The Image (1975)

The Image is a 1975 American adult drama that was re-released in an edited version in 1976. The film is also known by two other titles: The Punishment of Anne and The Mistress and the Slave and was directed by Radley Metzger.^[1][2][3][4] The film is based upon the classic 1956 sadomasochisticnovel L'Image, written by Catherine Robbe-Grillet^[5] and published under the pseudonym of "Jean de Berg".^[3]

The story of middle-aged Jean, a writer (played by Carl Parker), who meets an old friend, Claire, a lesbian and also middle-aged (played by Marilyn Roberts), and is soon drawn into her world of sadomasochism, in which they torture Claire's youthful slave, Anne (Mary Mendum, aka Rebecca Brooke^[5][6]and Metzger's girlfriend at the time^[3]).

The Image was released during the Golden Age of Porn (inaugurated by the 1969 release of Andy Warhol's Blue Movie) in the United States, at a time of "porno chic",^[7][8] in which adult erotic films were just beginning to be widely released, publicly discussed by celebrities (like Johnny Carson and Bob Hope)^[9] and taken seriously by film critics (like Roger Ebert).^[10][11]

Films made by Radley Metzger, the film director, are noted for their "lavish design, witty screenplays, and a penchant for the unusual camera angle", according to one film reviewer.^[12] Another film reviewer noted that Metzger's films are "highly artistic – and often cerebral ... and often featured gorgeous cinematography".