For better or worse, films in the Nazi exploitation genre aren't really made anymore. Also known as 'nazisploitation', these movies- made primarily in the 1970's- generally focused on Nazis committing sex crimes, often as prison camp overseers during World War II. Most were simply softcore pornography wrapped inside a cigarette-paper thin veneer of plot, though a few- perhaps most notably Liliana Cavani's 'The Night Porter'- had some actual artistic merit, and explored interesting ideas.
Erwin C. Dietrich's 'She Devils of the SS'- also referred to as 'Eine Armee Gretchen', 'Frauleins in Uniform' and, somewhat bizarrely, in Turkey as 'Queen of Vampires'- is not one of the few. As an independent film à la 'The Night Porter', it fails completely, having nothing whatsoever to say- interesting or otherwise. Neither is it a funny film, despite a carefree atmosphere and many moments that seem to have been intended as comedy. Furthermore, as a piece of softcore pornography, it also fails, as it is boring and strangely tame, surely failing to titillate even the most easily arousable individual.
Based on a novel by Karl-Heinz Helms-Liesenhoff- a former German army officer who fled to Switzerland after being sentenced for desertion in 1943- the film is light both on plot and excitement. Dietrich's screenplay- which he wrote under the name Manfred Gregor- centres on Marga Kuhn, a young woman drafted into the Army as a 'Lightning Girl,' essentially a German version of the Japanese 'Comfort Women'. Her job is to further the Aryan cause by giving soldiers pleasure, though with the Red Army closing in, time is running short both for fighting and for fun.
It's a strange beast of a movie, that doesn't follow the usual pattern of nazisploitation flicks: the Nazis aren't portrayed as villains and the women willingly participate in the action, so to speak. It's an oddly light and breezy venture, like 'Carry on Camping' for fascists. Nazis gaily roll about in fields, or enjoy swastika-topped cakes, cheerily praising the Führer whilst cavorting in the nude. Had Dietrich intended it as a straight parody, and leaned more into the comedic side of things, the film could have actually worked. However, he doesn't; large parts of the narrative are turgid melodrama, which- combined with the film's happy-go-lucky air- results in an unusual tonal schizophrenia.
Additionally, the dialogue- written by frequent collaborator Christine Lembach - is stilted and, oftentimes, unintentionally funny. Moreover, as alluded to above, it is a surprisingly dull feature, despite the subject matter. Dietrich seems reticent to show anything graphic or erotic, meaning the nude and sex scenes- of which there are many- are weirdly subdued and insipid. It makes one wonder who Dietrich's intended audience was, as it is too mild for aficionados of filth and too lacking in story for feature film fans.
Having said that, it clearly has high production values. The production design, from Rolf Engler and Vladimir Lasic, looks authentic, while Georg Heiler's costume design appears consistently period-accurate. The weaponry and sets are also strikingly realistic. Moreover, Walter Baumgartner's score is quite stirring, and the cast are generally impressive- with Karin Heske and Carl Möhner doing particularly fine work. However, in a tale devoid of artistic or salacious merit; all that quality is rather wasted.
In short, if you go into Erwin C. Dietrich's 'She Devils of the SS' with carnal pleasures in mind, you'll be disappointed, and if you watch it as a 'straight' feature, you'll be left wanting. In fact, there really are very few reasons to seek it out; unless you're the sole member of the Dietrich fan club, and want to watch everything in his filmography. In that case, you've probably already seen it, and know how underwhelming it is in nearly every regard. Narratively lacking and erotically uninteresting, it's an overwhelmingly banal work. Despite some good performances and high production values, the only memorable thing about 'She Devils of the SS' is its title.
