Customer Reviews
WOW! 
2008-06-22
this is a GREAT MOVIE!
I watched it first by myself, then with my girlfriend (we never make it to the end of the movie without having sex :-), and we find it both very sexy (ideal to watch with your girlfriend/wife if she isn't turned down by BDSM, as a sub)....
The story is really good, the acting ok, the sex scenes very good, the ending GENIOUS (if you are familiar with SM) finally a XXX movie with a real story, not the "usual wam bang thank you mam".
If you are into erotic stylish movies that (even if it's only one scene) have a XXX scene, this is THE MOVIE!
My compliments to Radley Metzger!
Good Submissive Flick 
2008-05-06
This is a good psychological telling about the power of S and M on some people. Some good sex scenes, decent acting, but the movie itself is kind of cheaply made, with the voice-over narration like out of an old Ed Wood film.
Overall, I could have done without the urination and the fact that the main character focused on it so much!
Other than that, if watched in the correct light, The Image can be a thoughtful movie worth discussing in classes about the power of sexuality and control to some.
One Of The Few Quality Films Involving BDSM 2008-03-20
This is one of very few quality films with an actual storyline involving BDSM erotica. Like most Radley Metzger films this is stylish and slick. It is my favorite Metzger film. It is very nicely filmed and looks it. The Synapse DVD release is top quality all around. Sure the music is dated, but it is period for the time it was made. It does actually have some fairly explicit sex(mostly oral). I could do without the sledgehammer symbolism of water shooting and various phallic images, but this really does not hurt the film too much. The performances of the three principal characters do vary a lot in quality. Carl Parker as Jean is mostly cartoonish at best. Some of his voice-over narration almost sounds like a schoolboy giving an oral report. Marilyn Roberts as Claire is very good. Her character as a lifestyle dominatrix is fairly believable for the most part. The true standout is Rebecca Brooke (under one of her pseudonyms Mary Mendum) as Anne. Not only is she a natural beauty, but a very good actress. She is absolute perfection in this role. Her character is very convincing as a lifestyle submissive. Her performance (both physical and spoken) is right on the money throughout the film. Not everyone will react to a given situation in the same way (I refer to other critical comments about "a submissive acts like this-doesn't act like that" sort of thing). She makes it look natural enough to make one wonder if she was more than just a good actress with good direction. Also, while the various whipping scenes are laughable, the ultimate punishment scene near the end looks and sounds as if it may have been done for real. It is really something to watch and listen to.
I find her performance in every way superior to Corinne Clery's in Just Jaekin's overrated The Story Of 'O'.
For a decent story line, surprisingly high production values, an excellent DVD release and above all Rebecca Brooke/Mary Mendum as Anne-
I believe this film (even with its flaws) rightfully earns five stars. It is a must have if your tastes lean towards BDSM.
The best erotic film ever made 2008-01-19
As one of the two classic books that have explored the dynamics of sexual dominance and submission (the other being the The Story of O by Pauline Reage), I was fully prepared to be disappointed by the film version of the book. I originally saw this film in the theater when it was first released and remember being blown away by it. I honestly believed then (as I do now) that this may be the best erotic film ever made. Period.
I purchased it on DVD back in the late 70's and somehow lost my copy during one of my many moves around the country. I tried on numerous occasions to find another copy to no avail.When I found it available on Amazon, I immediately purchased it and wondered to myself whether it would still hold it's magic after the passage of so many years. I'm glad to say that it still wears well.
I will reiterate what most of the reviewers have said. This film is not for everyone. If you are offended or oft put by images of oral sex, urination, whippings, and public sexual display, then the film will not be your cup of tea. There is very distinct line between porn and erotic art. This film is a work of art.
enjoyed the image 2007-12-28
The video was delivered quickly, the quality of the film was good and I enjoyed it immensely. I would heartily recommend it to others. Fred Mazie
Lives up to its reputation 2007-12-02
This is one BDSM movie that lives up to its reptation. If your naive as to what is involved in a true s&m relationship. This dvd will help you undertand how the relationships work.
What a ripoff. 
2007-09-26
This movie sucks. I can't believe people thought this poorly made, completely fake looking "S&M" was something special.
Boring and stupid.
