I love the work of Mario Bava, but I am not going to get carried away and say this is his best film. It isn't. Nor is it his second best or third best. The story is simple enough: a cruel, sadistic man comes back after his brother married his own flame, a woman still attracted to him because she enjoys being whipped and beat for sensual/sexual gratification. Soon Kurt, the whip-cracking prodigal son is killed amidst a host of possible suspects. The girl starts seeing him return from the dead. Is he still alive? Is he a ghost? Or is there never any explanation? You will have to strain your eyes till the end to find out. Now, don't get me wrong. this movie does have a lot to offer. Christopher Lee gives an excellent performance in a very unusual role as Kurt the whipper-snapper. Bava always showcases a sumptuous buffet for the eyes with his camera lens. He uses color as well and probably much better than any director I can think of at the moment. Every scene for him is a work of art and tackled with that in mind. The Gothic sets, period costumes, and the musical score are all first-rate. All of the actors do decent jobs. Lee is very good. Lavi as "she who must be whipped" is beautiful and acceptable. Luciano Pigozzi, the European Peter Lorre(based on looks not on talent) is in tow as well. But the major and most prominent flaw in the film for me, and one which really reduced my enjoyment of this film, was the incredibly slow pace even for Bava. It seems like forever until something ever happens, and when it does not much happens. The movie is weird in subject matter and purposely vague in much of the storyline. Much is cleared up at the end, but its is a long way for a very small payoff.
Review of The Whip and the Body
