Victor Nieuwenhuijs' Venus in Furs
» Entertainments
The movie began and the camera lingered lovingly on an empty hall, then Severin Byronically morose sitting on marble steps. I knew I was watching a pretentious movie adaptation of a portentous 19th Century German novel.
The most readily available film using the title Venus in Furs is by Jesϊs Franco. If you know Franco then you know if you want to watch that. If you aren’t aware of the Spanish master of boredom then you’ll be happiest never watching anything he filmed.
Honestly I’ve never read Leopold von Sacher-Masoch’s novel. What could be more dreadful than inflated, philosophical 19th Century German fiction? I’ve skimmed the Crepax graphic novel: images of women punishing men.
Victor Nieuwenhuijs may have been too enamored of certain scenes: trains rolling down the track for example. Clearly he wanted to present affecting scenes, not a story. Every time you thing you’ve grasped a thread of narrative the focus changes and you are again lost.
At moments you think - perhaps - the story is about how Severin/Gregor was the real mastermind of the relationship. Clearly he punished Wanda into cruelty, when he is disappointed he takes control. But I doubt he had that clear a vision of message.
Not that there weren’t instances to which I didn’t warm. When Wanda’s sadism rang true I could respond. When Severin was reduced to a cart animal one of my deepest fantasies was made manifest.
Masochistic men may find more in this than dominant women.
The best moments when her passion - love? - for him as one of the driving forces came to the forefront.
I can see a reason to rent this if you are curious about F/m in movies. Bit the film won’t enrich your understanding of yourself or partner.
The best adaptation of Venus in Furs remains The Velvet Underground’s.
