Anais Nin's infamous book is brought to the screen by King, the man who put the "soft" in soft-porn. It is full of attractive actors and beautiful cinematography, much like a shampoo commercial. The leads (England and Mandylor) try hard to convey the smoldering lust that lies behind their supposedly passionate but rather vacuous stares but then they open their mouths and utter either sweet nothings or something unbelievably pretentious and it just ruins everything. There is a fair amount of nudity and simulated sex (although the NC-17 rating is puzzling) but the frenetic editing destroys the mood just as things start to get interesting. Read the book instead.
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kenjha12 May 2006
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SnoopyStyle15 May 2015It's January 1940 Paris. Elena Martin (Audie England) is an American writer of erotica. Her acquaintances get her involved with nude modeling, voyeurism and sexual adventures.
It's one of director Zalman King's 90s erotic adventures. It's ridiculous over-wrought cheese. Audie England has an amazing look but not much acting range. She's not really required to have range to be naked. This is softcore porn with a pretentious artistic bend. This is inspired by Anaïs Nin's work during that time. It's not compelling as a biopic. It's not interesting as a fictional romance. It's lacking in historical drama. All of it is just covering its naughty bits with a veneer of respectability. -
wjfickling21 April 2002Pretentious, badly written, badly acted drivel, this film is worth seeing only for its erotic content, especially the scenes involving the gorgeous Audie England and the erotic Marketa Hrubesova. Come to think of it, save your time and money and watch the "Red Shoe Diaries" on cable. You might get to see Audi, too.
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"Delta of Venus", director Zalman King's erotic adaptation of
praised writer Anais Nin's book, is a lush, sexy, dramatic film. It's 1940 Paris and young aspiring writer Elena Martin begins a hot affair with smut author Lawrence. One night Elena catches Lawrence in the arms of another and leaves him, then she supports herself as a nude model and begins writing erotica for a wealthy male patron. But she can't write about it until she experiences it first. I highly recommend both the book "Delta of Venus" and the movie version as well.
"Delta of Venus" is UNRATED for strong sexual sequences, graphic nudity, and for some language.
NOTE: "Delta of Venus" is available in a slightly cut R Rated version that omits one minute of sexual footage, and an UNRATED version that restores the cut minute. -
Tito-831 October 1998Zalman King, who has a real knack for making boring movies, succeeds again with this ponderously slow-moving drama. Quite simply, it just doesn't get much worse than this...it's about as exciting as watching the grass grow. View only if you are an insomniac who is desperate to sleep at all costs...but don't say that you haven't been warned.
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lastliberal22 August 2007This was the first time that I have seen Audie England, not being a fan of Red Shoe Diaries. I believe it is also the first Zalman King directed film I have seen.
I was just mesmerized by England. She had a look that made me immediately search for more of her work, and I will be watching Free Enterprise and Miami Hustle very soon to see her again. She is an incredible beauty and this film is worth the time just to see her.
It's not worth much more that that. I've seen the brilliant Henry and June, and it did the bohemian lifestyle in Paris in the 30s and 40s much better. This film was loosely based on Anaïs Nin's work also.
Looking forward to seeing her in a better film. -
eavs7 June 2002I rented the movie before reading the comments and would have done so anyway just to catch the soft porn that was promised. Was it worth seeing the whole thing for the eroticism? NO. What a waste of my time and the film crews's. What a waste of video tape.
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smatysia20 January 2003Some of the plot elements of this film were vaguely familiar to me, and I don't know if it is from reading "Delta of Venus" lo, those many years ago, or maybe from "Henry and June" the film about Nin and Henry Miller, from 10 years ago or so. Anyway, this is an exceptional film for its genre, with good acting, direction, and pretty decent other assorted production values. I had never seen or heard of Audie England, and her beauty just floored me. Wow! Anyway, if you can at all tolerate soft-core erotica, this film is recommended. Grade: B+
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rlcsljo22 June 2002I don't think you can pack more into a hour and a half movie, without it exploding. This film has politics, romance, sexual awakening, war, art, anti-semitism and lots of sexy gorgeous nude woman (especially, if you like red heads) in a wonderfully photographed "epic". The only thing wrong was that Audie England should have kept her mouth shut. Her face and body are sheer cinematic poetry, but she just did not seem to be able to say any words with any conviction.
If you prefer your sex during the rise of fascism in a romance country, this film is a must have! Of course, you must see the un-rated version. The sex does really contribute to the plot.
