The Corruption

Reading other people’s reviews of The Corruption is funny. Half of the audience seems to have watched it as a standard film and are a bit taken aback by the sexual content. The other half watched it for said sexual content and seem a bit pissed off that there’s more going on here than just porn. Personally, I was with the film for most of its runtime. It is definitely smarter and better shot than standard erotica. But the uh, climax of film is decidedly unsexy despite that being its purpose.

The Corruption is yet another erotic film about an unhappy, unfulfilled wife. Anna spends the day caring for her aging, unpleasant mother-in-law while her husband, Giacomo works as a lawyer. Anna hires the vivacious Angela as a maid. Angela quickly becomes a confidant to Anna and encourages behaviours Anna seems ashamed of. Particularly, Anna is sexually repressed. Angela not only encourages her sexuality but Anna’s desires to be infantilized as a response to her unhappy adult life. But eventually, Anna’s husband also has to play a part in this erotic tale.

I went into The Corruption expecting softcore erotica. This means that the film’s level of depth exceeded my non-existent expectations. While Anna and Angela play, Giacomo has a legal subplot regarding the rise in fascism in Europe. Oh yeah, this is also a period piece. But just for the scenes where Giacomo encounters communists and the threat of Nazism. Even in Anna’s story line, there is some depth. There’s at least an attempt to tie her sexual behaviour into her larger character and the events in her life. There’s generally an attempt to ask “why” regarding Anna’s sexual behaviour. The Corruption at least tries to add a psychological element in amongst all the shots of titties.

The Corruption also surprised me with how well it’s shot. Director Salvatore Samperi has a great eye for shot composition. There’s a sense of luxury to the whole film which I appreciate in the often cheap and sleazy genre of erotica. Samperi’s genuine directorial talent also helps elevate the softcore elements. Shooting a naked woman is one thing. But shooting the same nudity upside down in a reflection from rippling water? Very cool! Congratulations, Salvatore. You made an art! I still question why Anna and Angela engage in mutual masturbation while ankle deep in dirty water on a rice farm. But damn if Salvatore didn’t make it look beautiful.

And then there comes my biggest criticism. The ending. Anna and Giacamo engage in a threesome with an uncertain Angela. Despite protests, Anna holds Angela down and Giacamo rapes her. This assault also leads to Angela’s impregnation, which was apparently Anna and Giacamo’s plan all along. This is not a sexy way to end a piece of erotica! And it’s always heartbreaking that my opinion on this matter is not universal. So much vintage erotica features sexual assault. And I am of the radical opinion that rape is not sexy. It speaks very badly of the film and filmmaker’s views on women. As a woman myself, I really hate watching it.

For most of the run time, I considered The Corruption an above average piece of erotica. I enjoyed how much plot was in between the sex and it is a really well-directed movie. But that ending really drags it down. I can’t recommend the movie as something sexy because of the ending and because The Corruption is comparatively tame on the sex. So then, I guess you’re just watching it for the drama. And while it is present, it’s pretty unexceptional. The Corruption remains a beautiful looking movie, but one with an identity crisis about whether it’s erotica or more serious art.

Overall rating: 5.5/10

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