Cinedelica: DVD Review: Perversion Story (1969)

Perversions Perversion Story (Una sull'altra, 1969) is a stylish erotic thriller directed by the Italian filmmaker Lucio Fulci, who’s best known for his gory horror films such as Zombie 2 and The Beyond.

The film stars the handsome French actor Jean Sorel as Dr. George Dumurrier. George manages a financially troubled medical clinic along with his brother Henry (Alberto De Mendoza) and spends his free time wining & dining his mistress, a beautiful fashion photographer named Jane (Elsa Martinelli).

In the meantime, the good doctor’s wife Susan (Marisa Mell) is left home alone while suffering from a long illness. Susan’s health problems and George’s philandering have deeply effected their marriage, so when Susan suddenly dies due to complications from her illness, investigators begin to question George who stands to gain a huge fortune following her death.

The story takes an unexpected turn when George and his mistress Jane become obsessed with a beautiful exotic dancer named Monica (also played by Marisa Mell) who looks remarkably like George's deceased wife. Who is this mysterious woman and why does she begin to dominate George & Jane’s sexual fantasies?

It’s impossible to watch the film and not be reminded of Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo which also took place in San Francisco and explored somewhat similar ideas about identity and obsession, but there are plenty of differences and innovative twists and turns in to make Perversion Story a truly original viewing experience. Like Hitchcock, director Lucio Fulci even makes a brief appearence in the movie so keep an eye out for the "Graphologist."

This fascinating mystery is creatively shot by Fulci, who makes great use of the beautiful San Francisco scenery. It also features lots of nice period fashions and has a terrific jazzy score by the talented composer Riz Ortolani. The cast is good, but I thought Elsa Martinelli was especially impressive as the fashion photographer Jane and the beautiful Marisa Mell seemed to be having fun with her dual roles as Susan/Monica.

The Severin NTSC Region-0 (all regions) DVD features a nice widescreen presentation of the film and comes with the original theatrical trailer. It also includes a soundtrack CD of Riz Ortolani’s impressive score, which is a really great addition. If you like stylish Italian thrillers and giallo films you’ll definitely find a lot to enjoy in Lucio Fulci’s Perversion Story.

For more information about the DVD please visit Amazon.

- Kimberly Lindbergs