"Goodbye Emmanuelle" is considered by many to be the last "official" entry in the "Emmanuelle" series. This time around, the action shifts to the beautiful and exotic Seychilles Islands, where the lovely and sexually liberated Emmanuelle finds herself questioning her beliefs about sex, and about love. This elegantly filmed third installment begins like the others, with the architect's wife meeting and having sexual encounters with the attractive cast of men and women on the island. Before long however, the film shifts gears, when a young and extremely handsome film director enters the picture, and awakens in Emmanuelle, some feelings that she thought had long ago been buried.
"Goodbye Emmanuelle" is the perfect final chapter in the series, wrapping everything up in a smart, believable way. This moral fable makes the point that open relationships, complete with anonymous sex, can become a very lonely and sad way to live. Emmanuelle begins to realize that her husband's guise of carefree sexuality, is merely a way to hide his own insecurities. When put to the test, he fails miserably, by resorting to petty lies and games to hold onto the woman, that he realizes too late, really loves and depends on. If this does not sound like the storyline for an erotic film, it is because this is not really an erotic film. The sex scenes are kept to a minimum, and when there is an erotic scene, the camera does not linger for long. In fact, these scenes appear to have been a mere after-thought, taking a back seat to the more serious drama at hand.
Viewed as a stand-alone feature, "Goodbye Emmanuelle" plays like a slightly above-average melodrama, it's gorgeous cinematography elevating it a cut above the rest. But when viewed in context with the other two films in the series, this becomes something very special indeed. For during these three very different films, we see this character "Emmanuelle" evolve continually. In the first chapter, Emmanuelle is a young and innocent girl, with somewhat traditional views on sexuality and marriage. She is taught, by various friends about open marriage, and carnal desire. In part 2, Emmanulle has traded her short, severe hairstyle, for a long, flowing mane of red hair, indicating her newfound "freedom." Viewing these two films back to back, it is amazing how different she is in the second installment. By the time she settles down in the Seychilles with her husband, she has changed yet again, and she no longer carries herself with the same air of self confidence. Rather, she appears to be uncertain about the direction of her life. Perhaps Sylvia Kristel was not given enough credit for her acting abilities. She carries these films alone, and does an unforgettable job lending this fictional character an authenticity seldom seen in film.
For fans of the series, "Goodbye Emmanuelle" is a must-see. Of the three films, (or four if you include Emmanuelle IV) is the most understated, and most elegantly-filmed of the series. For a change, many will notice that the men are attractive here as well as the women. The whole cast is in fact quite beautiful. It is a somewhat rare title, but the DVD from the Netherlands is the highest quality edition available, presented in a gorgeous 2;35 aspect ratio, and featuring the original French audio. It is the only way to watch these special films.
