Thriller: A Cruel Picture (1974, Bo Arne Vibenius)

Thriller qualifies as one of the most sordid movie I’ve seen. The film’s script is hackneyed, but this is indeed one of the most curious experiments in the culture of sexploitation cinema. The movie is an unsavory exercise in sadomasochism, but Swedish director Bo Arne Vibenius does show signs that he desires to be taken seriously as an artist. Vibenius opted to film many violent sequences in slow motion, which gives the movie an art-house quality. The movie is brutally realistic but it is strangely ascetic too. It is still nothing but stylish trash, but I liked the sensibilities attached to the production. It is sexually graphic and horrifically cruel (and misogynist), so make sure your kids are in bed when you decide to watch it. Fans of exploitation cinema should be pleased, but I’m afraid regular viewers will probably get offended by what is presented here. If you enjoyed Abel Ferrara’s Ms. 45 or I Spit on Your Grave, you may like this film. I think the movie is flawed but compelling, and gutsy.

~ by gelpi2008 on Friday, September 19, 2008.