FEMINA RIDENS (aka The Frightened Woman)

[Philo MacDuff]

Spurred on by a thread where fans talked about their quest for alternate versions of their favorite movies I thought I'd share the results of some time I spent comparing two versions of the 1969 movie FEMINA RIDENS or "The Frightened Woman" as it's titled on the DVD. I'd love to know more about the making of this movie and more than anything I'd like to see Criterion somehow tackle this and release a solid edition interviewing as many of the key participants they can get.

I got hooked on it after watching the current DVD which must say something about the strength of the filmmaking because the print used by First Run Features is a real mess. It's so faded it looks like it was left in someone's attic underneath a sun drenched window for a dozen years. Still, I found the movie stylishly shot, atmospheric, and directed with a sly sense of humor. I can't say enough of the charismatic performances from the two leads, Philippe Leroy and Dagmar Lassander. The way sympathies and power are effectively exchanged through the course of this movie is in no small part due to the subtle and nuanced talents of both actors. All around it's an underrated movie that deserves far better treatment on DVD.

Curious to know more about this movie I found a copy under the FEMINA RIDENS title that has an Italian language track without subtitles so I assume its the Italian home video release. Check out some of these screencaps. The difference is pretty dramatic.

DVD top - VHS below








While watching the FEMINA RIDENS print I noticed other things different about it. There are some extra shots included that are missing from the DVD and the reverse is also true. There are shots cut from the Italian print that turn up on the DVD. Some of the dropped shots on the DVD affect where music ends during a scene. There's one scene that uses different music altogether. There are also many shots on the DVD that are slightly trimmed when compared to the VHS.

To get a complete idea of how these two prints compare I went through each version shot by shot and made a frame count.
(Excluding opening and closing credits and shot differences less than 6 frames.)

There are 38 shots on the Italian VHS that are different from the DVD - (approx 3 min 30s extra)
There are 19 shots on the DVD that are different from the VHS - (approx 2 min extra)

The DVD contains 12 complete shots (approx. 92 seconds) not included at all on the VHS.
The VHS contains 11 complete shots (approx. 71 seconds) not included at all on the DVD.


For the list below I've narrowed it down to any extra shots or any shot where the difference in length amounts to 1 second or more.
The time listed is the beginning of the shot on each version. The longer of the two versions is marked in capitals followed by number of frames extra.

DVD avi - 23.976 (Runtime 01:26:34)
VHS avi - converted to 23.976 for comparison (Runtime 01:28:04) - (original pal runtime 01:24:27)

(0:00:00.000) DVD - ADDED SHOT +275 frames (11.5 seconds)
Audubon Films release card at start of film
--

(0:08:41.934) VHS +25 additional frames
(0:08:53.028) dvd
Description:
VHS version of the shot begins with Maria (Dagmar Lassander) closer to the entrance as she enters Philippe's office
--

(0:08:53.320) VHS +97 additional frames
(0:09:03.372) dvd
Philippe(LeRoy) at his desk with page separator/knife
slightly longer shot
--

(0:09:00.577) VHS +71
(0:09:06.583) dvd
Description:
After Maria says "...I have to have better material for that story about male sterilization in India" there is an additional line of dialog(Italian language version VHS)
--

(0:11:50.537) VHS +177
(0:11:52.831) dvd
Description:
VHS - Philippe casually pages through his Life Magazine(Feb 1969), places it on the seat next to him, gets up and takes a bottle of J&B, unscrews the cap, pours a drink and walks towards camera right.
dvd version ends just as Philippe unscrews the cap on the J&B.
--

(0:13:29.803) VHS +62
(0:13:24.255) dvd
Description:
Philippe drives Maria - as the car leaves the indoor parking garage, the shot on the DVD version ends at the first bend, VHS shows it driving past 2nd bend in the distance.
--

(0:14:19.185) VHS +35
(0:14:10.968) dvd
Philippe in red light holding pointer
slightly longer
--