The Dynamics of Power & Submission 2007-06-02
This film is not about sex necessarily, although it has an arousing quality. It is more about the allure, pleasure, and passion of domination, submission, and power. These things are not always as they seem--sometimes, those in power are those who submit or appear to be "bottoms." The portrayal of Anne by Mary Mendum is quite moving. Her ability to appear serene and other worldly as she submits to violence and painful acts upon her body is profound and sometimes spooky. Her performance has a strength that captures both woman and girl, both powerful and vulernabilty. In fact, she is the most interesting character and position in this storyline--as she occupies different spaces of power while appearing submissive. Some of the imagery is a little too overtly phallic and swank for me, perhaps a relic of time--water shooting off, towers titled and erect, swinging tunes, and then there's Jean who is just not convincing to me. Spoiler: And it is apparent early on that Anne has actually granted him power over her, which is again demonstrated in the end when she clobbers him with a bottle. The dressing room detail would have been a little more interesting had the clerk been a young man. I would have liked to see Jean and Anne master that situation much better than another young woman. Claire is an extremely fragile character and feels important and fulfilled only through her relationship of power "over." She tests her appeal by including her nude photo in with Anne's and then does not claim it as her own. She seems to constantly be seeking sexual approval and rejecting it before she can be rejected. And then when Anne leaves her, she does not know what to do. It is this loss, this emptiness and uncertainty that drives her Jean, not the power of his "golden phallis." Such a complex film. Riveting and moving. A must see for anyone who is interested in experiencing BDSM and relationships of power/dom/sub. Not fluff. And please be careful to keep from children's viewing--it is very graphic and could be quite disturbing for people who do not enjoy or want to investigate watersports, graphic bondage, and all of the aforementioned power structures.
70s Sadomasochistic Cinema 2007-05-18
Radley Metzger's finest film in many exploitation film fans' eyes. It is certainly an interesting film if for nothing but for it's very existence. It is a rarity to see careful and meticulous hands take on a story that is so explicit and amoral in many viewer's estimation. Metzger is a wizard at his craft, no doubt about that, but it's a shame that his craft was and still is considered to be filth, as this film is by no means mainstream or even nearing social acceptability in terms of even what today's typical NC-17 film offers as far as sexual content limits. This film has scenes that are well past that limit.
The story is about a writer named Jean who meets an old girlfriend named Claire at a party and upon reestablishing some relationship, he finds her life is basically saturated in sadomasochism. Her slave, Anne, is obviously a major part as well and makes for the most insightful character analysis. The film cuts sharply straight into it's themes of dominance and submission in an anterior sense for Jean, in a deeply experienced sense of authority for Claire, and of course in a vulnerable and docile role for Anne. The character commentary is pretty solid, mainly because these kinds of roles are seen so infrequently. I don't want to insinuate that the film is a study, because it's not. It is vintage exploitation, so it's priority's are for the most part elsewhere.
It's difficult to comment on in detail, but this movie pulls off being a decent film while at the same time containing elements that most would think were gratuitous. Let's face it, in today's American Culture any nudity is deemed gratuitous nudity and as artists, film makers are bound to create films that don't touch on so many elements in this area of the human psyche. This is no surprise as films like this one, In the Realm of the Senses, Ken Park, some of Catherine Breillet's work, and many others are often reduced to being called filth despite containing the majority of elements it takes to tell an important story, make a crucial observation and pull at some strong sense of the human spirit. The image does just that.
It also does something all films should consider. That is allow for total freedom of creativity regardless of consequences. Metzger took a story that was about genuinely graphic things and in turn made something few people consider possible, a quality film that explores these unconventional and offensive elements. There are and were some directors who did this, but none I can recall that were quite as carefree as Metzger was for his time. I recommend this film, but do remember that this is a low budget foreign film that one may only come across if ever taken a keen interest in this tiny and bizarre sub-genre.
not a good image 2007-01-09
based on the novel with the same title by jean de berg. i am sorry: everything is unconvincing, the setting in paris, the actors (except perhaps for claire), the sadomasochistic relationship between the two women and between the two women and the man. this is in part due to the fact that this is an american movie which strictly follows american codes; there is no hint of the real paris and parisians.
