The La Fong Archives

I’m intrigued when Fetish leaks into cinema – be it mainstream or ‘arthouse’. Perhaps one of the most amazing presentations of ‘fetish’ was a film made for the general public in 1958 – Alfred Hitchcock’s “Vertigo” starring the ever-vanilla James Stewart and 50’s sexpot Kim Novak. It remains a jaw-droppingly amazing portrayal of a man in the grip of a sexual obsession.

Through Hitchcock’s knowing eyes, we watch a woman – yearning to be loved – submit to a dominant male. A man who forces her to change herself – in clothing and hairstyle – into the object of his sexual fantasy. Most of this probably went over the heads of 1958’s moviegoers – or did it? I know men “of a certain age” who still fantasize about Novak, and who regard her as the sexiest woman who ever lived.

Skip forward a mere 18 years to three films made in 1976. Instead of a “hidden” male dominant/female submissive theme, we have a reversal with French movie star Gerard Depardieu playing a thief who falls in love with a professional dominatrix, Bulle Ogier, in “Maitresse”. All those who align themselves with, and eagerly await, my new niche site FedDom Fascination ought to see that one. Overt fetish. And Ms. Bulle is a delight. Some people claim it brought “fetish fashion” into the mainstream. Oh dear.

Barbet Schroeder's "Maitresse" (1976)

I assume we’ve all seen Pier Paulo Pasolini’s “Salo”, the cruelly murdered Italian arthouse darling’s homage to the Marquis de Sade’s “120 Days of Sodom”, also made in the fabled year 1976. Not for the faint-hearted, ladies. Which means you ought to see it.

And talking of fetish in Italian arthouse movies – Tinto Brass’ (the director of “Caligula” fame) made a 1976 movie about a Nazi Brothel called “Salon Kitty”. Some interesting sequences, despite the soft-core nature of the project – especially the part where the fat old Nazi has his “domme” wear a strap-on fashioned from bread – and then proceeds to eat the crusty faux penis. Extremely amusing.

All this fun and excitement makes me realize it’s time for Carl La Fong to get behind a camera again and make some movies – so you’ll excuse me if I start some pre-production planning!