Emanuelle In America
Italy | English
1977 | 95 Minutes
Director: Joe D’Amato
Cast: Laura Gemser, Roger Browne, Gabriele Tinti
Few names are as synonymous in the world of film as that of Emanuelle, which has long been used when speaking of pro-feminist sexploitation films. There are countless amounts of films that either use the proper Emanuelle name or something similar in hopes of capitalizing on the name. Whether imitation or the real deal, even the most casual of exploitation film recognizes the iconic name.
Screening here in its theatrical version, Emanuelle In America has been newly restored by Severin Films as part of their historic forthcoming box set The Sensual World Of Black Emanuelle. The most comprehensive collection of its kind that is about to be released in the coming days.
See Also: The Bitter Ash at Fantasia Festival 2023
Fearless investigative photojournalist Emanuelle (Laura Gemser) goes undercover to expose the depraved sex lives of the wealthy elite. Chasing her latest scoop, she uncovers a Zodiac-themed brothel, illegal arms trafficking, an art forgery racket, and more. Her investigation will take her from the streets of New York to the canals of Venice to Caribbean beaches as she tracks down corrupt government officials and — most shockingly — a ring of perverts peddling snuff films.
Infamous director Joe D’Amato (Beyond The Darkness) leaves no stone unturned, treating the viewer to one outrageous sequence after another. Perhaps the most notorious entry in the Black Emanuelle series, Emanuelle In America is also the most ambitious, with Emanuelle being given some meaty domestic time that aids in establishing her backstory and politics (it was one of three Black Emanuelle films co-written by real-life journalist Maria Pia Fusco), as well as the then-timely snuff plotline that provides onscreen atrocities convincing enough that they landed the production in court.
I first became aware of the Emanuelle film series as a teenager, thanks to a late-night television series that aired in Quebec under the name of Bleu Nuit. Back then, I had a small thirteen-inch television set in my bedroom that I would use to watch Bleu Nuit on, with the volume all the way down. The reason for that is obviously because I wanted to hide it from my parents, but also because I could perfectly hear the sound from my father’s television set downstairs that just happened to match up with what I was viewing. I found out years later, that my younger sister was doing the exact same thing in her bedroom. Strangely, I suppose that makes my early introduction to sexploitation film a family affair.
Slight spoilers may possibly be found from this point on. Beware.
And early scene verges on bestialities, as a naked women is shown stroking a horses erect penis which, quite honestly, is both something I never wanted to see and certainly never thought I would see while sat in a cinema full of people. Such is the Fantasia festival experience – you never quite know what you’re getting yourself into. Which is one of the many charms of the festival, if you think about it.
I realize now that I have never seen an uncensored version of an Emanuelle film before now. All the ones I have seen, have been the edited for late night television variants. So, seeing a horse being pleasured, or actual sexual penetration is something that I was surprised at. I had always thought of the film series as rather softcore pornography or more precisely erotica, or sexploitation, but while watching Emanuelle In America – I realized how far off I was.
Now, I haven’t seen all the films in the series – because there are a whole hell of a lot of them, but those that I have seen follow a similar plot outline. An undercover (or underdressed) photojournalist sets out to expose certain things and so on and so forth. Emanulle In America has a darker plot, as our heroine is deep undercover and looking to expose a sinister snuff film ring. We see glimpses of these snuff films and the scenes are shockingly brutal, bringing the sort of violence you’d find in a horror film of the period but probably wouldn’t expect to find in such a sexy film that stars more topless actresses than it does people in clothing. Even for a seasoned horror geek like myself, I found several scenes very hard to watch.
Read More:
>> The First Slam Duck at Fantasia Festival 2023
>> Talk To Me at Fantasia Festival 2023
>> Shin Kamen Rider at Fantasia Festival 2023
As such, Emanualle In America remains possibly the most disturbing film of the classic Italian exploitation era and could quite honestly rival films like Cannibal Holocaust for its brutality, while keeping to the found-footage motif that runs through both films. While an audience would more than likely expect such visuals from Cannibal Holocaust, finding an equal in Emauelle In America was probably far more shocking.
As abruptly as it starts, it also ends, leaving a lot to be desired story wise. However, it is also an important and iconic piece of film that was never really about story telling anyway. The focus was always about pushing limits and about elements of exploitation. As such, Emanuelle In America is an important piece of exploitation cinema and one that is unique in a sea of copycats.
