Jess Franco uses "enhanced interrogation" techniques to persuade Princess Arminda (Lina Romay) to reveal her involvement in a plot to extort ransom from his criminal boss Amos Radeck (Victor Mendes) in the minimalist crime film, DIE SKLAVINNEN (1977).
Jess' favorite instrument of torture is a [what else?] cigarette!
The look of this film is fascinating: exteriors shot in Lisbon (including the white castle from SUCCUBUS) while the sleazy sex/drug/crime activities take place in filthy hotel rooms which suggest late 60s/early 70s Andy Warhol productions like TRASH.
Note the "Nighclub Scene" without a Nightclub--only a few chairs, a potted tropical plant, a lamp, a talkative parrot in a cage, all set off against bottomless black wallpaper. It's all cued to funky mid 70s dance music and is bascially harmless fun considering that there are powerful people in real life who think that torture is no problem.
In his mid 1970s Eurocrime universe Victor Mendes was Franco's Sydney Greenstreet and Martine Stedil his Catwoman. They provide solid support to Jess and his probing cigarette in this short, nasty and recommended little thriller.
(C)Robert Monell, 2007
