A groundbreaking work of softcore French erotica, “Emmanuelle” is considered to be one of a few X-rated titles of the Golden Age of adult cinema that found acceptance with a mainstream audience, similar to hardcore classic “Deep Throat.” The title spawned endless spin-offs and series in the adult realm, where the name Emmanuelle is still synonymous with softcore “sexploitation” films.
“'Emmanuelle’ is a classic erotic tale and one of the first to have any type of mainstream acceptance back in the ‘70s,” a Lionsgate spokesperson told XBIZ. “It was edgy and provocative for its time and we feel it still holds true to that today. It’s a timeless art form in that respect. In deciding to release this film we felt there was a story that had yet to be told and it was overdue to be repositioned as a modern classic.”
Lionsgate acquired the U.S. distribution rights to “Emmanuelle” from French production company Studio Canal, who are now owned by parent company Vivendi SA.
Studio Canal reportedly owns the third largest film catalog in the world, but distributes its back catalog of films outside of France through several distribution companies including Lionsgate, Anchor Bay Entertainment, Image and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
“We have been releasing titles from the Studio Canal library since 1998,” the Lionsgate spokesperson said. "Studio Canal has a wide variety of internationally acclaimed films that have not had the benefit of wide mainstream distribution in the U.S. on DVD.”
“Some of the other titles that we have been excited about releasing include the new Brigitte Bardot Five Film Collection, which includes an exclusive interview with Hugh Hefner. Other titles recently released include a classic Hitchcock Box Set of films and ‘The Nightcomers’ with Marlon Brando,” Lionsgate said.
The company indicated also that the original film quality was retained through the redigitizing process, giving viewers an improved but authentic experience of ‘70s-style cinema, even with the use of high definition technology.
“The original negative was used for an HD telecine transfer, which was followed by digital restoration. Using the original negative allowed us to recapture the original definition and color. The credits were re-created in high definition with existing text-less backgrounds and were then reinserted within the body of the film. Also, an intermediate proved useful for prior telecine transfers that were previously damaged,” Lionsgate said.
In “Emmanuelle,” Kristal plays the wife of diplomat, visiting her husband in Bangkok. Her husband and new acquaintances encourage Emmanuelle to explore sexually, leading to scenes of lesbianism, masturbation, adultery and a famous orgy on an airplane.
The rereleased special edition DVD includes also two featurettes of bonus documentary footage with interviews and behind-the-scenes extras.
“Emmanuelle” became available in stores on Oct 9.
