Immoral Women

Director: Walerian Borowczyk

1978 / 124min / DCP

“A North American restoration premiere, ripe for reappraisal. This cinematic triptych presents three, wildly different stories bound by a surrealistic sensibility and a Sadean code of ethics, whose original catch-all title (Les Héroïnes du mal) evokes Baudelaire. In contrast to Borowczyk’s early features, there are no female victims here, just avenging angels who wily turn the tables on male oppressors. The first episode, ‘Margherita,’ set during the Renaissance, mixes art history, religion, politics, and sex with a light touch—long before Peter Greenaway. The second, ‘Marceline,’ presents a horrific, literal take on metaphoric coming-of-age ritual while at the same time reclaiming the title ‘bunny girl’ from Hugh Hefner. The third, ‘Marie,’ demonstrates the perennial dangers faced by men who get in between a woman and the love of her dog.”—Daniel Bird, series curator Screens with L'amour monstre de tous les temps.