The Perils of Gwendoline in the Land of the Yik-Yak

Gwendoline

English-language theatrical poster
Directed by Just Jaeckin
Produced by Jean-Claude Fleury
Written by Just Jaeckin
John Willie
Starring
Music by Pierre Bachelet
Cinematography André Domage
Release dates
 February 8, 1984
Running time
 105 min.
Country France
Language French
Cantonese

The Perils of Gwendoline in the Land of the Yik-Yak, original title Gwendoline, is a 1984 French action comedy/sexploitation film directed by Just Jaeckin, written by Jaeckin and John Willie and starring Tawny Kitaen and Brent Huff.[1] The film is loosely based on the bondage-themed comics of Willie and on the figure of Gwendoline. François Schuiten worked as a graphic designer for the movie.

Plot

Captured by a trio of thieves at a Chinese port, Gwendoline (Kitaen), a courageous but naïve girl, is sold to a local casino-brothel owner, but, rescued by Willard (Huff), a mercenary adventurer, she is reunited with her maid, Beth (Zabou), after the latter's abduction by the same thieves who had earlier kidnapped Gwendoline. Hired to transport an illegal cargo, Willard reluctantly agrees to take both women with him after Beth, withholding information vital to his livelihood, promises to divulge it only if he becomes their guide. Gwendoline, who has come to China to capture the butterfly that eluded her father, who'd staked his professional reputation as a scientist on obtaining the insect, offers Willard $2000 to take her and Beth with him to the land of the Yik-Yak, in which the butterfly may be found. After escaping from the cannibal tribe of Kiops, the trio find the butterfly, but, as she is about to capture it, Beth is captured and Gwendoline and Willard must enter an all-women tribe's underground lair to rescue the maid. The tribe is the vestige of the city of Pikaho, a primary diamond mining centre, which was swallowed by a volcanic eruption in the 12th century. Afterwards, the entire male population perished due to a disease spread by the eruption and Pikaho turned into an all-women society while it fell into oblivion as nothing more than a legend. To ensure the survival of Pikaho, its Queen (Bernadette Lafont) allows a victor among them to mate with any man who visits or is captured by the tribe. Aided by Beth and the Queen's henchman D'Arcy (Jean Rougerie), Gwendoline, disguised as a Pikaho warrior, wins this right. As she has sex with Willard, D'Arcy activates the volcano and he, the Queen, and citizens of Pikaho are killed as Gwendoline, Beth, and Willard escape. In the process, Willard is able to capture the elusive butterfly.

USA release

Severin Films has re-released the 88 minutes U.S. release of The Perils of Gwendoline in the Land of the Yik-Yak and released a 106 minutes Gwendoline: Unrated Director's Cut based on the French release.

References

  1. ↑ "The Perils of Gwendoline in the Land of the Yik Yak". The New York Times.
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