Therese and Isabelle

{{Infobox film

| name = Thérèse and Isabelle

| image = ThereseAndIsabelle-1968FilmByRadleyMetzger.jpg

| alt =

| caption = Theatrical release poster

| director = Radley Metzger

| screenplay = Jesse Vogel

| based_on = {{based on|Thérèse et Isabelle|Violette Leduc}}

| producer = {{ubl|Radley Metzger|Kurt Ulrich}}

| starring = {{ubl|Essy Persson|Anna Gaël|Barbara Laage|Anne Vernon|Maurice Teynac}}

| cinematography = Hans Jura

| editing = Humphrey Wood

| music = Georges Auric

| studio = {{ubl|Amsterdam Film|Audubon Films|Berolina-Film GmbH|Radley Metzger Production}}

| distributor = {{ubl|Audubon Films (United States)|Constantin Film (West Germany)|Valoria Films (France)}}

| released = {{Film date|1968|5|14|United States|1968|10|11|West Germany|1969|6|18|France}}

| runtime = 118 minutes

| country = {{ubl|France|Netherlands|United States|West Germany}}

| language = {{ubl|French|English}}

| budget = $250,000 ({{estimation}})

| gross =

}}

Thérèse and Isabelle ({{langx|fr|Thérèse et Isabelle}}) is a 1968 erotic drama film directed by Radley Metzger{{cite web |last=Bentley |first=Toni |author-link=Toni Bentley |title=The Art Cinema Erotica of Radley Metzger |url=http://www.nybooks.com/event/art-cinema-erotica-radley-metzger/ |date=August 7, 2014 |work=The New York Review of Books |access-date=April 8, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170404043340/http://www.nybooks.com/event/art-cinema-erotica-radley-metzger/ |archive-date=April 4, 2017}}{{cite web|last=Bentley|first=Toni|author-link=Toni Bentley|title=The Legend of Henry Paris|url=http://www.playboy.com/articles/the-legend-of-henry-paris|date=June 2014|work=Playboy|access-date=April 8, 2017|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160204030128/http://www.playboy.com/articles/the-legend-of-henry-paris|archivedate=February 4, 2016}}{{cite magazine|last=Bentley|first=Toni|title=The Legend of Henry Paris|url=https://www.tonibentley.com/pdfarticles/playboy/RadleyMetzger_AuteuroftheErotic_ToniBentley.pdf|date=June 2014|magazine=Playboy|page=144|access-date=April 8, 2017|via=ToniBentley.com}} from a screenplay by Jesse Vogel, based on the 1966 novel Thérèse et Isabelle by Violette Leduc.{{cite news |last=Lezard |first=Nicholas |title=Thérèse and Isabelle by Violette Leduc – review |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2012/feb/28/therese-isabelle-violette-leduc-review |date=February 28, 2012 |work=The Guardian |access-date=April 8, 2017}}

Plot

Two young girls grow up together and share affectionate intimacies in a Swiss boarding school for girls.

Cast

Essy Persson as Thérèse
Anna Gaël as Isabelle
Barbara Laage as Thérèse's mother
Anne Vernon as Mademoiselle Le Blanc
Maurice Teynac as Monsieur Martin

