LAS EDADAS DE LULU (THE AGES OF LULU)

Spain, 1990, 95 minutes, Colour.
Francesca Neri, Oscar Ladoire, Maria Barranco, Javier Badem.
Directed by Bigas Luna.

Las Edadas de Lulu was the first international success of Spanish director, Bigas Luna. It was notorious – for its theme as well its explicit treatment of erotic episodes.

The film was praised in some quarters as being an interesting psychological exploration of a woman with sexual addiction and her descent into a dark world. On the other hand, many critics saw it as exploitation material, soft-core pornography.

The film is particularly Spanish in its tone. However, it makes audiences realise that it was a big change in film-making (as well as moral stances) with the death of Franco and the change from a fascist regime to a democratic government. Greater permissiveness almost immediately appeared in films. This was the atmosphere in which Pedro Almodovar was able to develop his talent.

Francesca Neri portrays Lulu, first as a virginal young schoolgirl with a crush on her brother’s friend, Pablo. He then seduces her, introduces her to aspects of kinky behaviour that she had not known before. She is drawn into this particular world even when Pablo goes to another town to lecture in a university. When she meets him again, she succumbs to his behaviour, becomes more permissive – however, she marries him.

Further episodes include the behaviour of the couple as they go into the area of the city peopled by transvestites and become friendly with Ely (Maria Barranco). This leads them into various sex clubs. On the surface, everything seems normal, and they have a daughter. However, Lulu seems to have a sexual addiction and is further drawn into aberrant sexual behaviour, including, with Pablo’s consent and connivance, a relationship with her brother.

This becomes too much, eventually, for Pablo and he reacts against Lulu. She leaves. However, she roams the city, going to gay clubs and becoming involved in voyeuristic behaviour with some of the homosexuals (the leading one played by Javier Badem).

As she moves more into the sadomasochistic world, Pablo wants to rescue her. He is helped by Ely. However, Jimmy goes berserk during a violent session and kills Ely. This brings Lulu to her sense – which gives the film a quickly, seemingly artificial, happy ending.

Bigas Luna was not shy in presenting sex scenes in many of his other films including the popular Golden Balls as well as Jamon, and The Tit and the Moon. His films in succeeding years did not have the international exhibition of the previous films and his fame was confined to Spain and Spanish-speaking countries.