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| Emmanuelle | |
|---|---|
| Emmanuelle character | |
 Photo ofSylvia Kristel used to promote the 1974 filmEmmanuelle | |
| First appearance | Emmanuelle (1967 novel) |
| Created by | Emmanuelle Arsan |
| Portrayed by |
|
| In-universe information | |
| Gender | Female |
| Spouse | Jean |
| Children | Diana, Emily, Eve-Ladah |
| Nationality | French |
Emmanuelle is the lead character in a series of Frencherotic films based on the protagonist in the novelof the same name, byEmmanuelle Arsan, written in 1959 and published in 1967.
Emmanuelle originated as the pen nameEmmanuelle Arsan, used by Marayat Rollet-Andriane, a French-Thai actress who wrote a 1957 book,The Joys of a Woman, detailing the sexual exploits of a bored housewife. The firstEmmanuelle film debuted in 1974 and starredSylvia Kristel, who became synonymous with the role. The film embraced its X-rating and became a success, with an estimated audience of 300 million. It remains one of France's most successful films. The films' explicit content varied from softcore to full hardcore, though no penetration or oral sex made it to publicly available releases.
It spawned a film series with multiplesequels, and a video game. The original series consists of six theatrical films and seven made-for-television films, whilea reboot was released in 2024.Emmanuelle was also the inspiration for several unrelated films and series, including the Italian seriesBlack Emanuelle, or the American seriesEmmanuelle in Space, as well as many unofficial productions using theEmmanuelle name, capitalizing on the craze.
Emmanuelle appeared as thepen name of Marayat Rollet-Andriane, a French-Thai actress (1932–2005). Her 1957 bookThe Joys of a Woman detailed the sexual exploits of Emmanuelle, the "bored housewife" of a French diplomat. Rollet-Andriane's book caused a sensation in France and was banned.
The producer of another Arsan/Rollet-Andriane filmLaure, Ovidio Assonitis, claimed that all books published under the pen name Emmanuelle Arsan were written by her husband Louis-Jacques Rollet-Andriane, rather than by Marayat.[1]
| Emmanuelle | |
|---|---|
| Created by | Emmanuelle Arsan (novel) Jean-Louis Richard (1974 film) |
| Owners | StudioCanal (original series) Pathé (reboot) |
| Years | 1974–present |
| Based on | Emmanuelle (novel) |
| Print publications | |
| Novel(s) | Emmanuelle series by Emmanuelle Arsan (1959–1988) |
| Comics | Emmanuelle byGuido Crepax (1978) |
| Films and television | |
| Film(s) | List of films |
| Games | |
| Video game(s) | Emmanuelle (1989) |
The firstEmmanuelle film was the 1974 French theatrical featureEmmanuelle starringDutch actressSylvia Kristel (1952–2012) in the title role. She came to be the actress best identified with the role. This film pushed the boundaries of what was then acceptable on screen, with sex scenes,skinny-dipping,masturbation, the "Mile High Club",rape, and a scene in which a dancer lights acigarette and puffs it with hervagina. This film was created and directed by French directorJust Jaeckin.
Unlike many films that tried to avoid anX-rating, the firstEmmanuelle film embraced it, and became a success with a viewing audience estimated at 300 million.[2] It remains one of France's most successful films, and played in the Arc de Triomphe theatre for over eleven years.[3] In France and the US the film was uncut, but British censors balked at masturbation and explicit sex. Heavy cuts were made to the film including the complete removal of the opium den rape and the infamous 'cigarette' sequence in the club.
Several sequels starring Kristel followed, beginning withEmmanuelle 2 known asEmmanuelle: The Joys of a Woman in its U.S. release, and alsoEmmanuelle l’antivierge in some European press materials, including the soundtrack LP and CD. Kristel sold her interest for $150,000, missing on a share of the film's $26m domestic gross. She was paid $6,000 for her role but negotiated a $100,000 contract for the sequel,Emmanuelle 2.
Kristel stepped away from the role in the 1980s, yielding to younger actresses, but returned for theseventh feature film. In 1992 and 1993, Kristel reprised the role of an older Emmanuelle for a series of made-for-cable films with titles such asEmmanuelle's Love andEmmanuelle's Perfume, which featuredMarcela Walerstein as a younger version of Kristel's character. Kristel did not take part in any love scenes for this series, which also co-starredGeorge Lazenby, also in a non-sexual role. Kristel also appeared in films throughout her career that capitalized on or parodied her Emmanuelle image, such as the Americansex comedyPrivate Lessons.
