Michael Ledo In the year 1971 (not 2000) Marguerite Gautier (Danièle Gaubert) is a drug using party girl who lives in the manor of the Duke in Rome. Young rich son of a businessman Armand Duval (Nino Castelnuovo) becomes infatuated with her and is warned about her. His friend has other recommendations (I would have taken the young red-haired girl) but Armand is set on breaking his heart and his own destruction. The two indeed hook-up, but Marguerite (not named Camille) has other lovers.I liked the retro style. No cell phones, mini skirts, mirrors everywhere, and clear plastic air filled furniture being sheik, but not really practical with all those indoor smokers. Looks like lava lamps and black light posters were for us poor slobs and Peter Fonda films.As a drama/romance it was pretty much the pits. The acting wasn't there. The plot was not convincing and if the women didn't run around naked/half naked I would have never watched it. BTW more nudity in the outtakes. The restoration was a B+ to A-. There were a few scenes where you could see the age of the film. If you look at the bonus material and trailers, you get a good idea about the original condition.Guide: sex and nudity. Not much swearing. Inspired by Dumas' ""The Lady of the Camellias"

scormus Radley Metzger is not to everybody's taste but this is less extravagant than others of his and avoids the most extreme excesses. Bringing the classic Dumas story up to date was a highly (over?) ambitious task, trying to project the characters and their interactions over such a time span, but it works remarkably well. The futuristic setting looks rather dated now, but it must have been quite convincing at the time as a portrayal of a fin-de-siècle jet-set world and does not adversely the main theme.The chemistry between principals is almost tangible, and most of all the way their emotions are handled by the their eye-expressions in the "jail party" scene. Several supporting characters are outstanding - the malevolent Baron de Varville and the manipulative Olympe provide weight, while seemingly carefree Gaston provide much needed balance.One trick I would have expected from Metzger given his penchant for bizarre symbolism was to have made the opening scene a production of "la Traviata". But he showed his true talent in the closing moments.Best, Metzger remains true to the original story, modifying only as dictated by the modern context and making the translation with skill and sensitivity. From beneath the superficiality and cynicism, a deeply moving film emerges.

Libretio CAMILLE 2000 Aspect ratio: 2.35:1 (Panavision)Sound format: MonoWhilst visiting Rome, an amorous nobleman (Nino Castelnuovo) falls in love with a beautiful young libertine (Daniele Gaubert), but their unlikely romance is opposed by Castelnuovo's wealthy father (Massimo Serato), and Fate deals a tragic blow...A sexed-up love story for the swinging Sixties, adapted from a literary source (Alexandre Dumas' 'La Dame aux Camelias') by screenwriter Michael DeForrest, and directed with freewheeling flair by Radley Metzger who, along with the likes of Russ Meyer and Joe Sarno, is credited with redefining the parameters of 'Adult' cinema throughout the 1960's and 70's. Using the scope format for the last time in his career, Metzger's exploration of 'la dolce vita' is rich in visual excess (note the emphasis on reflective surfaces, for example), though the film's sexual candor seems alarmingly coy by modern standards. Production values are handsome throughout, and the performances are engaging and humane (Castelnuovo and Gaubert are particularly memorable), despite weak post-sync dubbing. Though set in an unspecified future, Enrico Sabbatini's wacked-out set designs locate the movie firmly within its period, and Piero Piccioni's 'wah-wah' music score has become something of a cult item amongst exploitation devotees. Ultimately, CAMILLE 2000 is an acquired taste, but fans of this director's elegant softcore erotica won't be disappointed. Next up for Metzger was THE LICKERISH QUARTET (1970), which many consider his best film.

Milpool Camille 2000, which could be called the first of the modern, adult films, was among those trendsetting, forward-looking pictures that marked the end of the 1960's. That said, it's not a fantastic film, but fairly well done. The pill popping, hard driving female of the film is asked, at the opening of the picture, whether she ever comes down. "Not if I can help it," she replies, tossing another handfull of drugs into her mouth. In a sense, that's the theme of the film; lurid and risque for the time, but somewhat tame compared to today's endless stream of mindless porn films.