The
repetitive nature of the material (lots of scenes of two women and one man
arranged in tableaux) soon produces a kind of voyeuristic burn-out, meaning
you notice more strongly how these anonymous film-makers tried to ring the
changes, often with humour. The bodies are also refreshingly fleshy –
the consistency with which corpulent bottoms and cellulite dimples parade
across the screen underpins the argument that sexy bodies are as
fashion-governed as the clothes those bodies readily shed. No one takes
themselves very seriously (wigs and moustaches keep slipping), and the
intertitles produce a deliciously wicked metaphorical commentary on the
action. ‘Mousquetaire au restaurant', a period skit on French gourmandising,
makes the obvious connection between sex and food, with each ‘course'
introduced by an obscenely illustrated intertitle. Other shorts show that
some of the genre's most reliable scenarios were fully in place by the 1920s
– a clinic staffed by obliging nurses; naughty teachers and pupils. Though
the camera only moves in the 1930 contribution, each film is amply edited,
and (with the exception of ‘La Coiffeuse' from 1905) all use some form of
close-up to detail what bodily parts are doing. Perhaps the most interesting
of the lot, however, is not a live-action performance but the 1925 US
animation ‘Buried Treasure', which charts the surreal extremes of a horny
hero called Eveready Harton, whose penis sometimes runs off by itself. When
his lady proves literally impenetrable, he has to pull a range of random
objects from her vagina (a clock, a shoe, a crab). As a kind of hardcore
seaside postcard, it literalises a range of anxieties about what desire does
to the desirer, territory the other films aren't interested in charting.
Now, however, these shorts have acquired the respectability of the
historical document, thanks to this release and a careful restoration. No
doubt for your average arthouse punter this austere sense of authenticity
provides a convenient disclaimer to justify a peek.
The
Good Old Naughty Days (2002 (1905-1930)
"These films stand witness to our
grandparents' traditions of getting one's crumpet, dancing on the mattress,
getting one's oats, dipping one's wick, or exercising the ferret."
- Intertitle from the collection
DVD Review by Marc Zimmer
MPAA Rating: Not Rated for (nudity, hard core sexual activity and perversions, water sports, bestiality, nunsploitation). Run Time: 01h:08m:55s Release Date: July 29, 2003. UPC: 712267220823. Genre: late night. Rating for Style: B. Rating for Substance: B-
Moralizing and censorious bluenoses would have one believe that pornography and sexually-oriented materials are a manifestation of the recent decline in morality. This disregards the fact that pornography has always been avidly sought even back to ancient times (and was even then considered to be an indication of fallen morals as well). A picture has grown up of a rather asexual and prudish life in the early 20th century, but this collection of century-old pornography proves that this could hardly be farther from the truth. Indeed, the antics of our grandparents and great-grandparents on display here violate numerous taboos that cannot be broken in pornography even today. Dating from about 1905 to 1930, this set of 12 films, running from about one to seven minutes in length, give a varied picture of the sexual appetites and fantasies of our forebears. There's the usual, including mild fetishism, spanking, lesbianism and the like. The first few films are decidedly softcore, with the first, Combing Her Hair (1905) more of an arty little nude study than porn. Faimette Workshop (1921) plays more like softcore, with what appears to be simulated sex but nonetheless enthusiastic as some factory girls are caught in flagrante by their boss, who takes advantage of them. School for Spanking (1925) plays with the teacher fetish and combines it with spanking. The dirty old man of legend and joke is the focus of Agenor is Picking Up, as he attempts to cure his priapism by bedding every woman he sees.
END