MARIA BEATTY
THE BLACK GLOVE (1997)

Director: Maria Beatty
Year: 1997
Time: 27 mins
Music: John Zorn
Eye of Sound: No kinds of love are better than others. I suppose that most true BDSM enthusiasts may feel that Beatty's films are too arty, too slow, too glamorous and too soft for their own onanistic or viewing taste. And I bet that they appeal more to a sexually conservative crowd than to the average SM porn consumer. Beatty herself is a legend in "the field" as a performance artist, and is known to be an enthusiastic submissive practitioner. The Black Glove focuses precisely on the submissive end of the relationship, acted out by a character/actress named TV Sabrina, while the dominant character, known as Mistress Morgana, is far less explored by Beatty's camera. The film benefits from an insider's knowledge of techniques and fantasies and, despite its general "softness", may shock some viewers for its explicit shots. The gorgeous black and white footage is comparable to the finest noir movies, and part of the film's glamorous aura owes much to it. Despite this general glamor, also supported by model-like performers, I believe that The Black Glove is also an intentionally disturbing film that proposes a not so peaceful gaze at the world of domination, submissiveness, and the dark forces behind human sexuality. John Zorn's score is certainly responsible for much of this unsettling result: a sober, fireworks-free concrète collage of single-note tones and hi-fi field recordings that range from humming voice arrangements and snippets to fiery and watery soundscapes. On their own, perhaps, the images and the music could be more psychologically neutral, but their combination results in an unsettling, however fascinating, experience.
 
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8 comments:

  1. another coincidence in a world full of coincidences - i watched this just a few days ago, together with "the elegant spanking" (1995), for whom zorn also did the soundtrack. although i'm not into s/m myself, i find this pretty stylish and beautiful.

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  2. Congratulations to The Sound of Eye for your partnership with Ubuweb. I'll be able to watch more of your films, since some of my downloads from this page I could never play. Keep on the good work.
    PS: I knew Lucky was a perv.

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  3. Lucky:
    I was hesitating between this and the "Elegant Spanking". I chose this one, but all SOE readers will have an opportunity get an Elegant Spanking some time in the future.
    It is pretty stylish and beautiful, as you say. That's why I think that this won't appeal to a genuine SM crowd (unless they are interested in this kind of "arty" movies or Zorn). From the few glimpses I had at the world of "normal" SM cinema, it seems to be as raunchy and vulgar as ordinary porn.

    Continuo:
    Thanks for the congrats. I don't know if you felt that way when you were invited to join Ubu as a partner, but now I feel a sense of responsibility that I didn't fell before...
    You tell me that you can't play some of the downloads from here? How come? Have you tried to watch the film using VLC? It's an excellent application that will read virtually any format.
    We ALL knew Lucky is a perv...

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  4. you all knew i'm a perv? then why didn't you tell me before - it could've save me all the hiding.

    kinky cheers

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  5. What's the fun of being a perv if you don't hide it? Public virtues and secret vices, a proverb says...


    By the way: if a SM enthusiast comes along and reads these lines, please don't feel offended for being referred to as a perv. As I said in the main post, no kinds of love are better than others and, to quote another classic song, I have nothing but respect for love not given lightly.

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  6. Please, upload again, link is dead.

    ReplyDelete