Warning: SPOILERS!!! THE WHIP AND THE BODY (1963) - One thing that always surprised me about Italian Gothic horror films of the '60s is how adult they are in terms of sex, sadomasochism and other sexual perversions. Since this was the early-'60s, there was, of course, no nudity, but filmmakers found a way around that aspect to display their "perversions". No one was better at that than director Mario Bava (who uses his "John M. Old" pseudonym here for the first time), who also gave us such Gothic horror classics as BLACK SUNDAY (1960; the film that kick-started the Italian horror film industry), BLACK SABBATH (1963) and KILL, BABY...KILL! (1966) He was nearly the only one to wrap such sexual proclivities in a colorful, eerily atmospheric package, of which this film is a prime example. It also doesn't hurt that this film has a cast who are well-versed in the Gothic horror genre, all who add their talents to a film that is so memorable and so sexually perverse, it had to be severely re-edited in many countries around the world, including the United States, before it could be released to theaters and then TV. What I will be reviewing is the uncut "European Version", because the U.S. edit eliminates all the 'perversions', leaving the film a shadow of its former self. The film opens with a man on horseback riding on the beach towards the Menliff Manor castle, as we see the castle's housekeeper, Giorgia (Harriet Medin White; THE GHOST - 1963), looking at a glass-encased dagger with dried blood on it and crying, telling maid Katia ("Isli Oberon" a.k.a. "Evelyn Stewart" a.k.a Ida Galli; Bava's HERCULES IN THE HAUNTED WORLD - 1961) that it has been ten years since her daughter Tanya committed suicide with the very same dagger, plunging it into her neck when Kurt Menliff (Christopher Lee; HORROR CASTLE - 1963), one of the sons of Count Vladimir Menliff ("Dean Ardow" a.k.a Gustavo DeNardo; Bava's EVIL EYE - 1963), left the castle, never to return, on the day he and Tanya were to be married. Giorgia says that if Kurt were ever to return to the castle, she would plunge the dagger into his neck as revenge for her daughter's death. Katia tells her not to say such things, Kurt will never return to the castle because the Count has banished and disowned him, taking everything of value away from him, leaving Kurt penniless and destitute. Never say never, because that man on horseback is none other than Kurt and when servant Losat ("Alan Collins" a.k.a. Luciano Pigozzi; LIBIDO - 1965) announces Kurt's return to the Count and Kurt's brother, Christian (Tony Kendall; THE HYENA OF LONDON - 1964), it is met with both horror and anger, but before anyone can say or do anything, Kurt appears and says he has only returned to congratulate Christian on his recent marriage to Nevenka (Daliah Lavi; TEN LITTLE INDIANS - 1965), who was Kurt's true love before he left the castle. Right from the start we can see Kurt is a sadistic SOB, looking at Nevenka (who was playing the piano until she heard Kurt's name, but once she sees him, a look of both fear and passion envelopes her face) with lust in his eyes and it doesn't go unnoticed by the Count and Christian. The Count orders Kurt out of the castle, saying the only reason he returned was to get back everything that he took away from him, including his title and properties that go along with it. Kurt doesn't deny it, saying it was the second reason why he returned. The Count tells him that will never happen and Kurt mysteriously says, "We'll see." After being ordered out of the castle again by the Count, Christian says no, let him stay; he's not afraid of Kurt and knows his tricks all too well. The Count relents and lets Kurt stay, which makes Giorgia and Losat very angry because he abused servants when he was living at the castle (Tanya being one of them). Kurt stares directly at Giorgia and says it looks like she wants to kill him right now, but she says no, his death will be left up to karma and it will come very soon. Kurt then says he doesn't care what the "help" thinks and returns to his old room in the castle, which has been left unoccupied since the day he left ten years ago. That night, Kurt pays his father a visit in his bedroom using a secret passageway behind the fireplace, which he used as a child to wish his father a goodnight practically every night. The Count orders him out of his room and Kurt sarcastically says the Count had a totally different attitude when he visited him as a child. The Count replies that back then he was his son, but he no longer is, saying he is too old for such nonsense and he is very ill and close to death. Once he dies, Kurt will know what he thinks of him at the reading of his will. Kurt leaves the room the same way he came in, but this time with a