Emmanuelle II

Director - Francis Giacobetti

Starring - Sylvia Kristel (Private School, Private Lessons), Umberto Orsini (The Damned, Solomon), and Frederic Lagache 

Release Date - 1975

Genre - Romance/Drama

Tagline - "The erotic masterpiece"

Format - UHD (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     I'm only assuming here but over the course of a decade or longer I think I've reviewed close to 100 sexploitation films thanks to companies like Mondo Macabro, Blue Underground, Vinegar Syndrome, Severin, Synapse/Impulse Pictures, and so on.  These boutique labels really care about preserving cinema.  While most have an eye for horror and exploitation, they do frequently release films that are on the sleazy side of cinema.  A few years back I was lucky enough to review an Emmanuelle double feature from my friends at Umbrella Entertainment.  I can no longer find those reviews for some reason but I do remember really enjoying those films thanks to the salacious performance from Sylvia Kristel.  A couple weeks ago I was sent the Saga Erotica: The Emmanuelle Collection by Severin to check out.  This was a great reason to revisit these historic films in 4K.  I want to thank Severin for sending it over!  

     The film once again follows Emmanuelle (Kristel) who travels to Hong Kong to find her husband.  On the way she has sex with a woman who professes that she was once raped by several women and enjoyed it.  She then meets a young man and his mistress.  She quickly becomes close friends with them both and starts sleeping with her before she moves on to exploring Hong Kong where she will continue to explore her sexuality.

     A lot of the sequels I review never live up to the original film.  However, Emmanuelle 2 is one of the few instances where the sequel is just as good.  This is wild when you think about how this is the directors only film and it's an erotic drama from the mid-70s.  Most of these films rarely gain traction yet the original film spawned almost a dozen sequels.  I remember liking Emmanuelle 2 when I first watched it several years back but I really appreciate it as a film after revisiting them both.  Between the two films, this one is not as enjoyable but as a film it is leagues above the original.  The acting in this one is very well rounded.  Sylvia Kristel once again shines as the sexy star of the film.  Her character is what makes these movies so enjoyable and her performance here once again shines.  The supporting cast delivers performances that are just as good making the acting in this one more consistent than the previous film.  The story for this one does expand on the previous film some but doesn't really bring anything new to the table.  What made the first film so much fun was the way in which Emmanuelle was reluctant at first to the sexual exploits she was in.  In this follow up we have her more than willing to dive head first into these encounters while giving viewers a similar story as the first film where we follow her in a different country as she experiences new sexual situations for the first time.  A little drama in this one would have went a very long way.  Finally, there is a lot of skin in this one with some gorgeous women baring it all for us to take in.  There is no blood or gore for us horror fans but fans of exploitation will really dig it.  Overall, Emmanuelle II has better acting and cinematography but the story doesn't really give us something new.  It's still a fun watch but don't expect something that will stick with you like the original.