(0:16:15.592) vhs
(0:16:03.955) DVD +238
Description:
DVD version - Philippe holds a dagger against Maria's stomach as he talks about the artificial womb.
vhs is missing 14 seconds of Philippe circling her stomach with the dagger and dialogue
edit occurs after the line "Four weeks after fertilization they'll be able to deposit the thing in a special machine." - (using English version as guide)
VHS is missing this following bit "Yes, they're working on that too. And back you come 8 months later...and pick it up when its ripe."
-

(0:16:45.246) vhs
(0:16:43.536) DVD +61
Description:
DVD - We see a low angle shot of Maria as she screams "Stop it! Stop it!" which then cuts to a closeup of the dagger moving up her belly with Maria heard off camera saying "You're hurting..."
vhs cuts the beginning of the shot so only one "Stop it!" is heard.
(The line "You're hurting" or Italian equivalent is not heard on the Italian track)

--

(0:21:31.029) VHS +26
(0:21:32.197) dvd
Description:
Philippe looks in the mirror - grooms his hair
VHS shot is a bit longer
--

ADDED SHOT
(0:24:18.862) DVD +815 (about 34 seconds)
Description:
more footage of Maria making love to the doll
DVD contains a wide shot of Maria beneath the doll as Philippe looks on. "And now make love to him. Love him hard You're supposed to move up and down, gasp and groan. Yes, very good. He's resisting of course because he's invulnerable. You won't consume him and destroy him like you do other men." Scene ends with the lowering of the motorized bed partition
This is completely missing from the Italian VHS print
--

(0:29:12.904) VHS +51
(0:29:44.602) dvd
Description:
On the DVD version Maria takes a drink and says "It's too soon yet to kill me isnt it? There's lots more fun to be squeezed out of me. Pity to waste it." It then cuts to Philippe's hand picking up a knife. We hear Maria off screen say "You fiend!"
On the Italian VHS the shot stays on Maria as she says something (need translation) then it cuts to Philippe's hand
--

(0:29:35.134) VHS +70
(0:30:04.705) dvd
Description:
Philippe picks up a knife, peels apple, extended shot of apple getting peeled
dvd version cuts to Maria just after knife touches apple
--

(0:32:48.618) VHS +41
(0:33:14.685) dvd
Description:
more of Maria staggering out of pool after getting hosed
--

(0:32:57.168) VHS +30
(0:33:21.567) dvd
Description:
more staggering
--

(0:33:14.935) VHS +26 Philippe posing triumphant with foot on Maria - (a bit longer)
(0:33:38.125) dvd
--

(0:37:54.713 - 0:37:58.049) VHS +32
(0:38:15.984 - 0:38:18.153) dvd
There is a closeup of Philippe lying down. This shot lasts a beat longer on the VHS after he asks "What do you mean?"

--
(0:45:37.421) vhs
(0:45:54.480) DVD +44
Description:
DVD - longer shot of Maria twirling and unwrapping - there is more topless nudity as she dances out from behind that wire wall - oddly enough the portion cut from the VHS is still seen when it's reused during the fantasy sequence near the end of the film.
--

(0:45:50.434) vhs
(0:46:10.916) DVD shot is longer at end - Philippe's reaction longer +38
-

(0:47:14.476) VHS +28
(0:47:34.787) dvd
Description:
VHS - During the bondage dummy scene - In the shot where Maria has her arms crossed and yells "No! Please!" the shot lasts 1 second longer than on the dvd. It looks like she says one word extra.

---
(0:48:52.698) VHS +76
0:49:11.175 dvd
longer shot of Philippe at organ
---

(0:49:04.668) VHS ADDED SHOT +329 (13.7 seconds) - the organ scene - shot of Maria's back with Philippe's hand caressing from top to bottom
(0:49:18.432) VHS ADDED SHOT +128 (5.3 seconds) additional shot of Maria's hands playing the keyboard
---

(0:53:52.912) VHS +41
(0:53:52.120) dvd
longer outdoor night walking shot
--

(54:00.795) VHS ADDED SHOT +250 (10.4 seconds) an additional shot of Philippe smoking outside leads to his entering through the glass door.
--

(0:54:47.383) VHS +951
(0:54:31.367) dvd
Description:
Philippe's entrance into the partitioned bedroom begins at the door. He closes the door, walks to the dresser pours a drink, sits on the bed, takes a drink, puts the drink down, walks over to dresser, lights a cigarette. This is where the scene begins on the DVD version

---
(0:56:27.656) VHS +48
(0:55:31.760) dvd
Description:
After Maria is discovered unconscious Philippe tries to awaken her by calling Maria's name 4 times. The dvd shot ends here whereas the VHS shot continues with her head falling towards her left shoulder.

