Review – De Sade

This movie has no excuse for being as terrible as it is. The cast is solid enough, with Keir Dullea and John Huston heading a squad of capable actors. Richard Matheson's script isn't his finest hour, but it's passable. The big problem is that this movie came along at the exact wrong moment in film history to make a picture about the title pervert. Mores in 1969 allowed enough nudity to excuse the filmmakers from clever innuendo, but depravity on the Marquis's level was still a bit too much. The result is awkward at best, employing camera tricks such as bad focus and red filters whenever the action gets heavy. And worst of all, this is the umpteenth production to seize on De Sade's flair for theatre as an excuse to make something stiff and over-arty. Mildly amusing