bit of print damage here and there but nothing too distracting nor anything that fans of more obscure seventies Euro-cult titles will be irritated by. Detail is pretty good for the most part, and those who have seen the film previously, likely from gray market or VHS sourced releases, should be quite pleased with the upgrade in quality. There aren't any heavy compression artifacts and generally color reproduction and flesh tones look pretty natural.
Dolby Digital Mono tracks are provided in English and French with optional English subtitles. Both tracks sound pretty good with properly balanced levels and clean, clear dialogue. The fuzzed out score sounds really good here and has some nice punch, but it doesn't overpower the performers.
The extras start off with an interesting featurette with author Stephen Thrower in which he talks for seventeen minutes about his appreciation for the director, who he describes as a cinematic alchemist and in which he discusses Franco's style and why he likes it. It's an affectionate piece that does a good job of at least attempting to explain why so many people are so drawn to his films. Thrower appears in a second ten minute featurette in which he talks more specifically about Sinner, discussing its different themes and offering up some interesting trivia and facts about the film.
Also included is a fourteen minute interview with Gerard Kikoine who worked on the film as a sound editor. Here Kikoine talks about working with Franco, about the film's producer Robert de Nesle and his affection for the ladies, and about the different performers who worked on this picture. He tells some interesting stories about the shoot, shares an amusing anecdote about Howard Vernon and more and also talks about how he came to work on this and quite a few other Franco films around this time in his career.
Rounding out the extras are some interesting essays from Pete Tombs on the film, the cast members and the soundtrack, the ever enjoyable Mondo Macabro promo reel, menus and chapter selections.
The Final Word:
A must-own for Franco fans, Mondo Macabro's DVD debut of Sinner is a keeper. The film itself is an interesting one ripe for rediscovery and the presentation is quite strong, from the transfer to the supplemental material. Overall this is a great package, and the director's fan base will certainly appreciate the effort put into it.
Want more information? Check out the Mondo Macabro website by clicking here!