--
(0:56:50.588) VHS stove +133
(0:55:52.781) dvd
Description:
Philippe pours the hot liquid into one of his square cups. The shot on the DVD begins with Philippe lifting the cup from the stove.

--
(0:59:19.736) VHS exhale +26
(0:58:16.632) dvd
Description:
shot held longer of Maria with blanket - at the end, 1 added exhale

--
(1:02:14.785) VHS +152
(1:01:10.304) dvd
Description:
After parking the Amphibicar, Maria and Philippe run down the hillside - the camera zooms out revealing a massive field of yellow flowers. The shot on the DVD version ends just after the zoom stops. The VHS lingers a few seconds longer as the two continue running downhill.

--
(1:02:45.648) VHS +112
(1:01:34.828) dvd
Description:
More to the beginning of the shot.
VHS - Because of the previous longer shot the music ends after they are shown running hand in hand. There is no music when Philippe raises his head into the bottom of the frame during the next shot or when we see Maria lying on her back in the grass whereas music plays over these shots on the DVD.

--
(1:03:02.749) VHS +81
(1:01:46.590) dvd
Description:
The shot of Maria in the grass is longer by about 3 seconds.
The DVD version trims the beginning of the shot.

--
(1:03:24.395) VHS ADDED SHOT +41 frames (1.7 seconds)
(1:03:26.147) VHS ADDED SHOT +137 frames (5.7 seconds)
Description:
Maria photographs Philippe holding flowers in his hand. We see this picture in the last scene of the film.
The dvd is missing these two shots.

---
(1:04:23.078) VHS scarecrow + 84
(1:02:54.616) dvd
Description:
After Philippe's headstand pic, the following wide shot shows him still doing the headstand. He returns to standing and runs after Maria and she hangs the camera around the scarecrow's neck. The shot on the DVD shows him already running after Maria.

Music difference due to previous shot cuts.
VHS - (1:04:48.896) music ends at the final click of the camera during the scarecrow pic. There is no music during Philippe's kissing of Maria.
DVD - (1:03:17.055) music continues through the kissing.
--

(1:05:31.730) VHS ADDED SHOT +219 (9.1 seconds) camera pans down from trees, Maria runs through the woods
--

(1:05:25.182) DVD ADDED SHOT +253 (10.5 seconds)
(1:05:35.775) DVD ADDED SHOT +101 (4.2 seconds)
Description:
During the scene in the country with Philippe lying on his back and out of breath, Maria unbuttons his shirt.
Two shots are not included on the VHS - Her hand strays lower, first squeezing his left hand then continuing towards his crotch and out of frame. This is followed by Maria glancing back at Philippe and smiling again.
----

(1:08:01.420) VHS ADDED SHOT +259 (10.8 seconds) wide shot of countryside, yellow flowers in distance and car driving on dirt road screen left to right

(1:08:12.264) VHS ADDED SHOT +183 (7.6 seconds) closer shot of the car and occupants. As a result, when Philippe turns off the radio the song playing ends with a different lyric.
VHS - "...like a slave"
DVD - "...mind yourself"

--

(1:10:01.330) VHS +41 longer - driving scene, more at end as Philippe turns to look at Maria
(1:08:09.303) dvd
--

(1:10:33.904) VHS ADDED SHOT +88 (3.6 seconds) reaction shot of Maria in car
--

(1:11:13.485 - 1:11:32.963 ) VHS +158
(1:09:23.251) dvd
Description:
drive to the castle - VHS version - lengthens the shot showing both leave the car to head up to the castle

--
(1:11:33.004) VHS +182 a continuous dolly shot closing in on the two knights outside of the castle
(1:09:36.180) The dvd has a jump cut skipping the middle part of the dolly and interrupting the continuous shot
---

