A closer look at the films of José Ramón Larraz

As Malcom and Sally are planning a longer stay in London, they ask their friend Lorna if she could take care of their housekeeper Triana. Lorna is an artist who lives alone and secluded in a country house. Triana has recurring nightmares at night, in which she is chased by a naked man on a horse or finds herself in the middle of a wooden horse construction while the man circles her with his stallion. Unexpectedly, the fire of desire ignites in Lorna, so that a love relationship develops between the two women. One day, a naked man unexpectedly appears on a horse, similar to the one in Triana's dreams. He introduces himself as Chico and increasingly arouses Lorna's interest. What begins as a love triangle, slowly turns into jealousy for Triana, which has an explosive effect...

José Ramón Larraz is probably best known for his blood-soaked vampire-erotic-gothic-horror Vampyres about two lesbian vampires who lure men into their castle to kill them after making love. Larraz began his career as a comic book author for the well-known Spirou series, among others. A meeting with the famous American director Josef von Sternberg brought him to gain a foothold in the film business. His first work was the erotic thriller Whirlpool. It was followed by other low-budget exploitation films like Deviation, La Muerte incierta or Scream... And Die!, in which central themes can be found, which Larraz always relies on, such as a dreamlike staging, perverted love connections and well-punctuated shock scenes.

All these elements can be found again in The Coming of Sin, which is a Spanish production. Triana reawakens sexual desire in Lorna, an artist disappointed by men, but when a man emerges from her nightmares, the relationship between her and Lorna drifts increasingly into darkness. The (nightmarish) dreamlike staging is once again phenomenal. In one scene you can see the naked Triana sitting in a wooden horse, while she is surrounded by the naked Chico sitting on a horse. An ingenious allusion to the Pasiphae story, in which Poseidon had a wooden cow made so that Pasiphae could practice the act of love with the Cretan bull, in which the Minotaur was finally conceived. The Coming of Sin takes the necessary time to tell its story and shows how a catastrophe is slowly approaching. The movie remains deliberately vague in some points, e.g. the question of how Chico makes it out of the dream of Triana into reality, so that there is enough room for interpretation.

Blood Hunger: The Films of José Larraz offers The Coming of Sin uncut for the first time ever

The first seven films are probably the best works of Larraz, of which for a long time only Vampyres was commercially available. Fortunately, this changed on April 25, 2016 when the terrific Symptoms was first released on Blu-ray by BFI in the UK and a little later in the US by Mondo Macabro. Symptoms was, by the way, the official contribution of England to the Cannes Film Festival in 1974. Another gap is now closed by Arrow Video, which on 25 March 2019 released a Blu-ray box with three films by Larraz in England under the title Blood Hunger: The Films of José Larraz. Included for the first time is an official release of Whirlpool, which until now could only be seen as a bootleg in rather poor picture quality, Vampyres and The Coming of Sin, which is uncut here for the first time. This comparison deals with The Coming of Sin, which has a quite interesting release history.

The first VHS release came from Hokushin Audio Visual when the BBFC did not yet require editing for home cinema releases, i.e. before the Video Nasty scandal in which sex and violence depictions in films were publicly demonized. However, the distributor had cut the version considerably, as the film was planned as part of a double feature. Most of the cuts are plot tightenings, but the love scene between Lorna, Triana and Chico was also shortened a bit. A longer version was released on VHS and DVD by Pagan Films (the Mondo Macabro predecessor label), but the BBFC required some cuts, which can be read about on the BBFC homepage. The rape scene of Triana was affected here and in the three-way scene had to be cut by a few seconds, as well. In Italy, a version called Sodomia was released on VHS with additional hardcore scenes cut into it, but with some action scenes removed. So until now it was not possible to see the uncut original version of the film.

Back to the UK VHS by Hokushin Audio Visual. The version starts with the "X-Rated" release card by the BBFC. The original opening credits have been removed and instead the credits are shown when Triana is driven to the country house by Sally and Malcom. You can see the somewhat lurid alternative title The Violation of the Bitch. At this point you can admire the tasteful cover design of the UK VHS, which leaves little doubt in which direction the movie might go.

