Martin Oaks
@martinrobles
**Perversion and aristocracy** The plot of “Body Love” departs from the usual contemplative approach to focus on a narrative axis centered on Martine’s (played by Catherine Ringer, credited as Lolita Da Nova) eighteenth birthday. Her father, an aristocrat known as the Baron, and her stepmother (played by Gwenda Farnel) are a veteran swinger couple who have decided to throw a lavish and decadent celebration at their mansion. The reason for the party is not only Martine’s coming-of-age celebration but also a supposed ritualized sexual initiation for the young woman. The parents act as masters of ceremonies for a choreographed orgy, where Martine will lose her virginity in grand style. But before getting there, the film actually tells a parallel story attempting to shed light on the idiosyncrasies of this perverse family. Therefore, it will still be a while before we glimpse Martine's active participation as the "star" of the event, surrounded by guests who act according to a code of absolute hedonism. Catherine Ringer's presence, before achieving worldwide fame as the voice of the group "Les Rita Mitsouko," offers a performance here that balances initial vulnerability with a magnetic liberation. Her presence is key to justifying Lasse Braun's almost anthropological view of the bourgeoisie. Furthermore, it is impossible to separate the effectiveness of the plot from its sound design. Schulze's layers of synthesizers lend Martine's initiation an almost mystical and solemn tone. The music transforms the physical act into a transcendental experience, precisely marking the rhythm of the editing. Of course, Braun takes advantage of the aristocratic settings to create a contrast between the rigidity of the noble titles (the Baron) and the lack of inhibitions in her actions. The staging is lavish, using depth of field to show that, while Martine is the focus, perversions occur in every corner of the mansion. “Body Love” struck me as an exceptional document of adult cinema's transition toward narrative ambition. By placing the taboo of parental initiation in a high-society setting, Braun not only seeks visual impact but also chronicles the collapse of traditional values in the face of desire, lust, and lasciviousness.
