The movie shows scenes described in the study Psychopathia Sexualis that was made during the Victorian Era. I have to be careful about watching movies like these or even reading books with similar material as insane asylums are one of my biggest phobias and it gives me nightmares.
Some of the scenes squicked me out (like urinating in the mouth of a whore at the brothel and lobotomy) and, of course, I didn't agree with most of the conjectures made by the author of this study...but it was made by a man in an era where women did not have the rights they have today.
At one point it was stated of male submission that they were stripped of their manhood and made low, in the place of a woman. It made me consider who author Masoch surely was viewed by his peers as being...sick, having something truly wrong with him. Today, I am glad there is a better understanding of this at least in the psychological world even if it isn't accepted by the general public.
The costumes were lovely - gotta love a woman in a corset ^_^
And I must say I was inspired by the scene of the whore beating the customer with roses.
I think the doctor's words toward the homosexual man with a fetish for mustaches sums of the general view of men that day towards homosexuals: its not unnatural to have those feelings but to act on them was perversion - meaning its ok to be a homosexual but not to have sex with the same gender. I sadly don't think this view has changed much today in the general public.
The shadow puppet art was weird and very pretty at the same time. I love the use of it like horror porn in the story. Just goes to show that people haven't changed much over time.
I must say I cannot help but wonder what the doctor's sex life was like lol
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