The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Miss Osbourne (1981)

Directed by Walerian Borowczyk
Starring Udo Kier, Marina Pierro, Patrick Magee, Howard Vernon, Gérard Zalcberg

“Eroticism, sex, is one of the most moral parts of life. Eroticism does not kill, exterminate, encourage evil, lead to crime. On the contrary, it makes people gentler, brings joy, gives fulfillment, leads to selfless pleasure.” Walerian Borowczyk

That above quote really fits Borowczyk’s work, or at least of the little of his that I’ve seen. I have to admit that I’m not the biggest fan of what I’ve seen so far, but mainly because it is a little too…artsy for me, to be perfectly honest. Years ago, back in the grey market days, I had a title called The Bloodbath of Dr. Jekyll that starred Udo Kier. But the quality of the print was so bad, I never got around to watching it. But I had seen Borowczyk’s Immoral Tales, which featured a segment involving the Countess Bathory. So I knew somewhat the kind of strange and art-house type of films that he was known for, most primarily for The Beast (1975). But now, thanks to Arrow Video, this strange and for the most part lost film has not only been released, but in a great presentation, giving a whole new audience the chance to see it.

I’m sure that Borowczyk’s work is one that is not for your average film fan, being an acquired taste, filled with very artsy, erotic, and strange scenes and images. I will say that some of the imagery found here, with some of shots just beautiful and intriguing. But I have to admit that I found the film just bizarre. Maybe I’m not smart enough to ‘get it’ but it was just weird. The film mainly takes place during one evening with Dr. Jekyll at his house with some guests, including his future wife, Miss Osbourne, played by Mariana Pierro. Some of the guests include some of my favorite cult actors like Howard Vernon and Patrick Magee. During the festivities in the evening, a man that we witness in the beginning of the film beat a child to death, somehow gets in the house and starts causing trouble.

Not to say there weren’t were parts that I did enjoy, such as the fact that the Hyde character is played by a totally different actor, which I don’t believe I’ve seen done before, unless you count the female Hyde variations. Plus there is one transformation in a bathtub that was pretty interesting on how they did it. So I will give kudos for that sequence. But even the presence of Kier, Howard, and Magee couldn’t help me get pass the strangeness of the whole picture. Vernon is pretty sedate, which is unusual for him, while Magee’s performance is slightly outrageous, which I just found almost laughable.
Sometimes erotic, sometime even close to pornographic, it definitely is like no other version of the Robert Louis Stevenson tale you’ve seen.

For those that are fans of this movie and Borowczyk’s work, then you will love this disc. It is filled with extras. From a commentary track that features bits from the director, cinematographer Noel Very, as well as Michael Levy and Khadicha Bariha, with Daniel Bird holding it all together, to interviews with Kier, Pierro, and Sarah Mallinson, and a short documentary about Borowczyk’s work by Michael Brooke, there is more than enough here to keep one occupied and entertained.

While I’m not a big fan of Borowczyk’s work, if you are, or love the strange and weird art house cinema, then I think you’ll enjoy this release, especially since Arrow has not only done an exceptional job bringing this film back from the grave, but have filled with a ton of extras to keep the die hard fans very happy.