The Italian VHS by Scorpion seems to have been pulled from a cinema print. As already mentioned, the title Sodomia is shown at the beginning. On pretty much every suitable occasion, HC scenes were cut into the film. So the love scenes of Triana and Lorna offer new explicit details, as well as the question if Triana and Chico were raped can be clearly answered in the Italian version. As a rule, care was taken that the faces of the actors are not visible, but it is obvious that these scenes were re-shot with other actors. By the way, it is not unusual that extended HC film versions have been released in Italy, as demonstrated with the film Massacre at Central High.

The Blood Hunger: The Films of José Larraz Blu-ray box by Arrow Video is one of the most outstanding releases of the year 2019. For the first time there is the possibility to watch Whirlpool in a reasonable form and The Coming of Sin is available in full for the first time. The films have been excellently restored and shine in unprecedented quality. Extensive bonus material completes the release. If you like exploitation, you should do yourself a favor and get the box. It's worth it.

Picture comparison:

Italian VHS:

UK DVD:

UK Blu-ray:

Runtimes:

UK DVD: 84:49 min.
UK BD: 89:48 min.
Ita. VHS: 73:27 min.

The Italian VHS (Hardcore Version) by Scorpion was compared to the uncut UK Blu-ray by Arrow Video.

[00:00:00][00:00:00]

In the VHS, the complete opening credits, in which Lorna is seen painting a picture in a museum, are missing.

Afterwards, you can see the cows a little earlier.

BD: 2:33 min.


[00:00:26][00:03:04]

Triana can be seen earlier.

BD: 5 sec.


[00:09:25][00:12:34]

The VHS shows further scenes of Lorna masturbating in front of the mirror.

VHS: 26 sec.


[00:10:53][00:13:39]

The dream scene of Triana continues. She dreams of a stallion mounting a mare. In the process, her genital area is repeatedly shown in between.

VHS: 8 sec.


[00:13:18][00:16:03]

After Lorna asks why Triana is so afraid of Chico, the two are briefly shown during sex.

VHS: 13 sec.


[00:18:32][00:21:17]

Triana can be seen longer.

Afterwards, you can see Lorna walking earlier through the high reed grass.

The Italian VHS only starts when she lights her cigarette.

BD: 1:12 min.


[00:22:47][00:26:56]

Triana drives her hand through her face for a longer time.

The scene where Lorna and Triana are in a bar, watching a group of flamenco musicians and dancers, begins much earlier.

BD: 1:34 min.


[00:24:51][00:30:43]

Lorna and Triana arrive back home by car. Lorna notices that the electricity is not working. She lights a candle. Triana is frightened by the storm. Lorna fetches a snack from the fridge, while Triana tells her that a man in her village was killed by lightning. She doesn't want to go to bed until the storm is over. Lorna offers her that she could sleep in her bed after all. They go upstairs to the bedroom, but Triana still seems frightened.

BD: 3:04 min.


[00:28:35][00:37:40]

The love scene between Lorna and Triana was extended by some explicit scenes. Lorna is orally pleasured by Triana while the latter is masturbating.

In the BD, the love scene slowly fades out.

After that you can see Triana walking through the reed earlier.

VHS: 2:05 min.
BD: 56 sec.


[00:32:25][00:40:26]

On the Italian VHS it becomes unmistakably clear that Triana is raped by Chico.

On the BD you can see Triana trying to fend off Chico for a longer time.

VHS: 38 sec.
BD: 5 sec.


[00:34:23][00:41:55]

The Italian VHS displays two title cards with the end of the first part and the beginning of the second part.

VHS: 6 sec.


[00:35:47][00:43:18]

Lorna runs to Triana at the window.

BD: 9 sec.


[00:41:15][00:49:12]

The scene in which Lorna gets riding lessons from Chico starts much earlier. There is also a cut on Triana missing.

BD: 40 sec.


