Ecstasy (aka Extase, aka Ekstase) is a 1933 Austro-Czech co-production directed by Gustav Machaty.
Eva is a young bride from a wealthy family who marries Emil, a significantly older businessman. On the wedding night, Eva makes a sexual advance towards her husband, only to be rebuffed. It seems that Emil either is uninterested in or incapable of sex with his gorgeous wife. Eventually Eva has enough of Emil's neglect and leaves him, going back to her father's estate. She divorces her husband, and then meets Adam, a vigorous young engineer who can give her the pleasure that Emil couldn't.
Ecstasy was filmed simultaneously in French, Czech, and German-language versions. It featured nudity and sexuality that was daring even for European films of the era, and is believed to be the first non-pornographic film to attempt to portray an orgasm onscreen. (From implied cunnilingus, no less.). Eva was played by 18-year-old Hedy Keisler. Keisler eventually abandoned a much older husband just like her character did, came to America, adopted the stage name of Hedy Lamarr, and became a big movie star.
Tropes:
- Driven to Suicide: Emil kills himself after finding out about Eva and Adam.
- Erotic Film: A young woman leaves her husband when he can't please her, and finds sexual fulfillment with a younger man.
- Glasses Pull: Emil when he realizes that Eva has left him. And Emil again later, when he finds out that Eva is bonking handsome young Adam.
- Gone Swimming, Clothes Stolen: Eva wants to get laid and Eva's horse wants to get laid. Eva's mare trots away after hearing a stallion nearby. This is a problem for Eva, as she was swimming naked in the lake, and her clothes were on the horse.
- Imagine Spot: The film ends with Adam imagining Eva with the child they might have had.
- The Loins Sleep Tonight: Seems to be the real reason why Emil does not try anything with Eva. The very first shot of the movie has Emil fumbling helplessly to insert a key into a lock.
- Meet Cute: An erotic version thereof, as Eva first meets Adam when she is in the woods naked, trying to retrieve her clothes from her horse. And Adam has found the horse. Eva at first hides behind the bushes, but then decides that's dumb and stands up and demands her clothes.
- Naked People Trapped Outside: Eva has a little adventure when her horse trots away from the lake, taking Eva's clothes with it.
- Obsessively Organized: Emil has some issues, given how he has to have the items on his bathroom counter arranged in precisely the right way.
- One-Word Title
- Romantic Rain: For someone else, but more like Gray Rain of Depression for Eva. Eva's loneliness is only emphasized when she looks out the window of her husband's fancy apartment and sees a man and woman kissing in the rain.
- Silence Is Golden: It isn't quite a silent film, but it could have been. There is very little dialogue and no extended conversations. The movie runs a full 15 minutes and tells the whole story of Eva and Emil's failed marriage before we hear one word spoken.
- Skinnydipping: The Fanservice starts in earnest when Eva goes swimming in the nude.
- Staggered Zoom: Five cuts in a row zoom us in to Adam's window, as Eva approaches with sex on her mind.
- Trophy Wife: Apparently Eva is this to her much older husband. Emil has little interest in her, apparently, other than as a status symbol.
- Zip Me Up: Part of Eva's failed attempts at seduction on her wedding night night involves getting Emil to take her necklace off.
