I came to this film after watching Eugenie de Sade, also made by Jess Franco; but, sadly, not availabe in America at the moment. The contrast between the two is startling. I love Eugenie de Sade; but of course, that film had Soledad Miranda in the title part and this film does not, which may explain a lot.
This film fails for three reasons: the acting, the direction, and the script.
Firstly, the acting. To say that Marie Liljedahl is no Soledad Franco would be a little unfair; after all, who is? That she made her name as a porn star rather than as an actress is apparant throughout every scene in this film. Half the time she seems to fumble in front of the camera wondering what to do. Maybe she is looking for direction from Jess Franco which, apparantly, she doesnt get. She isn't helped by the fact that this is an English language production and her voice is so-very-obviously dubbed. She also has to play opposite Maria Rohm, who excels, as does Christopher Lee.
Secondly, the direction. Jess Franco comes over like an amateur film maker with no real idea of what to do. His over use of the red filter, his clumsy editing, and his inability to direct Marie Liljedahl damns the film completely. Although this is obviously made be the same director that made Eugenie de Sade the following year, his flair seems to have deserted him here. Maybe he needs Soledad Miranda to inspire him?
Thirdly, the script. The idea of an innocent girl being slowly corrupted until she becomes evil is a fascinating theme. Sadly, the script handles it in such a kack-handed manner that I failed completely to believe that Eugenie would behave in such a way. She would be traumatised by her experiences, not corrupted.
So there you have it. One Goddamnawful film! It has one redeeming point: Marie Liljedahl's bottom. (This is what the one star is for) If she wasn't voted Rear of the Year in 1969 when this film was made, then she should have been. However, if this is not reason enough to buy this DVD, then buy Eugenie de Sade instead-it's available from Amazon UK. Eugenie de Sade - Now there is a minor classic.