A number of unofficial productions inItaly,Japan and theUnited States cashed in on the Emmanuelle craze, changing the spelling of the title. In a number of cases, the character's name was spelled "Emanuelle" suggesting these films were not authorized. Among the best known wereItalian "Black Emanuelle" films starringLaura Gemser, who became the second most popular actress to play Emanuelle in the 1970s. The 1978 spoofCarry On Emmannuelle (with double "N") starredKenneth Williams as the French ambassador to London. Having lost his libido by landing on a church spire during a parachute jump, he discovers his sex-starved wife, Emmannuelle Prevert, has seduced a string of VIPs. It starredSuzanne Danielle in the title role.
After the last official Emmanuelle theatrical feature film,Emmanuelle au 7ème ciel (the seventh film for which Kristel returns as the main character), ASP began to produce further films, all featuring the character of Emmanuelle, albeit played by a series of actresses. These included ascience fiction series in the 1990s calledEmmanuelle in Space starring American actressKrista Allen in one of her first roles. Following spinoffs included TV seriesEmmanuelle 2000 starringHolly Sampson, TV and video seriesEmmanuelle's Private Collection starringNatasja Vermeer, and a one-off,Emmanuelle in Rio, starring Ludmilla Ferraz in her only acting credit.
At the 2008Cannes Film Festival, Alain Siritzky said he was looking for a new Emmanuelle, with production on the first film scheduled to begin in September.[4] It was announced at the2011 Cannes Film Festival that Allie Haze (performing under the alias Brittany Joy) had been chosen.[5] The direct-to-video series that starred Allie Haze was titledEmmanuelle Through Time.
It was announced at the 2022Cannes Film Festival that a new reboot of the series was to get a cinematic release, written and directed byAudrey Diwan and featuringNoémie Merlant playing Emmanuelle. This version is set for release in 2024 with a distribution deal confirmed for several countries includingFrance and theUnited States of America.[6]
The film played to packed houses in Paris, running for years.Emmanuelle was also an international hit and has played to 300 million. French distribution companyStudio Canal has acquired home video rights for a number of Emmanuelle movies and has released remastered DVDs of the films. Taking video and DVD into account revenue is estimated close to 650 million.[citation needed]
The sexual explicitness in Emmanuelle films varies from arty softcore to fullhardcore, although no penetration or oral sex made it to public versions. Many question the place of hardcore scenes in Emmanuelle and ASP never attempted to mix the two genres after experimenting in the late 1980s.
| Year | Title | Actress(es) | Director | Series | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1969 | A Man for Emmanuelle (Io, Emmanuelle) | Erika Blanc | Cesare Canevari |  Italy | |
| 1973 | Swap Meet at the Love Shack (Emanuelle Meets the Wife Swappers) | Monica Marc[a] | Hubert Frank |  Germany | |
| Tender and Perverse Emanuelle | Norma Kastel[a] | Jesús Franco |  France | ||
| 1974 | Free Love (The Real Emanuelle) | Laura Gemser[a] | Pier Ludovico Pavoni | Italy | |
| Emmanuelle | Sylvia Kristel | Just Jaeckin | Emmanuelle | France | |
| The Erotic Diary of a Lumberjack (Erotic Daughters of Emanuelle) | Willeke van Ammelrooy[a] | Jean-Marie Pallardy | |||
| 1975 | The Daughter of Emanuelle | Greta Vayan | Jean Luret | ||
| Tokyo Emmanuelle | Kumi Taguchi[a] | Akira Katō |  Japan | ||