sly smile on his face. The next morning, Nevenka takes a horseback ride on the beach, stopping to sit in the sand and contemplate her life. Kurt sneaks up behind her and tries to kiss her, saying he knows she still loves him, but Nevenka screams out "I hate you! I hate you!" and starts hitting Kurt with the horse's riding crop. Kurt angrily pulls the crop out of her hand and begins whipping Nevenka mercilessly, until the dress she is wearing is tattered and her back is raw and bloody, but she loves it (!), a look of sexual pleasure on her face. Kurt says she hasn't changed and wonders if Christian knows about her sexual perversions. Then he and Nevenka make love on the beach. As nighttime approaches, Nevenka hasn't returned to the castle. Kurt returns and Christian asks him if he has seen Nevenka and he says no, but he better look for her now because it will be impossible to locate her in the dark. Everyone but the Count and Kurt go looking for her and when Kurt is in his room, he hears a noise coming from his terrace window and goes to investigate. Someone hiding behind the curtains stabs Kurt in the neck with the very same dagger Tanya used to kill herself, killing him. Losat and Giorgia find Nevenka unconscious in the moors near the castle and carry her back to the castle. When Giorgia brings Kurt some nighttime tea, she discovers his dead body and screams. Everyone seems relieved that Kurt is dead and the Count takes the dagger and locks it in a drawer in his bedroom, saying no one should ever see the dagger again, it has served its purpose. So who killed Kurt? A few days later, as Nevenka is playing the piano (apparently, she only knows how to play one tune, but it's appropriately creepy), she sees Kurt staring at her through a window in the pouring rain and screams (the collar on Kurt's shirt is soaked in blood), but when everyone else looks out the window, Kurt is no longer there. That night, Kurt pays Nevenka a visit in her bedroom, his shoes all muddy, as if, according to Nevenka, "He just escaped from his grave", leaving muddy footprints on the floor. Kurt's hand reaches for Nevenka (A scene filmed so terrifyingly, it gave me nightmares as a kid when I watched it on TV in the mid-'60s) and she shrieks a blood curdling scream, everyone running to her bedroom. She tells Christian that Kurt was there and says to look at the muddy footprints on the floor, but there are none. Christian says it was nothing but a nightmare, but Nevenka is sure it wasn't and says that Kurt is still alive. It should be noted, that at Kurt's funeral, we see his body in a casket as it is carried by four people in red robes and placed in a tomb in the Menliff Family crypt. We also discover that Christian's marriage to Nevenka is one of convenience; he married her just to make the Count happy. Since they don't even sleep in the same bedroom, it's not much of a stretch to discern that they haven't even consummated the marriage (if you know what I mean), so Christian may have no idea of her sexual proclivities. Christian is really in love with Katia and she with him, but they can no longer do anything about it because he is now married (Oh, the 18th Century! Haven't they heard of adultery?). It's not long before everyone begins seeing muddy footprints on the floor, which lead to Kurt's tomb. They even hear laughter that sounds like it is coming from Kurt. When the Count ends up dead in his bed, stabbed in the neck and the dagger missing from the locked dresser drawer, some believe Kurt is alive, while others believe someone in the castle is responsible. One night, we see Kurt once again whipping Nevenka mercilessly in her bed until she reaches orgasm and when she ends up missing, Christian and Losat follow the muddy footprints in her bedroom that lead to Kurt's tomb. When they open the stone door to the tomb, they discover an unconscious Nevenka inside, very close to death. So is Kurt really alive or is he a ghost? Or is there another explanation? Christian begins to believe that his brother may actually be alive, so he and Losat go into Kurt's tomb, carry his casket outside and open it. Inside the coffin is a heavily decayed corpse, too far gone from the ravages of nature to identify as Kurt, although the corpse is wearing Kurt's clothes. Just in case Kurt is a ghost (he'll believe anything at this point), Christian douses the corpse with lamp oil and sets it on fire. He and Losat then hear Kurt's laugh and see a shadowy figure in the distance and run after it (Losat falls behind because he walks with a limp for reasons not revealed, but pay close attention to the corpse's twitching, burning feet at this moment if you want to be creeped out!). The fast moving shadowy figure manages to avoid Christian and escapes in the secret