/Objets d'art

The film version of Story of O, based on the book which was originally published in 1954, was produced in 1975 in France. I’ve read the book and seen the film and I love them both. The film I like in particular because it’s rare for me to find a visual work so thoroughly arousing and simultaneously, possessing so much depth.

In the Story of O, we witness the transformation of a woman from sweet, timid and dull to a wild, sexually empowered Amazon. It is through her journey in ritualized dominance and submission that O ultimately becomes free. O is whipped, used, fucked, and thrust into supplication. She is taken to a mansion where she and other women are used by the men living there. Anytime, anyplace, these women must be available to please.

In O – orifice, opening, portal, an archetypal hole to be filled, we see that the literal story is not the full story.  At the place of ultimate debasement, O sheds false pride. She loses her inhibitions and becomes free of what other people think of her. In her outer life and profession, she grows more dominant, self-directed and creative. By letting go of the vestiges of her ego and identity that have truly enslaved her, she grows more fully into herself.

I love the film for its visual depiction of O’s metamorphosis. The woman portraying O, Corinne Cleary, is stunning and fearless. One of the final frames in the movie is O naked amongst a group of people at a black tie party. She wears a beautiful mask of bird feathers and she stands open and vulnerable, yet exuding strength.