The film with something of a reputation, because of its portrayals of, or rather, hints at, sadomasochistic sex, and for being one of the first films to contain them.
It's essentially a cock-and-bull story, involving a clean-cut, middle-class male transporting a quantity of cocaine between Paris and Antwerp. An aspect which some may note are the conversations, also aboard a train, in which the film's key staff discuss elements of the plot/screenplay, editing etc, thus introducing a 'meta' slant...
As with all European movies of the time, it still looks good, and there are some interesting cityscapes and shots of the port area of Antwerp. Anyone seeking genuine early examples of S&M in cinema should refer to Buñuel's finest moment The Phantom of Liberty (FR, 1974), or better still Barbet Schroeder's Maitresse (FR 1975/6).
The film's title and the former transnational rail service omit the second 'e' of "Europe". Kraftwerk's 1977 LP of the same name includes it. It was just my luck that the TEE café (Kraftwerk spelling & iconography) in Glasgow be closed when on holidays earlier this year.
No comments:
Post a Comment