passageway in the Count's bedroom and locks it from the inside. Knowing the passage leads to the castle's chapel, Christian and Losat discover who the killer is. If you want to know who it is, you are going to have to watch the film, but I will say this: It may not come as a surprise to today's audiences, but I guarantee it was a surprise to audiences back in 1963. It's a conclusion used in many mystery and psychological thriller films up to this day, but in 1963 it was fairly new. You can never go wrong with a Mario Bava film (including PLANET OF THE VAMPIRES - 1965; FIVE DOLLS FOR AN AUGUST MOON - 1970; A BAY OF BLOOD - 1971; RABID DOGS - 1974 and SHOCK - 1977) and this one is no different. The atmosphere is thick enough to cut with a knife and the cinematography, by Ulbaldo Terzano (as "David Hamilton"; Bava's BLOOD AND BLACK LACE - 1964) and an uncredited Bava, is sumptuous and beyond reproach, especially the scenes inside the castle and the crypt, where around every shadowy corner, danger could pop-out unexpectedly and sometimes does, putting the viewers on edge. There's a sequence in the film where Nevenka hears the sound of a cracking whip (it almost sounds like a dog growling) that will put your nerves on edge unlike any other film from that time period, as she searches for its origin. It is a sequence full of terror and pure beauty, as only Bava could pull it off (Nevenka has a look on her face as if she wishes the cracking whip was tearing at her back and is somewhat disappointed when she finds out what was causing the noise. A very telling scene). The screenplay, by Ernesto Gastaldi (as "Julian Berry"; THE LONG HAIR OF DEATH - 1964), Ugo Guerra (as "Robert Hugo"; A BULLET FOR SANDOVAL - 1969) and Luciano Martino (as "Martin Hardy"; THE MURDER CLINIC - 1966), doesn't cow-tow to the audience, something that should please fans of Gothic horror films. This was not a film for kids and was never meant to be, no matter what American and some foreign distributors thought (see next paragraph). The entire cast is excellent, especially Harriet Medin White and Luciano Pigozzi, who are usually assigned minor (but memorable) roles in films, but get a chance to shine here. Steven, my friend from across the pond, describes Pigozzi as Italy's answer to Peter Lorre and it's never truer than in this film. He looks like he could be Lorre's brother and I don't think it is a coincidence. Christopher Lee is also excellent as the sadist Kurt and although he doesn't dub his own voice here, the person who did (David Sturkie) does a very good job, sounding just like him (Lee, apparently, didn't agree, regretting not dubbing his voice for this film [he was a huge admirer of Bava] and made sure he dubbed his voice on all of his other foreign films from that point on). I'm a huge fan of Italian Gothic horror films and this is one of the best, thanks to Bava being in the director's chair, the cast and the adult material it addresses. Shot as LA FRUSTA E IL CORPO (a literal translation of the review title) and also known as THE WHIP AND THE FLESH, this film obtained a 1965 theatrical release in the United States under the idiotic title WHAT! by distribution company Futuramic Releasing, but it was missing all the whipping scenes because they didn't believe American audiences were ready for such adult material and it would play havoc with our psyches (The U.S. theatrical release only lasted for about a week and it was immediately dumped to U.S. TV, where it was cut even more, destroying the film. It was mainly shown very late at night, when children shouldn't even be awake, but I was!). VCI Home Video then released it on VHS under the review title, this time using the European Version, but still missing two short scenes. VCI also released it on DVD in 2000, but it was also slightly edited, missing the same two scenes as their VHS version. In 2013, Kino Lorber released the film totally uncut (in anamorphic widescreen, with the choice of watching it in its original Italian with English subtitles or English dubbed) on both DVD and Blu-Ray (my review is based on the Blu) as part of their "Mario Bava Collection". The colors pop and the print looks like it was shot yesterday. Amazon Prime members can find the film streaming, but it is tricky. It is part of their DOUBLE DOSES OF HORROR series, subtitled "Whips & Exorcists". The first film of this double feature is this one, which, on a cursory look, uses a nice anamorphic widescreen print bearing the Italian title, but it is English dubbed. From what I could tell, it was uncut. The second feature is director Michael Reeves' SHE-BEAST (1966) also in widescreen. Not a bad double feature to watch if you have never seen them before (or even if you already have). Also featuring Jacques Herlin (PLOT OF FEAR - 1976) as the priest who performs Kurt's funeral service. Mel Welles, director of MANEATER OF HYDRA (1966) and LADY FRANKENSTEIN (1971), dubs the Count's voice in the English language version. Not Rated.While watching this `uncut' European version of La Frusta e il corpo (1963) aka The Whip and the Body (1965), I had a hard time understanding just what the heck was so controversial about it at the time of its release that it should have been hacked to pieces the way it was by various editors (I think the U.S. version end up being the most mutililated)...I guess it is just difficult for me to fathom the seemingly excessive stringent nature of film censorship in place some thirty plus years ago, when the film was originally released...by today's standards, the `shocking' material is fairly mild...but then I find a lot of things I consider tame in the cinematic sense tend to have a stronger effect on less avid movie fans. Directed by Mario Bava (Black Sabbath, Planet of the Vampires), the film stars Christopher Lee (Circus of Fear, Dracula Has Risen from the Grave), Daliah Lavi (Lord Jim, The Silencers), and Tony Kendall (Kiss Kiss, Kill Kill). Also appearing is Gustavo De Nardo (Baron Blood), Harriet Medin (Schlock, Death Race 2000), Ida Galli (The Leopard), and Luciano Pigozzi (Yor, the Hunter from the Future)...just a note, if you've seen this film and don't recognize many of the names of the writers, crew or the supporting cast, that's because it wasn't unusual for producers to require the usage of `American' nom de plumes as it was deemed easier to schlep a film to the U.S. if it had familiar sounding names rather than `crazy' names with more vowels than consonants...and example of this is the listed director John M. Old, which is actually a pseudonym used by Mario Bava. Was this a product of American arrogance? Or a ruse used by European producers to more easily introduce their films into the lucrative American market?The film begins with an older woman eyeing a glass case containing a dagger and roses (some people just collect Hummel figurines), and then we see a lone figure on horseback arriving at a castle perched on cliff above a beach. The rider, known as Kurt Menliff (Lee), has arrived home, but not necessarily to the warmest of welcomes. Turns out Kurt was the cause of some `unpleasantness' involving the housekeeper's daughter and her subsequent suicide by use of the dagger we saw earlier (hence why the mother keeps it under glass, I suppose)...anyway, Kurt claims his return was prompted by his desire to wish his brother Christian (Kendall) and his new wife Nevenka (Lavi) well, but the real reason is because he wants to lay claim to what he believes is rightfully his (the land, the castle, etc.) as Kurt and Christian's father, Count Menliff (De Nardo) isn't in the best of health. By the way, did I mention that Kurt and his new sister-in-law Nevenka were somewhat of an item in the past? Oh, Nevenka claims she hates Kurt now, but we all know true love never dies, especially between super freaks (of which both Kurt and Nevenka are, given their little S&M adventure on the beach). Soon after this there is a violent death (whose, you ask? I won't say) and thus begins the real creep show as them vengeful bones seek comeuppance from the living...If you're looking for buckets of blood and gallons of grisly gore, you best turn around and keep on keeping on as, while this is an Italian horror film, its not really of the normally visceral kind churned out by the likes of Lucio Fulci (City of the Living Dead), Dario Argento (Suspiria), Ruggero Deodato (Cannibal Holocaust), or even Bava (A Bay of Blood) himself...there is some violence, and even some blood, but what I think most shocked people at the time was the scene featuring the reaction of Nevenka as she was being flogged (she appeared to be having the big O, if you get my drift)...the movie may seem slow, even boring, to some, but I thought of it more as deliberate, as Bava used the element of horror as sort of a backdrop to focus on the odd relationship between Kurt and Nevenka, one I had a hard time understanding not because it wasn't clearly developed, but only because my own, personal preferences in terms of romantic relationships don't include such overt acts of dominance. A number of aspects stand out in this superior production, the three most prominent being the performances, the direction, and the thoughtful development of the main characters. Lee does especially well (despite limited screen time) coming across more as an intelligent, seductive, malevolent force of evil rather than nasty character with a penchant for flogging. Lavi is also excellent as a woman tormented by the denial of her inner desires, exacerbated by the return