1981-1990 Drama Erotica France Shuji Terayama

Shuji Terayama – Les Fruits de la passion AKA Fruits of Passion (1981)

adminMarch 19, 2021

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Shuji Terayama adapted his 1981 film, The Fruits of Passion, from the eponymous Pauline Reage’s sequel to her well regarded book, The Story of O. However, ‘adapted’ is used very loosely in this instance, as Terayama uses the opportunity to completely reshape the structure of the novel, and use only it’s themes and characters to create a story that is uniquely his. According to the credits, the text of the narration and O’s dialogue itself was taken directly from the short novel, but everything else is pure Terayama.

Terayama takes every opportunity to distance himself from the simple sex film, filling the movie with numerous little bits of alternate imagery (some of it quite startling, some of it contrived), real historical aspects of modern Chinese history, and other strange plot detours such as extended sequences with the other prostitutes in the house.

“It’s the late 1920’s, and China is coming apart at the seams; Communist rebels are plotting insurgencies everywhere in an attempt to drive out occupying foreign forces, and people are living in fear. Nonetheless, Englishman Sir Stephen (Klaus Kinski) decides to bring his lover to China with him, a beautiful young European girl known only as “O” (Isabelle Illiers). The girl is so madly in love with him that she’s willing to do anything he desires, and to test that resolve Stephen orders her to submit to a life of prostitution in a local brothel. “O” accepts and agrees to a contract of service with the establishment.”