(1972)
Reviewed By-Kit Gavin Directed by Radley Metzger. Starring Claire Wilbur, Cal Culver [a.k.a. Casey Donovan], Lynn Lowry, Gerald Grant 84 min 38 sec Released through First Run Features / Image Entertainment. Region 1 NTSC
SCORE, by Radley Metzger, is one of cinema’s oddities. Metzger’s brand of cinema in and of itself is unusual, to be honest, with a unique and quite distinct flavor all of it’s own. This film also marked the transition for Metzger from the softcore films he had made in the 60’s into move overtly sexual terrain, even into hardcore, under the pseudonym of Henry Paris. Radley Metzger hails from New York City, born in 1931, yet a number of his films have a feel about them which makes them very European, be it because of the occasional European casts (such as Christiane Kruger, Eleonora Rossi Drago, Frank Wolff, etc) and locations, making appearances in some of his movies, or because of the atmosphere, the editing, the music, and the ambience of the film.
There is no easy starting point to the films of Radley Metzger, to be honest. There isn’t a film, which is a good starting block by which a "newbie" viewer can start watching and gradually ease themselves into his cinema, as means of a gentle introduction. Perhaps the most atypical of Metzger’s repertoire, might be where to start, the haunted house picture The Cat and the Canary, but this is not one of the director’s films that shines, for it doesn’t contain the vision, the eroticism and the abstract expressionism of it’s director.
The film itself is based on a stage play, which played off-Broadway in New York, penned by Jerry Douglas, on the subject of swinging and wife swapping. The play itself was quite gentle and mild, suggestive with sexual interaction and beyond flirtation within the characters, and by extension the audience, the film by contrast takes the bull by the horns and shows the situations, there is little beating around the bush here. Apparently there are versions with close ups of erections, hardcore oral and anal sex, which Lynn Lowry (one of the films stars) has denounced as her scenes being inserted, and this inclusion footage might have lead to the film’s outright rejection by the BBFC in 1974 upon submission. Certainly the film has, at points on the DVD, a slightly choppy feel, and the soundtrack wavers. Yet despite these cuts to the DVD, apparently approved and preferred by Metzger, the film is still an enjoyable romp, yet, as stated earlier, not for and by everyone.
The film was shot on location in a picturesque small town in Yugoslavia. Although most of the film takes place internally, at Jack and Elvira’s home, filled with erotica and kitsch sexual paraphernalia – such as breast candles and various phallic objects, Polaroids of sexual situations and a trunk full of clothes for the sexual game play by both the couples. Intriguingly enough, being a Yugoslav co-production there are no Slav cast members, yet nearly all the crew are indeed Slav. Also the Slavic production house (Jadran films, Zagreb) was also responsible for releases such as WHO SAW HER DIE and THE SHORT NIGHT OF THE GLASS DOLLS, that same year.
The casting of the film is very good and the interplay between the four leads works very well. Claire Wilbur plays the confident brunette Elvira, content with seducing both a repairman and later Betsy. Wilbur had appeared in the stage play in the same role, yet she approaches her role with gusto and daring, unafraid to appear naked and engage in sexual acts. In the role of her husband Jack is the late Gerald Grant, who’s career was moderately more prolific and mainly popped up in hardcore pornographic roles – and later was cast in a token role in Umberto Lenzi’s EATEN ALIVE, at the suggestion of the star Robert Kerman, who had a few of his hard core porno film buddies turn up in this film (and it’s "sister piece" CANNIBAL FEROX), uncredited. Both Grant and Wilbur had less than extensive film careers, which is a shame, given the promise they showed here. Cast as Eddie, Jack’s submissive male target for seduction is Cal Culver, better known as Casey Donovan. Culver/Donovan, a good-looking attractive and photogenic actor, appeared in low budget exploitation films, and in hardcore gay pornography. Culver had already made minor screen history by appearing fully nude in Don Schain’s Ginger (unusual for the time), and shortly before Score, having made what is considered a celebrated and highly regarded gay hardcore film, called Boys in the Sand, directed by Wakefield Poole. His career would mainly entail hard-core during the 70’s and 80’s, appearing in rougher fetishistic situations, such as rape scenarios, before his eventual passing from AIDS related illness in 1987.