of her ex-lover. The direction is such that it creates a moody, brooding, gothic atmosphere soaked with tension (some scenes were dragged out a little long for my tastes) that will keep the attention patient viewers as the mystery unfolds, and the seemingly supernatural elements kick in...Bava does especially well presenting sometimes subtle, sometimes not so subtle, metaphorical life/death imagery that compliments the story, adding to the overall production. Two other key elements is the contrast of vibrant (just short of gaudy) colors compared with the deep, dark, spooky shadows, along with the lush and sweeping musical score. There are a couple of weaknesses, in my opinion, one being the unnecessary dubbing of Lee's voice...why this was done I don't understand. The person they got to do the dub does sound similar to Lee, but he couldn't reproduce the commanding, authorative, and aristocratic tone normally present in Lee's voice. The other weakness was in the dialog itself...sometimes it was near perfect, and then sometimes it came off awkward, but perhaps this was due to the Italian actors having to speak their lines in English...regardless, neither of these would be cause for me not to recommend this film to someone interested in one of the better (if not best) examples of European horror I've seen yet...VCI Home Entertainment presents a very good-looking, wide screen (1.85:1), uncut European version of this film. There are signs of wear due to age (some lines, white specks in the dark scenes), but overall the picture comes across very clear. The audio, presented in Dolby Digital mono, comes through well. Special features include musical tracks by composer Carlo Rustichelli aka Jim Murphy, an original theatrical trailer, biographies, a photo gallery, and trailers for a couple of other Bava films including Planet of the Vampires (1965) and Blood & Black Lace (1964). Also included is a commentary track by Tim Lucas, and editor for Video Watchdog. If you get a chance, I would highly recommend listening to this commentary as Lucas is like a human computer when it comes to details and information about this, and other films in the genre. And it's not that he just spews forth facts, but he really seems to have a passionate, comprehensive, knowledgeable understanding of the material that may provide a perspective on this film one may not get from viewing the movie itself...four stars for the movie, and one extra for the commentary.Cookieman108By the way, if I were one of the characters in this story, I probably would have chucked that dagger (you know, the one that kept turning up and killing people?) in the ocean...I would have also secured some chains around the gates of that crypt, as it seemed a popular place for many to visit...The whip and the body Blu Ray review, UK Odeon Entertainment EditionFirst i have to say this is one of my favorite Mario Bava movie.This Odeon Entertainment Edition have terrible image quality! Not only the colors are very wrong, but also the black levels ( or should i say gray levels!!!???) are very damaged with a lot of digital artifacts (blocks and macro blocks). Please note that I'm not talking about "Grain of an old movie",I'm talking about DIGITAL ARTIFACTS resulting of the BAD COMPRESSION and BAD COLOR CORRECTION of the image.It's sad because, this is a beautiful movie.This title needs to be remastered properly.I hope some studio can fix this!!!I'm talking to you ARROW VIDEO! PLEASE!!!Great film, Christopher Lee brilliant.ClassicA good Mario Bava gothic ghost story set in a creepy old castle with Christopher Lee as an evil brother returning to cause havoc on his brother & new bride-very good print-this version is uncut-for years the whipping scenes were banned in most countries. Great theme. If you like Hammer horror you'll love this but be warned-the whipping scenes are quite violent.Whip and the Body is my favorite Bava film ... Its positively operatic in its gothic melodrama ... And so rich in colour and texture ... Well at least the film is ... This atrocity is both faded ( in regards colour ) and hideously dark so that none of the detail is visible in the whole film ... Don't misunderstand me ... The detail is there in the bright parts of the picture but as we all know Bava is full of colour and shadows ... And there's none hereEven Novenka and Katia's horse ride to the beach looks as if it is late late evening and nearly dark !!! ... Farcical ... Awful transfer ... Probably done by the same people who did Bava's Block Sunday for Kino as it has the same problem of being much worse than the dvdLets hope someone has the sense to do right by this classic and release a transfer done by someone who hasn't got serious eyesight problems and knows the film he is transfering