The Image (1976)

DVD

Good price and fast service. I now only buy used DVDs. I save up to 50% and nerver have gotten a dud. Would recommend to anyone and will shop again. July 28, 2008

WOW!

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)....
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! June 22, 2008

Good Submissive Flick

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. May 6, 2008

One Of The Few Quality Films Involving BDSM

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. March 20, 2008

The best erotic film ever made

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. January 19, 2008

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