B-legend and Dec. 1983 Penthouse Pet of the Month Monique Gabrielle's first lead role. She spent a considerable amount of time totally nude for this film, but she said in an interview years later that nudity has never been an issue for her. Gabrielle's father, a nudist, inspired his offspring to adhere to a "continental" attitude. Thus, she admits having few qualms when B-roles require the obligatory disrobement scenes. "I feel fine about nudity. In my mind, it's clean and there's no problem. Europeans think we're so uptight about nudity and sex, which most Americans are. When people suggest that sex or even nudity is 'dirty' it creates problems which is why we have perverts, rapists, and child molesters....What's really hypocritical about our rating system is a movie depicting graphic violence, usually inflicted upon women, may get a soft rating. But if a woman bares her breast or removes her clothing, a film is usually branded with an R rating."
Walerian Borowczyk left the production after a few days when Monique Gabrielle slammed him in his face. Furious, the director left and returned to France. The film was finished by his assistant.
After buying the rights to distribute it in the U.S., producer Roger Corman added new scenes, including more nudity from Monique Gabrielle. But she objected to one scene where she's kidnapped by the leader of a group of rebels, who then rapes her and steps on her as he walks out of his tent. She refused to film it, so it was dropped.
Emmanuelle 5 (1987) clocks in at a brief 85 minutes, after the director himself sheared the film of several scenes of dialog and exposition, preferring to lay voice-overs to scenes of erotic visual montages. Shot in English sync-sound, it also features the first American actress to play the Emmanuelle character. The film shoot took place on location in Paris, Cannes, and the island of Réunion from May 26 to July 19 in the year 1986.
First 'Emmanuelle' film in the official 'Emmanuelle' series not to feature Sylvia Kristel nor see her playing Emmanuelle. Kristel did not appear in Emmanuelle 6 (1988) either but would return for Emmanuelle 7 (1993).