She Killed in Ecstasy (1971, Review)
aka Sie tötete in Ekstase
Director: Jesus “Jess” Franco
Cast: Soledad Miranda, Howard Vernon, Paul Muller
Image Entertainment / NTSC R1 / Unrated / 1.66:1 Widescreen / Language: English, German / Subtitles: English / 74 minutes / PURCHASE
Dr. Johnson is a scientist who is experimenting on fetuses (feti?) and the medical board isn’t happy about it. The board consisting of 4 members (3 men, 1 woman. One of whom is played by the incomparable Howard Vernon.) vote to fire Dr. Johnson and strip him of his license to practice. This sends the good Doctor into a spiral of depression that ultimately ends in his suicide.
The stunning Soledad Miranda (credited as Susann Korda) plays Mrs. Johnson who is destroyed by her lover’s demise and decides to exact her revenge on the foursome as she sees them as the cause. Bloody revenge I might add. Bloody sexual revenge to be more exact! One by one she seduces and murders them. Slitting their throats, smothering them, and most gruesome of all; stabbing and cutting off the men’s junk! All the while she still holds on to her husband’s body in deranged hope that killing his “murderers” will somehow right the wrong that has been done and they will be together once more.
This is the best Jess Franco movie I have ever seen, and I have seen a few. The story was touching and poetic. The lighting, camera work and direction was gloriously effective. It set a haunting, psychedelic, almost dream-like atmosphere during the scenes of chilling – though not real graphic – revenge scenes. The nudity is tasteful and sexy without being crass (not that there’s anything wrong with that!) and the lesbian scene with Ewa Stroemberg was awesome.
The only problem I had with the movie was the sudden ending. It ended pretty much how I envisioned, but it was very abrupt. But that does nothing to detract from the overall greatness of this euro-sleaze classic. A quick side note; this movie was filmed in Spanish. Dubbed in German. And had English subtitles. Weird! Check it out!
