Le orientali

This docu-drama functions a bit like an early mondo film with some elements of the sexy nocturne sub-genre mixed. The film follows six different women in "the orient" as they go about their days. Each woman's story has to do with an overall theme of agency/emancipation and is steeped in cultural details that the film attempts to showcase oddities. It's only marginally successful in this endeavor as other then some, very brief, sexy dancing numbers the whole thing is rather tame. The most titlating scenes probably revolve around the Thai opium dens but the story ends just as it starts to become sensational.

The filmmakers also don't editorialize nearly as much as future mondo creators, taking an almost kind view of "the other" as it is depicted in this film. The facts offered up all seem fairly reasonable and the manufactured dialog never reaches the psychotronic levels of SWEDEN HEAVEN OR HELL (1968). Towards the end of the film the creators made a conscious choice to film the scenes as a drama, dropping all pretense of this being a documentary. It's an odd choice that probably would have worked if the material in the second half were a little more noteworthy in someway.

There are tiny aspects that are successful: some of the actresses are not only gorgeous but do a wonderful job and the cinematography offers up some pretty sights. But these pieces are never successfully pulled together. The final segments never achieve real dramatic tension and could have benefited from odder set pieces or even characters to act as foil.

The most notable aspect about this flick is that it almost feels like a trial run for mondo's. If you are a big mondo fan then it might be worth the watch if that historical perspective interests you. Otherwise I'd probably suggest that this isn't really worth it.