(1:12:10.417) VHS +26 castle bedroom secret passage - a little more to end of shot
(1:10:06.043) dvd
--

(1:13:41.173) VHS +166 dwarf turns back around at end of shot
(1:11:35.674) dvd
--

(1:13:50.766) VHS ADDED SHOT +44 (1.8 seconds) closeup of dwarf
---

CHANGED SHOT
DVD (1:12:57.505 - 1:13:01.968)
VHS (1:15:12.263 - 1:15:16.684)
After slipping out of her shoes Maria's feet move between Philippe's legs until her toes poke out above his crotch. The VHS version makes a cut during this shot and replaces the footage. Maria slips out of her shoes - it then cuts to a closeup of her hand petting the cat.

--
Different music
(1:17:30.525) vhs
(1:15:15.058) DVD +29
Description:
Following dinner there is a shot of the Amphibicar returning through water. There is different music used to accompany the shot in both versions. The VHS uses the "Weekend with Mary" music, heard during their run down the hillside. The DVD uses an instrumental reprise from the "Femina Ridens" song. The dvd shot is longer. The vhs version sounds edited, with the music beginning in an odd place.

--

Philippe's fantasy (prior to diving into the pool)
(1:16:23.042) DVD ADDED SHOT +128 (5.3 seconds) wide shot of Philippe approaching the giant model, this time closer than before.
(1:16:28.422) DVD ADDED SHOT +170 (7 seconds) low angle closeup of Philippe - slows his pace then proceeds forward again
(1:16:35.554) DVD ADDED SHOT +350 (14.6 seconds) shot of Philippe from the back now approaching the entrance to the model. The camera follows behind him.then stops just before he enters and the doors close behind him.
(1:16:50.194) DVD ADDED SHOT +58 (2.4 seconds) closeup of Philippe's eyes
--

(1:18:37.884) vhs
(1:16:52.655) DVD +36 extra frames
Description:
flashback to Maria's dance twirling behind the wire wall. VHS is shorter omitting the twirl at the start of the shot.
--

(1:16:57.201) DVD ADDED SHOT +109 (4.5 seconds) Closeup of Maria and Philippe kissing from the shower/air dryer sequence, sweat running down his cheek.
(1:17:01.789) DVD ADDED SHOT +34 (1.4 seconds) Closeup of Maria's fingers digging into the back of Philippe's scalp (from the organ playing scene)
(1:17:03.248) DVD ADDED SHOT +105 (4.3 seconds) Closeup of Maria's hand on Philippe's
(1:17:07.669) DVD ADDED SHOT +52 (2.2 seconds) Closeup of Philippe (from the trip in the country implied handjob sequence)
(1:17:09.880) DVD ADDED SHOT +35 (1.5 seconds) Closeups of Maria (from the trip in the country implied handjob sequence)
--

(1:18:40.929) vhs
(1:17:11.381) DVD +37 shot of Maria's legs from the car ride sequence. DVD contains a longer shot.
--

(1:26:43.573) VHS +113 longer end credits starting with a list of artists whose work inspired some of the set design.
(1:24:40.451) dvd

----

[Philo MacDuff]

More comparison pics








---

There's also a VHS that came out in the UK from Salvation Films. The box cover uses The Frightened Woman title. From what I've been able to find out it sounds like this might be a third version. An English dubbed version with correct color but also missing footage from the slideshow and end fantasy sequence. The BBFC indicates it was cut by 16s on submission. The runtime suggests its close to the Italian VHS print but without comparing I can't say.

Various editions, real or suggested

1) First Run Features DVD Audubon Films print (Runtime 86m 34s)
2) Italian language VHS non-subtitled version - (original pal runtime 84m 27s) (converted to 24 fps = Runtime 88m 04s)
3) Salvation Films video - BBFC lists runtime at time of submission as (84m 39s) with 16s cut for release
4) www.anica.it - Italian Association of Cinematographic Audiovisual and Multimedia Industries
the entry for Femina Ridens shows a film length of 2426 meters - using Kodak's website for film length conversion, (88m 26s) 22 seconds longer than the Italian VHS print.
5)IMDB - a runtime listing of 108 min? I have no idea where this length comes from or if any print with this length exists.