| Tokyo Emmanuelle: Private Lessons | Katsuhiko Fujii | ||||
| Emanuelle's Revenge (Emanuelle and Françoise) | Rosemarie Lindt | Joe D'Amato | Italy | ||
| Black Emanuelle | Laura Gemser | Bitto Albertini | Black Emanuelle | ||
| Emmanuelle 2 | Sylvia Kristel | Francis Giacobetti | Emmanuelle | France | |
| 1976 | Laure (Forever Emanuelle) | Annie Belle[a] | Emmanuelle Arsan | Italy | |
| Blue Belle (Teenage Emanuelle) | Massimo Dallamano | ||||
| Emmanuelle's Silver Tongue | Nadia Cassini | Mauro Ivaldi | |||
| Emanuelle in Bangkok | Laura Gemser | Joe D'Amato | Black Emanuelle | ||
| Emmanuelle on Taboo Island | Laura Gemser[a] | Enzo D'Ambrosio | |||
| Black Emanuelle 2 | Shulamith Lasri | Bitto Albertini | Black Emanuelle | ||
| Black Cobra Woman (Emmanuelle Goes Japanese) | Laura Gemser[a] | Joe D'Amato | |||
| Black Velvet (Black Emmanuelle, White Emmanuelle) | Laura Gemser &Annie Belle[a] | Brunello Rondi | |||
| Passion Plantation (Emmanuelle Black and White) | Malisa Longo | Mario Pinzauti | |||
| Néa (A Young Emmanuelle) | Ann Zacharias[a] | Nelly Kaplan | France | ||
| The Margin (Emmanuelle '77) | Sylvia Kristel[a] | Walerian Borowczyk | |||
| 1977 | The Dragon Lives Again | "Jenny" | Law Kei |  Hong Kong | |
| Hong Kong Emmanuelle | Deborah Dik | Wah Man | |||
| Yellow Emanuelle | Chai Lee[a] | Bitto Albertini | Italy | ||
| Emanuelle in America | Laura Gemser | Joe D'Amato | Black Emanuelle | ||
| Emanuelle Around the World | |||||
| Emanuelle and the Last Cannibals | |||||
| Sister Emanuelle | Giuseppe Vari | ||||
| Goodbye Emmanuelle | Sylvia Kristel | François Leterrier | Emmanuelle | France | |
| Emmanuelle Tropical | Monique Lafond | J. Marreco |  Brazil | ||
| Porno Nights of the World (Emanuelle's Sexy Night Report) | Laura Gemser | Bruno Mattei | Black Emanuelle | Italy | |
| 1978 | Emanuelle and the Porno Nights of the World | ||||
| Emanuelle and the White Slave Trade | Joe D'Amato | ||||
| Emanuelle: A Woman from a Hot Country | Laura Gemser[a] | José María Forqué |  Spain | ||
| Emmanuelle and Carol | Raquel Evans | Ignacio F. Iquino | |||
| Carry On Emmannuelle | Suzanne Danielle | Gerald Thomas | Carry On |  United Kingdom | |
| Emanuelle and Lolita | Nieves Navarro | Henri Sala | France | ||
| High School Emanuelle: Wet Saturday | Minako Mizushima[a] | Nobuyuki Saitō | Japan | ||
| 1979 | Emmanuelle from Kasımpaşa | Feri Cansel | Sirri Gültekin |  Turkey | |
| 1980 | Emanuelle: Queen of Sados | Laura Gemser | Elia Milonakos |  Greece | |
| An Erotic Journal of a Lady from Thailand (Emmanuelle 3) | Brigitte Lahaie[a] | Jean-Marie Pallardy | France | ||
| The Daughter of Emmanuelle | Vanessa Alves | Oswaldo de Oliveira | Brazil | ||
| Porno Esotic Love (Emmanuelle's Exotic Loves) | Laura Gemser[a] | Joe D'Amato | Italy | ||
| 1981 | Divine Emanuelle | Christian Anders | Germany | ||
| Emmanuelle in Soho | Angie Quick | David Hughes | United Kingdom | ||
| In the Claws of the CIA (Kung Fu Emanuelle) | Raquel Evans[a] | John Liu | Hong Kong | ||
| 1982 | The Inconfessable Orgies of Emmanuelle | Muriel Montossé | Jesús Franco | Spain | |
| Emanuelle in the Country | Laura Gemser[a] | Mario Bianchi | Italy | ||
| Emanuelle: Queen of the Desert | Bruno Fontana | ||||
| Violence in a Women's Prison (Emanuelle Reports from a Women's Prison) | Laura Gemser | Bruno Mattei | Black Emanuelle | ||
| 1983 | Women's Prison Massacre (Emanuelle Escapes from Hell) | ||||
| Emanuelle's Perverse Outburst | Joe D'Amato | ||||
| 1984 | Emmanuelle Goes to Cannes | Olinka Hardiman | Jean-Marie Pallardy | France | |