P.S. Don't waste your time on Titanic! This movie is light-years ahead of it. -
witajkt119 July 2006When I saw this movie for the first time, I was surprised. It's different with other cheap semi porn movies. Even compare with Penthouse or Playboy home video or Wild Orchid. Delta of Venus has more deep story and erotic. But I still like 9 1/2 weeks the best. Anyway this movie had good cinematography. Nice song from Zete and beautiful score. I gave 7 out of 10 cause above reason. I like the scene, when Elena make love at the kitchen. Very sensual and hot. Zalma King at least has made 3 good movies 9 1/2 weeks, wild orchid and the last delta of Venus. This recommended as for stimulation your partner couple..
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skywalk-418 September 1999Delta of Venus, a collection of short stories by Anias Nin, was one of the first popular works in female erotica. The film is loosely based on the story behind the collection. It fails in trying to incorporate other stories from the collection. The film doesn't fail to be interesting, however. It may drag in the middle, and the dialogue may be a little on the obnoxious side, but it succeeds in being one of the most erotic films I've seen to date. The actors/actresses are simply gorgeous, and the sex scenes are among the hottest and most tasteful. If you're a fan of erotica in general, I suggest you check this one out. If you're looking for a good transition from literature to film, however; you may be looking in the wrong place.
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I found this movie to be one of Zalman King's best! I haven't seen a Zalman King movie I haven't liked, but I'd definitely have to say that, so far, this one takes the cake! I've read the book...the anthology of short stories from which King melded and formed the single story that was to become "Delta of Venus" the movie. He did an absolutely wonderful job!
Set in Paris during a turbulent time, decadence was at one of it's finest points. We have Audie Englund, beautiful and charming and shy all at once. Her character is a writer at a time when women writers were starting to be more open and who were keeping their own names. She wants to write, and indeed NEEDS to write for money. She feels she is passionate and only when her lover is "away" does she begin to learn what passion is and how to write about it. Her "employer" whom she never meets, only writes for, makes demands on her writing. She is to go farther and farther into the world of erotica. She is told to go beyond the idea of "love" and romance, but to strive for decadence and the bizarre. She goes to the very edges of sexuality to write the perfect erotic story to please the person paying her bills. And it is while she is on the edge of decadence that she discovers her own sexuality and how far she can go herself towards pleasure and testing the limits.
The whole movie is beautiful from beginning to end. It is always erotic and never tasteless or meaningless. It offers insight into a time when open sexuality was beginning to flourish again. It shows us a world where sexuality was encouraged, not frowned upon. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time, yearning to feel what the characters did. Yearning to have the feelings that the characters did. In a society as prudish as this one, it is but a dream to think that I could ever live in a world as portrayed in this movie.
The actors and actresses all played their parts well and with a passion and dedication that makes you believe that they are indeed the people they are pretending to be. I never once said, "Oh, Julia Roberts could have done a better job" or "Leonardo di Caprio is much sexier than him." On the contrary, these other actors would have made the movie seem to be a movie rather than a snippet of real life with real people. Don't get me wrong; the two I mentioned are very accomplished actors. But you know when they are acting, and in many other of their movies, you could say that they are "real" in the parts they play as I've said about the ones in "Delta of Venus"...but Zalman King could not have picked a finer cast for these characters.
If and when my own erotic stories get published, should the desire for them to be made into movies ever arise, then I only hope that it will be Zalman King behind the camera. I only hope that what I've written will be turned into a wonderful movie that only the magic of this director can create. -
yojimbo9993 January 2001Okay, folks, let's take a test. what do you expect when you rent a movie with the name "Zalman King" on the box? Anywhere on the box? You expect soft-core porn with pretentions of greatness and lensed in a slow-moving style, color-saturated, and all with Playboy-flair. This one delivers. Not only is it packed with wall to wall sex, but the lead actress, Audie England, is a good actress in serious need of better material. The setting is inspired and if you go in not expecting too much, you'll get your fill.
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Real_Review26 August 2019I have read 'Delta of Venus' by Anais Nin several times throughout my life. It is a collection of short stories, written at a time when she was being paid by an anonymous benefactor to write erotica. If you've watched the film, a bell just rang in your mind.
