‘You always loved violence…’

Thats the whispered refrain that lingers in Mario Bava’s masterpiece THE WHIP AND THE BODY, freshly returned in a staggering set from 88 Films. They might well have upped their game and become the label of choice for the physical media afficenado but Christopher Lee’s Kurt Menliff is still going as low as he can. Whip in hand and cowering at his feet, his brother’s wife Nevenka (Daliah Lavi). Yes he loves the whip and she loves it on her body. Well kinf of… More of that later. First, lets us set the scene of all this sadism and sexuality… Mario Bava is our start point and was for me at the very least, is still, the greatest Italian director of genre cinema. He made his films, dark and rich and sexy. But also, playable to audiences big and small, gentile and geeks. At a ceertain point though, he found his swagger. This was BLACK SUNDAY, a few studio films later, he excelled further with BLACK SABBATH and then came this, THE WHIP AND THE BODY. It perfectly illustrates his future. His loves and his genius at getting a story that had gothic tones but with a modern sensibility for violence….

‘I keep seeing him at night…’

Menliff is the black sheep of his family. A dirty, slimy man who seems to have an unhealthly love of violence and sex. Which he focuses on his brothers wife Nevenka. He thinks she loves it, she is torn… Though banished for his wicked, wicked ways, he comes back for her. Now  home, and lusting after a bit of sadomasochistic fun, he rekindles the affair with her. So far, so grime. Then his body turns up, throat cut and stiff as a board. She and the family are keen to forget him. But his spirit might be unfulfilled and his untimely death cannot stop his violent lust and his whip hand…

The first question I think you and I wanted answered is this, does this now replace the Odeon Entertainment version (that is available on Arrow films website I believe)? The answer is yes. First the image. The restoration has been derived from ‘newly’ discovered film elements, which I think is code for some of that stuff the Italian censor snipped off. This has been derived from a new master and it corrects the grading back to the original Italian maestro’s colour pallete and not that other, horrendous version. Which was all blue and green timed and hellish. Now there are a few issues with quality in this. Specifically it is washed out and there is a colour leak in the frame, mainly on scenes that are heavily lit in a studio. But, But thats as you expect from a film that is both a masterpiece and cut to pieces but worried censors. The restoration deserves admiration for ambition. You know I love ambition. Then the real tour de Force, the extras. I admire 88 Films for this. Where Arrow have pulled back, these guys have just said lets go all in. Kim Newman and Sean Hogan are exceptional (as always) Kim in his complete lexicon of knowledge and extrapolation of the film, timelines of the director and of course Chris Lee. Sean in the fact that you really would love to spend a day with him, watching films and drinking beer, his passion drips off the speakers.  Troy Howarth, a great Bava historian, is equal (though Nathaniel Thompson feels a little shy and adds notes). He knows his stuff but makes the energy of his knowledge broader and more compelling by actually loving the film. Asked ‘is it a Gothic murder mystery, is it a Gothic thriller?’, both give very interesting answers. The other lovely extra I personally value, is that Lamberto Bava interview. Its short but points to why his father was a magician and one that Bava junior sits in the shade of. Even now.

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