[00:42:09][00:50:49]

Triana is seen longer as she goes to the clairvoyant. She asks Triana why she is coming back, since she already knows her fate. She asks Triana to sit down.

BD: 26 sec.


[00:44:43][00:53:57]

When Triana gets into bed with Lorna to sleep with her, the VHS again adds some explicit shots in which the two women satisfy each other.

VHS: 1:18 min.

[00:47:08][00:55:07]

Lorna, Triana and Chico are having dinner. Chico hands them a glass of wine. Chico looks at an art book and discovers a picture where he recognizes himself and Triana. Lorna points out to him that it is Salome. Lorna asks if Chico has ever been to a museum. He denies. Lorna raves about how nice it is to look at works of art in a museum.

BD: 2:02 min.


[00:51:59][01:02:15]

Lorna's in bed longer. In the next shot, she gets undressed earlier.

BD: 7 sec.


[00:53:38][01:04:05]

Due to a somewhat unclean (intended) jump-cut, it is missing how Chico kisses Triana while lying on top of Lorna.

BD: 10 sec.


[00:54:03][01:04:41]

Lorna is penetrated by Chico. Triana orally satisfies Chico while he fingers her. Then he penetrates Lorna again.

On the BD you see Triana a little earlier before she bites into Lorna's arm.

VHS: 56 sec.
BD: 3 sec.


[00:55:37][01:05:24]

Lorna says to Triana that they should talk about something else. Triana says the gypsy read death from her palm. Lorna thinks about the motive she wants to paint next. She tells Triana that she had last worked on a painting from which she took a painting from the museum as a model. Triana talks about her nightmare. Lorna offers to give her a book with which she can overcome this trauma. She interprets the dream as Triana's fear of sex with men. Triana says this is not the case. She's afraid that something bad will happen if Chico keeps showing up here. Lorna feels patronized and says Triana should stop saying things like that. Chico knocks on a door frame and says that he let himself in.

BD: 2:20 min.


[00:56:29][01:08:37]

When Triana is painted by Lorna, she begins to masturbate with the flower.

On the BD you see Lorna longer, then there is a cut on Triana.

VHS: 1:12 min.
BD: 8 sec.


[00:56:16][01:10:24]

Lorna and Triana can be seen a little longer.

The scene with the family celebration begins much earlier. A girl gets on the table and starts dancing.

BD: 1:29 min.


[01:01:01][01:13:43]

The VHS shows explicitly how Lorna is penetrated by Chico.

On the BD you see Chico throwing himself at Lorna.

VHS: 31 sec.
BD: 2 sec.


[01:01:40][01:13:54]

Lorna and Chico can be seen a little earlier.

BD: 8 sec.


[01:02:04][01:14:26]

Before Lorna and Chico fall on the bed exhausted, the VHS shows the penetration once again.

On the BD you can see Lorna falling on the bed earlier.

VHS: 7 sec.


[01:02:37][01:14:56]

After sex, we can see Chico riding away on his horse.

BD: 38 sec.


[01:04:44][01:17:48]

Cut to the house, then we see Lorna lying by the pool earlier.

BD: 16 sec.


[01:06:41][01:20:07]

Film tear: Lorna's in the picture longer, then the car earlier.

BD: 9 sec.


[01:08:17][01:21:56]

Lorna can be seen having oral sex with Chico.

VHS: 11 sec.


[01:10:18][01:23:51]

On the BD we see Lorna a little earlier on Chico.

BD: 11 sec.


[01:11:26][01:25:14]

Lorna is crawling towards Triana. Triana points the weapon at her and pulls the trigger again. Triana begins to cry and runs away.

She runs back to the house and seems restless.

BD: 1:29 min.

[01:12:20][01:27:40]

Triana and Chico drag Lorna's body to the shore. Chico carries it with his horse to the other side, where he finally sinks the corpse.

BD: 57 sec.


[01:13:22][01:29:41]

The VHS ends with a "Fine" fade-in.

On the BD, "Fin" is displayed as the two ride off.

VHS: 5 sec.
BD: 7 sec.