If I add the extra footage on the DVD to the Italian VHS I end up with a runtime of a slighty over 90 minutes.

[R.T. Gelling]

Great movie, thanks for all the info Philo, I think the DVD is OOP.

[Ian Miller]

Shit! I still need to see this, I was intrigued after seeing clips on one of the EUROTIKA episodes (and having a flashback to the still that was in RE:Search's INCREDIBLY STRANGE FILMS book). Judging from the FRIGHTENED WOMAN screencaps, I should hold out for the RIDENS print, but damn!

[andreas w]

I have this on Redemption UK VHS somewhere. I think it is cut, but perhaps it's just a certain cut of the movie?

Brilliant film, however.

[Adrian J.]

The UK video of this was accidently issued uncut [check with Mark Morris about this but i`m sure it`s correct]when it was reissued by Salvation as a budget priced release.I copied mine to a dvdr,the colours are a MASSIVE improvement over the US disc.
The reasons for the differing editing of the film is that Radley Metzger re-edited it for the US market,he did this with many films he picked up for US distribution through Audubon such as I A Woman.

[robert r.]

Thanks for the good work, Philo!
I've always avoided the dvd version, the difference in color is just shocking, and it's especially disastrous with this film, which really needs that pop art brightness. It's the same with Metzger's sixties films, which all look horrible on dvd.

It looks like i should maybe get it after all. With the italian tape there was one scene especially that looked like it was cut (leroy and lassander in the grass), all the other differences you mentioned made me very curious about the dvd edit.

[Philo MacDuff]

Originally Posted by Adrian J.

The UK video of this was accidently issued uncut [check with Mark Morris about this but i`m sure it`s correct]when it was reissued by Salvation as a budget priced release.I copied mine to a dvdr,the colours are a MASSIVE improvement over the US disc.
The reasons for the differing editing of the film is that Radley Metzger re-edited it for the US market,he did this with many films he picked up for US distribution through Audubon such as I A Woman.

I'd love to know the running time on your copy. Does the Salvation version use the FEMINA RIDENS title in the credits like the pic above? And the English audio track? Amazon.co.uk has it listed as subtitled but I noticed one of the Amazon marketplace sellers mentions the English dub so I take it that's correct.

[Mike Kitchell]

Wow, that's quite an amazing difference. I've been loving the awfully colored DVD for about five or six years, but an actually color corrected copy looks like it would make the movie even remarkably better!

[Adrian J.]

The Salvation tape is dubbed,i`m pretty sure it has the Femina Ridens title as i remember there being a card at the beginning saying,Femina Ridens AKA The Frightened Woman,i suppose not to scare of any potential customers who aren`t familar with the films many titles.
The running time i`m not sure of as my dvdr is in the UK,i`ve moved to Japan this year,but according to Marc Morris` Mondo Erotico website :
http://www.vidmarc.demon.co.uk/mondo...bon_index.html
it`s listed as 84:38 ,beware the original release,that was cut, ONLY the buget priced one was complete.Why don`t you send an email to Salvation directly that`s where i got mine.
On a sepparate note anyone know where i can get a copy of the Cipriani score,i got the end credits track on a lounge compilation,unfortuntely it`s a rerecorded take with the fuzz guitar so low in the mix you can barely hear it,shame !

[robert r.]

I'm glad to say that i have the original cam lp. I'll be damned if i know how to make a vinyl to cd copy though. The full cipriani score is still only available on that original lp release, it's never been released on cd, except for a few tracks here and there. The song you mentioned is the same version as on the 1969 lp.

[Sergio Olivari]

Stelvio Cipriani´s superb score should be on cd like yesterday... FinDeSiecle media, one day?? Surely this is Cam holding the rights while dropping few themes in compilations here and there

[alan tozer]

The Salvation release is definitely cut. This seems to be the Italian version with the shorter dream sequence. The slideshow scene is missing the stronger shots.

[Magnus Sundstrom]

So which version will Shameless release on DVD in February?

[Philo MacDuff]

Originally Posted by Magnus Sundstrom

So which version will Shameless release on DVD in February?

I had no idea they were releasing this. I'll try asking over at their forums.