For those reviewers that seem to hate this film... First of all, you are crazy. Second, this is a very difficult book to adapt on film, and King does a great job of creating a coherent plot from many disconnected short stories with no common theme. Seriously, placed in the hands of the wrong writing and directing team, this film could have been a big mess. 'Delta of Venus' (1995) is a masterful adaptation, choosing the right stories to include, as well as excluding stories that would detract from the film. Some of the stories in the book are just too hardcore for a theatrical release. Thankfully, those stories were either modified or completely ignored to make a better film. I suspect that 100% of the negative IMDB reviews of this film are written by viewers that have never read the book, have no frame of reference for the material, and are uncomfortable with a large dose of sex in their art.
The entire cast was great, from Audie England to Mr. Echo from 'Lost' (2004), Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje. The sex was artful and erotic. There is a pulsating undertone of sexuality throughout the entire film. The shots of Paris are amazing and the city is written like a character, taking an active role in the plot development (much like Woody Allen uses cities as central elements to his stories).
A nonsexual aspect that I particularly appreciate is Elena's reluctance to leave Paris, despite the impending war. Throughout the film, we witness this intimate group of young people from all over the world, thrown together in the artistic culture of 1940's Paris. The city binds them together and they encourage each other's artistic expression. Elena knows that this is just a moment in time. At some point she realizes that, when they evacuate Paris, it will mark the end of these relationships. Never again will they all be together in this way, as these versions of themselves. So, despite the increasing chaos and danger, some of them choose to stay - as if to embrace the chaos and make the party last just a little bit longer... That's very real. It's sad that some people watch this film and totally miss this piece of great storytelling and acting.
If you are comfortable with your sexuality and in the mood for something sexy, you will enjoy this film. If you have enjoyed the work of Anais Nin, you will enjoy this film. If you are trying to create a heavy and sexy vibe among a group of like-minded people, you will enjoy this film. However, this film was rated NC-17 at one time; If that scares you, just choose to watch something else. Trashing this film in an IMDB review at 3am may feel therapeutic, but you will still be a prude when you wake up in the morning.
RealReview Posting Scoring Criteria: Acting: 1/1;
Casting: 1/1;
Directing: 1/1;
Story: 1/1;
Writing/Screenplay: 1/1;
Total Base Score = 5
Modifiers (+ or -): Cinematography: +1 (This is the best shot soft-core film of all time.);
Authentic Location Shooting: +1 (Paris, France);
Gratuitous Female Nudity: 0 (If you've read Anais Nin, you know that there really isn't anything gratuitous about the artful and intentional nudity in this film.);
Exceptionally Sexy: +1 (It is exceptional.);
Total RealReview Rating: 8 -
garyamiller23 April 2021It is one of the most erotic and sensuous love stories. To the other reviewers here, that's all that was intended. Zalman King at his best.
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phantom-6730 August 1999I thought this was one of the best erotic films I've seen. The cinematography was wonderful and really caught the mood of WWII Paris. I was deeply involved in the story not just witnessing it. The trouble with most films that center around sex is that that is all there is. I found that the emotions surrounding the characters just made the love scenes that much more real and intense. It is a drama, though. Touching and deep.
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harlock-221 May 1999This film has everything...beautiful lovemaking, a redhead, and the opium dens of Paris.
It's a slow moving plot that's intended to exhibit a series of different fantasy scenarios lived out by the main character, as she writes them down into a private collection for an anonymous client, with some good plot twisting towards the end.
The cinematography, costuming and makeup are exquisite, making this film pure eye candy. Enjoy. -
a.wylie15 April 2000Although certainly not the greatest movie ever made, Delta of Venus manages to convince with it's Parisian setting and a feeling of revelry in the face of stark reality. Audie England is rather fetching as the ingenue American writer becoming embroiled in the Parisian milieu of sex, drugs and personal drama, played with almost frantic intensity before the creeping tide of Nazism. Based on the writings of Anais Nin, Delta of Venus contains some extremely erotic scenes and is well worth a look.
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amiker12 November 2000It looks like a 90 minute perfume ad. Since I produce commercials for a living I know one when I see one. Stylish if not a little sleepish. Intense at times and nonsense most of the times. If you like 9 1/2 weeks, Wild Orchid and the like then you will love this one (all of these movies are pretty much the same story line, dialog etc...) other wise watch "The Tango Lesson" also set in Paris the real Paris not Prague dressed up as in this movie. The Tango Lesson is more insightful intelligent just as stylish and what this movie could have been. I still like this movie it gives me ideas for my next commercial project.