| | |
Features: DVD, English, Subtitled
Editor's Note
As a child growing up in New York, director Pola Rapaport recalls her teenage sister ardently trying to get her hands on a copy of of French author Pauline Reage's fiery, newly translated 1954 novel of erotica, THE STORY OF O, after reading a review of it in the newspaper. When Rapaport was old enough to read it, she became captivated by its violent sexuality--which she had difficulty believing to be the creation of a woman's imagination. In 1994, author Reage revealed herself to be Dominique Aury, an editor and translator at France's respected Gallimard publishing house--and a noted feminist--who composed O at the age of 47 in order to excite her married lover, literary giant Jean Paulhan--her senior by 20 years. Then, in 1998, during a trip to Paris, Rapaport's curiosity about this fascinating woman prompted her to contact Aury and arrange a visit. Their conversation was the inspiration for this personal documentary, which attempts to explain the evolving popularity of the book through a series of interviews, dramatizations of events from Aury's life, and softcore enactments of passages from the novel. The result is a touching look at a literary puzzle, with a little skin thrown in for the interest of the less literary minded.
| Features | Keep Case | | Full Frame - 1.33 | | Widescreen - 1.85 | | Additional Release Material:
| Director's Statement | | Interviews: John De St. Jorre | | Original Theatrical Release | | Text/Photo Galleries:
| Liner Notes: John De St. Jorre |
|
|
| Technical Info
|
Release Information
|  | Studio: ZEITGEIST FILMS |
| Release Date: 5/16/2006 |
| Running Time: 80 minutes |
| Original Release Date: 2005 | | Catalog ID: 1079D | | UPC: 00795975107938 | | Number of Discs: 1 |
Audio & Video
| | Original Language: French | | Available Audio Tracks: English, French | | Available Subtitles: English | | Video: B&W and Color |
| Cast & Crew
|
| | Professional Reviews | Film Comment
"[Aury] is a compelling subject: wry, charming, forthright, prickly, and insightful." 05/01/2005 p.74Sight and Sound
"The film juggles the majority of its complex stories without dropping a ball." 07/01/2006 p.87 |
| |
|
|
|
