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The Story of O

Photographer's Gaze • 1h 44m

Directed by Just Jaeckin • 1975 • France, West Germany Starring Corinne Cléry, Udo Kier, Alain Noury

Before there was FIFTY SHADES OF GREY, there was THE STORY OF O, the infamous adaptation of the controversial erotic novel by Anne Desclos. The ultimate in Euro-cult art-porn kitsch, this banned-in-Britain underground classic follows a young fashion photographer (Corinne Cléry) journeying into sadomasochistic submission as she gives herself over to a life of bondage under a cruel master (Anthony Steel)—with branded buttocks, bird masks, soft-focus sex, and Udo Kier all part of the proceedings.

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