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Please click here to go to http://www.dvdangle.com/ to check out more reviews of DVD'S Story of O, The: The Series: Director's Special Edition DVD 1
Grades
& Ratings:
Expectations
& Reactions: The
Story of O: The Series is based on Pauline Reage's controversial novel The
Story of O. The book, written in 1954 was extremely controversial
for its time, and still shocks people today. The book has been translated into
30+ languages, so there are a lot of people who have read the story. The Story of O speaks the universal language, and I am
not referring to Esperanto, either. This DVD is the first in a set of five, all
of which contain two episodes from this astonishing series. The DVD contains
the first and second episodes of the ten-part program, The
Story of O: The Series. Having read the book as a teenager, I
didn't think that The Story of
O could be brought to the screen. It has been, though, and it
comes complete with a director's commentary track by Ron Williams, a.k.a. Eric
Rochat. The transfer isn't too bad, but it's not fantastic. One of the
interesting features is a dubbed German track that has been included. Look
& Listen: The
Story of O: The Series is presented in 1.33:1 full frame. The picture was made
using the best possible elements. There is some grain that is noticeable
throughout both programs. Picture flaws due to age have been kept to a minimum.
The first episode has a mixture of shots that are indoors and outdoors. There is
a stark contrast that is noticeable, during the sequences. The outdoor shots
look very good, with greens and browns predominating. There are scenes with lush
foliage, yet most of the clothing is rather bland. The indoor shots are much
different, with the color red predominating most of the scenes. The red can be
found on O's dress and the curtains that are in certain rooms. The flesh tones
are very good, and there is a lot of flesh that is exposed. The audio of the
program is Dolby Digital 2.0 mono. There are two soundtracks, both dubbed, as
the movie was originally recorded in Spanish. There is an English dub included
that has a very realistic background backing track. The cracking of the whip
sounds very authentic, but the overdubbed voices of the players leave a little
to be desired. The German track is not as good, though. The voices are a little
off in the dubbing, but that isn't a serious flaw. The major flaw is some upper
level hissing, which is heard throughout the track. Add to this the background
audio is off when it comes to the sound effects. Even more disturbing is where
you hear crickets in the background during many indoor scenes whereas the
English track is completely silent at that point. The narration by O is clear
and understandable in both languages. The audio track features Sergio Saraceni's
score, which varies from emotive strings and flutes during certain sections to a
cool jazz during certain sex scenes. There is an occasional audio dropout, and I
attribute it to poor editing because there seems to be some scenes that were
excised. Extras
& Highlights: There is a
commentary track by director Eric Rochat a.k.a. Ron Williams that plays during
both episodes. Rochat speaks in broken English, and is prompted by a second
voice throughout the two episodes. The commentary itself is interesting and
informative, but it sounds like it was taped in spots. Screen specific for the
most part, when Rochat pauses, the audio is not brought up all the time. Despite
the occasional flaw, Rochat's commentary is interesting and lends insight into
the making of The Story of O:
The Series. There is a photo
gallery that is included with stills from the production. Rochat, who describes
the stills in detail, also narrates this part. This commentary is taped and
starts with Most of the shots are stills from the movie. They are presented on a
brilliant red colored velvet-like background. The entire feature is over eight
minutes long and there are 40 photos and promotional artwork that are included.
There are shots from the movies The Story of O and The Story of O: 2 included in the gallery, too. There
are also press photos and other paraphernalia included in this presentation. There are
trailer for each episode included on the DVD. Each lasts for the better part of
two minutes. Each of these trailers is narrated in English by the woman who does
O's voice in the movie. Some of these cut off abruptly and others fade out. The
ten trailers tell a story that is spread out over five DVD's. Each trailer is
presented in full frame and the audio is 2-channel mono. Menus
& Interface: This is where
the DVD really shines. The main menu has an oval on the screen left of center,
near the middle. The oval has clips from parts of the program changing
throughout the minute that it plays. The main theme of the program is played
underneath and cycles. On the right side of the screen, there are options to go
to scenes or to play the programs. The font resembles the O in The
Story of O. There is a scene selection menu page for both
episodes. Both contain seven scenes that have motion previews that play for
about one minute. These shots look extremely good for their size. There is the
theme from The Story of O playing in the background. These are very
nice to see. There is an option on the main menu to play both episodes at once.
This option skips the end credits of episode 1 and the opening credits of
episode 2. There is a slight pause when the program changes, but it's not too
much of a problem. Storyline
& Syllabus: In Episode 1, O
meets René and they become lovers. This episode also has flashbacks to add to
the back-story to help the plot along. René and others evaluate her potential
for training as she is introduced to "Roissy," a house of training for
women. In Episode 2, O
undergoes rigorous training at the house of "Roissy." Included in her
training are whips, chains, and the ability to learn servitude. This is all done
simultaneously, as she continues to learn about her submissive nature to the
male sex. Cast
& Crew: Conclusions
& Afterthoughts: The
Story of O: The Series is a fairy tale for adults and the program tells you that
love is no joke. Do we dare to live O's dreams with her? Is she really in love
with René, the man who sends her to Roissy to be trained? Does she really enjoy
being whipped, walking around naked in front of strangers, being used and abused
to the strangers hearts content? This is a DVD that you're going to have to look
at to find out the answers to the questions. The
Story of O is quite explicit, both with language and what is
shown on the screen. Some of the whipping scenes are not for the faint of heart.
A bondage and domination fantasy, this should appeal to those who are prone to
sadism and masochism. All I can say about this is "different strokes for
different folks," and some of these people are seriously different! This is
not your father's erotic movie. The
Story of O: The Series: Director's
Special Edition is not family fare. I suggest that you keep an
open mind when viewing this DVD. Bruder Releasing International has done what
their name implies, releasing a classic love story. Yes, it is a classic love
story, when held in context with the book. It has been updated into the 1990's,
so parts are slightly different from Pauline Reage's novel. Worth a rental for
the curious, this DVD is certainly not for those who are under 18. The
aforementioned German track and no region coding should appeal to those outside
of the United States. Please click here to go to http://www.dvdangle.com/ to check out more reviews of DVD'S |