Reception

Reviews of his film adaptation of Thérèse et Isabelle have been generally favorable,{{cite journal |last=Corliss |first=Richard |title=Review: Therese and Isabelle by Radley Metzger |url=http://fq.ucpress.edu/content/22/1/63 |date=September 1, 1968 |journal=Film Quarterly |volume=22 |number=1 |pages=63–67 |doi=10.2307/1210043 |jstor=1210043 |access-date=April 8, 2017 |doi-access=free|url-access=subscription }}{{cite web |last=Henderson |first=Eric |title=Review: Therese and Isabelle |url=https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/therese-and-isabelle/ |date=November 30, 2004 |website=Slant Magazine |access-date=May 2, 2022}}{{cite web |last=Null |first=Christopher |title=Therese and Isabelle Review |url=http://www.contactmusic.net/film/review/thereseandisabelle_1 |website=Contactmusic.com |access-date=April 8, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170409111551/http://www.contactmusic.net/film/review/thereseandisabelle_1 |archive-date=April 9, 2017}}{{cite web |last=Doerksen |first=Cliff |title=Therese and Isabelle |url=http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/therese-and-isabelle/Film?oid=1600998 |date=2016 |work=Chicago Reader |access-date=April 8, 2017}}{{cite web |last=Morris |first=Gary |title=The Films of Radley Metzger |url=http://www.imagesjournal.com/issue08/reviews/radleymetzger/default-1.htm |date=1998 |work=Images |access-date=April 9, 2017}}{{cite web |last=Burridge |first=Shane R. |title=Therese and Isabelle (1968) |url=https://www.imdb.com/reviews/172/17229.html |date=1968 |work=rec.arts.movies.reviews |access-date=April 9, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150321180419/http://www.imdb.com/reviews/172/17229.html |archive-date=March 21, 2015}} although not with all reviewers.{{cite web |last=Ebert |first=Roger |author-link=Roger Ebert |title=Therese and Isabelle – review |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/therese-and-isabelle-1968 |date=October 28, 1968 |work=Chicago Sun-Times |access-date=April 8, 2017 |via=RogerEbert.com}}{{cite web |last=Lotti |first=Matthew |title=Therese and Isabelle (1968) review |url=http://www.cinematicthreads.com/review.php?id=1019 |website=Cinematic Threads |access-date=April 9, 2017}}

Notes

According to one film reviewer, Radley Metzger's films, including those made during the Golden Age of Porn (1969–1984), are noted for their "lavish design, witty screenplays, and a penchant for the unusual camera angle".{{cite web|last=Gallagher|first=Steve|title="This is Softcore": The History of Radley Metzger|url=https://filmmakermagazine.com/87041-this-is-softcore-the-history-of-radley-metzger/ |date=August 7, 2014|work=Filmmaker|access-date=May 23, 2015}} Another reviewer noted that his films were "highly artistic—and often cerebral ... and often featured gorgeous cinematography".{{cite web|last=Simpson|first=Claire|title=Adults Only: 5 Films By Radley Metzger|url=http://whatculture.com/film/adults-only-5-films-by-radley-metzger.php|date=October 2, 2013|website=WhatCulture|access-date=May 23, 2015|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150524154050/http://whatculture.com/film/adults-only-5-films-by-radley-metzger.php|archivedate=May 24, 2015}} Film and audio works by Metzger have been added to the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City.{{cite book |last=Rist |first=Ray C. |title=The Pornography Controversy: Changing Moral Standards in American Life |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=URZWepCqfNYC&pg=PA124 |year=1974 |location=New Brunswick, New Jersey |publisher=Transaction Books |page=124 |isbn=978-1-4128-3846-7 |via=Google Books}}{{cite book |editor-last=Lehman |editor-first=Peter |title=Pornography: Film and Culture |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FCFOEtZdtMoC&pg=PA9 |year=2006 |location=New Brunswick, New Jersey |publisher=Rutgers University Press |page=9 |isbn=978-0-8135-3871-6 |via=Google Books}}{{cite web |title=DadaBase Search Results – Radley Metzger |url=http://arcade.nyarc.org/search~S8?/aMetzger%2C+Radley./ametzger+radley/-3%2C-1%2C0%2CB/exact&FF=ametzger+radley&1%2C2%2C |date=2016 |publisher=Museum of Modern Art |access-date=February 29, 2016}}{{cite web |last=Giusti |first=Marco |title=Obituary Of The Righteous – The Porn Of The Fabulous 60s And 70s Loses One Of Its Pioneers And Masters: Radley Metzger – Photographer Of War, The MOMA Presents A Retrospective: His Erotic Films Made History – Video: 'Score', On The Relationships Of Couples Of The 70s, In An Uncensored Version |url=https://m.dagospia.com/giusti-se-ne-va-radley-metzger-maestro-del-cinema-porno-anni-60-70-ecco-un-suo-film-integrale-144996 |date=March 4, 2017 |website=Dagospia |language=it |access-date=November 12, 2019}}