The real revelation however of the film is Lynn Lowry as Betsy, born in Illinois, raised in the Deep South, but after the birth of her first child at a young age, moved to New York and began life as a photo model. Lowry had a waif-like build, cat eyes and an exotic cute elfin beauty. She was also didn’t have any inhibitions in front of the camera, posing nude, whilst trying to forge a career as an actress, appearing with a young Lloyd Kaufman (later of Troma fame), uncredited as a mute hippie who contracts rabies in the cult classic I Drink Your Blood, as well as working with horror directors such as George A Romero (The Crazies), Paul Shraeder (Cat People), and David Cronenberg (Shivers), as her career progressed. In Score, she exudes naive innocence, almost primness, to events unfolding, in front of her and her role develops the most through the film. Wilbur had had acting training in theater, but the other three leads are of strong support, despite their lack of experience. The three male cast members (including the repairman Elvira seduces) would turn up in Metzger’s hardcore films – Grant in Naked Came The Stranger, Culver in The Opening of Misty Beethoven and Parker in The Image (a.k.a. The Punishment of Anne).
As well as fine performances, the film has a truly polished look. The editing, and cinematography is superb, and the film plays out like with good pacing and wit. It is never boring, well performed and written, with an Euro-esque music score during the raunchier sex scenes. The lighting, the camera angles, and the editing spot on (though this is more difficult to judge owing to the slightly jarring cuts, but if the rest of the film is anything to go by…)
The story is simple enough. A couple in their late twenties, Jack, a photographer, and Elvira, enjoy sexual games and tryst outside their marriage. The infidelity has become a game, scoring points (hence the title). Elvira and Jack do not set out to engage in wife swapping, as they are satisfied with their husband/wife already. Their intent is to explore their bi-sexual side, by seducing same sex members of young couples. Bored with advertising for swingers, which Elvira prompts Betsy to read, their intention is to seduce their young friends, Eddie, an ecologist, and Betsy, who have been married just a year, in a scheme called Operation Music Box. From the outset we see the contrast in the couples, Jack and Elvira are more sexual, and Betsy and Eddie are more chaste, erring on frigid, which Betsy blames on her Catholic upbringing. Betsy in her long nightgown who tentatively touches Eddie’s penis in the morning. Eddie rises and makes his way into the bathroom to masturbate into the sink, later we discover in the film, in view of Betsy. Elvira invites Betsy to her home, showing her a Polaroid camera, encouraging her to photograph her on the bed, and exciting her curiosity by lowering her dress, revealing her bosom.
Initially Elvira tries to further arouse Betsy’s interest and hormone rate by seducing a repairman by soaking him in hot coffee, having deliberately damaged the phone previously. Shortly afterwards, Elvira and the repairman are having rampant sex on the floor in full view of Betsy. Betsy leaves embarrassed. Later in the day, the couple invite Eddie and Betsy to dinner, Eddie arrives, yet Betsy complains of a headache. Telephoning Betsy, Jack and Elvira persuade her to come over. The sexually predatory couple starts by plying the naive pair with alcohol and drugs, before dressing up as a sailor, a nun, a model in sexy lingerie and a cowboy. Eddie starts off shy at the game, before being made to undress by Betsy in front of their friends, whilst he is shortly afterwards oddly fascinated by Jacks private parts, claiming his interest lies in the number of buttons on the sailor pants. Betsy flirts with Jack, contrasting his hairy chest with Eddie’s smoother boyish chest, making Eddie feel rejected. Then, plied with liquor and after smoking joints which gets Betsy merrily stoned, the swinging couple moves in.