| Emmanuelle 4 | Sylvia Kristel & Mia Nygren | Francis Leroi & Iris Letans | Emmanuelle | ||
| 1986 | Peep Show (Scandalous Emanuelle) | Laura Gemser[a] | Joe D'Amato | Italy | |
| 1987 | Emmanuelle 5 | Monique Gabrielle | Walerian Borowczyk | Emmanuelle | France |
| 1988 | Emmanuelle 6 | Natalie Uher | Bruno Zincone &Jean Rollin | ||
| 1989 | Lady Emmanuelle | Malù | Pasquale Fanetti | Italy | |
| 1993 | Emmanuelle 7 | Sylvia Kristel & Annie Bellac | Francis Leroi | Emmanuelle | France |
| Emmanuelle Forever | Sylvia Kristel &Marcella Walerstein | ||||
| Emmanuelle's Revenge | |||||
| Emmanuelle in Venice | |||||
| Emmanuelle's Love | |||||
| Emmanuelle's Magic | |||||
| Emmanuelle's Perfume | |||||
| Emmanuelle's Secret | |||||
| 1994 | Emmanuelle, Queen of the Galaxy (Emmanuelle: First Contact) | Krista Allen | Lev L. Spiro | Emmanuelle in Space |  United States |
| Emmanuelle 2: A World of Desire | Jean-Jacques Lamore | ||||
| Emmanuelle 3: A Lesson in Love | David Cove | ||||
| Emmanuelle 4: Concealed Fantasy | Kevin Alber | ||||
| Emmanuelle 5: A Time to Dream | David Cove | ||||
| Emmanuelle 6: One Final Fling | Jean-Jacques Lamore | ||||
| Emmanuelle 7: The Meaning of Love | Brody Hooper | ||||
| 2000 | Emmanuelle 2000: Being Emmanuelle | Holly Sampson | Udo Blass | Emmanuelle 2000 | |
| Emmanuelle 2000: Emmanuelle in Paradise | Kevin Alber | ||||
| Emmanuelle 2000: Emmanuelle's Intimate Encounters | Rolfe Kanefsky | ||||
| Emmanuelle 2000: Jewel of Emmanuelle | Jill Hayworth | ||||
| Emmanuelle 2000: Emmanuelle and the Art of Love | |||||
| Emmanuelle 2000: Emmanuelle's Sensual Pleasures | Fred Olen Ray | ||||
| Emmanuelle 2000: Emmanuelle Pie | Rolfe Kanefsky | ||||
| 2003 | Emmanuelle in Rio | Ludmilla Ferraz | Kevin Alber | ||
| Emmanuelle in Hong Kong | Crystal Sun | Dick Lau | Hong Kong | ||
| 2004 | Emmanuelle Private Collection: Sex Goddess | Natasja Vermeer | Yamie Philippi | Emmanuelle Private Collection | United States |
| Emmanuelle Private Collection: Emmanuelle vs Dracula | Keith Shaw | ||||
| Emmanuelle Private Collection: Sex Talk | Jean-Jacques Lamore | ||||
| Emmanuelle Private Collection: The Sex Lives of Ghosts | Maxamillion Eckes | ||||
| Emmanuelle Private Collection: Sexual Spells | Jean-Jacques Lamore | ||||
| Emmanuelle Private Collection: The Art of Ecstasy | Yamie Philippi | ||||
| Emmanuelle Private Collection: Jesse's Secret Desires | Jill Hayworth | ||||
| 2011 | Emmanuelle Through Time: Emmanuelle's Skin City | Allie Haze | Rolfe Kanefsky | Emmanuelle Through Time | |
| Emmanuelle Through Time: Emmanuelle's Sexy Bite | |||||
| Emmanuelle Through Time: Sex, Chocolate & Emmanuelle | |||||
| Emmanuelle Through Time: Rod Steele 0014 & Naked Agent 0069 | |||||
| Emmanuelle Through Time: Sex Tales (Adventures Into the Woods: A Sexy Musical) | |||||
| Emmanuelle Through Time: Emmanuelle's Supernatural Sexual Activity | |||||
| Emmanuelle Through Time: Forbidden Pleasures | |||||
| 2022 | The Awakening of Emanuelle | Nicole D'Angelo | Gregory Hatanaka | ||
| Call Me Emanuelle | Shoko Rice | ||||
| Do Ut Des (Emanuelle's Revenge) | Beatrice Schiaffino | Dario Germani | Italy | ||
| 2023 | Amor Emanuelle | Kali Kiyasumac | Gregory Hatanaka | United States | |
| Emanuelle in Sin City | Liz Clare | Jason Rudy | |||
| Amityville Emanuelle | Dawn Church[a] | Louis DeStefano | |||
| 2024 | Emmanuelle | Noémie Merlant | Audrey Diwan | Emmanuelle | France |
The character of Emmanuelle is also featured in avideo game of the same name, released byCoktel Vision in 1989.