Virgin Stripped Bare by Her Bachelors

"One Can't Do Everything One Wants In Life" ~ A Slip Of The Tongue, A Crack In The Ice, Chopsticks Etiquette And Romance
Note: Cantonese with English subtitles.

Judging by the title of this rather obscure little Asian film you are led to expect something entirely different than what is actually presented on the screen. Who wouldn't expect something highly pornographic in nature when they read the title `Virgin Stripped Bare by Her Bachelors.' It turns out to be nothing of the kind.

What you find yourself watching instead is a slow moving study in existential longing and alienation presented in a manner that Ingmar Bergman would be proud of. The film is shot in black and white, the season is winter. The trees are barren of foliage, the lake in the park frozen and the sky overcast and gloomy. The mood and atmosphere is so stark and minimal you almost expect to see Sven Nykvists' name in the closing credits.

Synopsis: Two attractive young people meet through a mutual acquaintance and begin a tentative friend which slowly evolves into a meaningful relationship. The tale is...

Marcel Duchamp thinks
Virgin is a movie about a 7 day love triangle, with the story constructed twice based on two memories. It's only the second film of actress Eun-ju Lee, who plays Soo-jung. On IMDB the B&W is reported as "striking", "radiant" and "gorgeous" but my copy (shown), the North American distribution DVD, is none of those. The B&W is elsewhere reported as "wonderfully grainy" and that seems to fit what I see. I liked this movie, the slow careful pace of it.

The DaDa-ist artist Marcel Duchamp created a conglomeration of performance/painted/sculpted art ideas and notions from 1912 or so through 1923. Duchamp called it "The Large Glass (The Bride Stripped Bare by Her Bachelors, Even)" as he explored anti-art. He considered himself a Dadaist well into the '40s.

The film "Virgin Stripped Bare" reflects back to Duchamp's famous artwork. Duchamp's realized piece is a free-standing painting on glass. Cracked glass. It was painted in part with wire and dust.

While...

Interesting Approach
This story, told from the sub's point of view caught my eye. An interesting role to play and fantasy to fulfill. I have never been involved in sessions such as described. I wonder how much is fantasy or make-believe and how much may be considered by either party of a relationship. Curious to observe and more curious to listen to people discuss this type of an event and curious to speak with people who have participated, actively or as observers. I have much to learn yet in life and I will ponder how to approach this topic myself

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