As the evening progresses and Jack and Elvira’s game draws to it’s deadline, both couples pair off with the same sex partner of the other couple. Elvira seduces Betsy, whilst Jack removes all his clothes and seduces Eddie. The one time reserved couple embrace their new freedom under the influence of drugs, Betsy allows Elvira to go down on her, and then to penetrate her using a dildo. Meanwhile, elsewhere, Jack and Eddie are making out, with Eddie seizing the opportunity, necking with Jack before engaging in oral sex. After this, Eddie gets on all fours, and as simultaneous sexual events (shown and played out with clever editing), allows Jack to sodomize him. Despite the drugs, and the alcohol, Eddie cannot accept his bisexuality fully and fantasizes about Betsy playing the role that Jack is. Again this is well edited playing the trick of sexual fantasy and reality coming together. Betsy and Elvira end up sleeping together, and the same is true of Eddie and Jack. However, the next morning, Eddie cannot cope with events, and is not interested in partaking at that point in further swinging games at that point with Elvira and Jack. However Mike, the repairman turns up with drugs, and bar Eddie the three remaining swingers flirt with the repairman. Eddie arrives and he and Betsy discuss events of the night before upon seeing his wife in flagrant with Elvira, Mike and Jack. He and Betsy lure Mike away with the promise of brunch and possible new experiences. The three leave happily with their newly discovered freedom, rushing through the streets, leaving Jack and Elvira content, discussing their future, before Jack and Elvira head off to see a film, with the possibility of seducing their next plaything, a young waiter.
The dialogue and the storyline show the origins of the film were indeed that of a sex farce and there is some wonderful dialogue, some occurring as both male and female sexual predators seduce their hapless, curious same sex victims with the same story, only with roles reversed, in the story of how the couple started swinging and a delightful quotable line about porcupines. At times has to be said the dialogue may seem trite, and contrived but it adds to the charm of the still daring piece. Score’s charm lies in it’s presentation of what most would see as lewd sexual promiscuity, homo- and hetero- sexual seduction as being a mischievous game and teasing fairy tale. From the opening minutes, starting with the words "Once upon a future time", narrated by Lowry, it is clear this is not intended to be solely viewed by the dirty mackintosh brigade. Score also exhibits a raw sense of freedom for the time, a time which has long since passed, with fears of AIDS and venereal disease, wars, the death of free love, all no more.
Homosexuality and kinky human sexual behavior are a recurrent thing in most of Metzger's cycle of films; his most acclaimed being the lesbian love story Therese and Isabelle, made a few years before Score. Metzger’s professionalism is not in making pornographic films, but pornographic situations, and the extent into which he (and the time) would allow him to go, always pushing the barriers that little bit further back, toying with his audience’s expectations.
To coin a cliché, they don’t make them like they used to. The truth is, they never did, Score is a one off, it crossed boundaries due to the subject matter, the male nudity and the sex situations, and the candidness in which bi-sexuality and swinging was portrayed. The characters are played out with unashamed gusto, the man on man kisses are not mere pecks, and the lesbian scenes between the two women are quite risqué. However after the brave step this film took, cinema of this ilk, rather taking a step forward, stemmed off at a T junction, veering off either in the direction of tame erotica or hardcore pornography, unlike Score which artfully blended the two making an unusually erotic, witty, provocative piece, encompassing all aspects of the human sexual psyche.
The DVD, from First Run Features/Image comes from Metzger’s own materials. Not counting the fact that it is (sadly) cut, the picture quality is, for the most part, clean crisp and fresh, and is nicely letterboxed. There are some scratches and there is print damage from time to time, which is a shame. But the image is clean and is enjoyable to the eye. At first it doesn’t appear that there are any extras accompanying the film – but as one progresses through the static menus displaying chapter stops, the final chapter turns out to be a trailer for the film. The trailer sadly is in worse condition that the film, but it is still good to have it there. Other than that, there are no extras. An interview with Metzger would have been nice to see him speak about the film today. Sadly this is not the case, and an improved, hopefully uncut cut release of the film, perhaps with an interview commentary by Metzger would be most welcome of this subversive classic of the seventies.
Story: 3.5
Extras: 1
Picture/Audio: 3.5
Overall DVD: 3
