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When she suddenly took the world by storm in the provocative French smash Emmanuelle directed by Just Jaeckin, Dutch-born actress and model Sylvia Kristel became not only a household name but an elegant softcore alternative to the porno chic craze.

Though she would go on to reprise the role numerous times, Kristel also used the film's success to take on roles for a number of notable European directors while also turning up in some very unexpected places, such as Universal's The Concorde: Airport '79 and The Nude Bomb. With Kristel's films in frequent play on cable TV well into the early '90s, almost anything with her name proved marketable on VHS as well -- even earlier titles like the Dutch pseudo-giallo Because of the Cats.

Saluting Kristel's 1970s roles well outside of her Emmanuelle persona is the 2022 separate Blu-ray and DVD sets from Cult Epics, the Sylvia Kristel 1970s Collection, timed to coincide with a biography of the star written by Jeremy Richey, who's also one of the participants in the numerous special features.

This four-disc set contains four films starring the Dutch cinema Icon Sylvia Kristel. The four films included are incredibly different, ranging from serious period romance to sex comedy.

4xBD50 | 1080p AVC | 429 min | 131 Gb + 3% rec
Language: French(1), Dutch(2,3), English(4), German(4)
Subtitles: English
Genre: Drama, Mystery, War

While not arranged in chronological order, the viewing order suggested by the box set is an interesting one.

We begin with 1975s Playing with Fire, an absurdist psycho-sexual drama that satirizes the rich and powerful by exploring a surreal sadomasochistic system built for their perverse and disgusting pleasures. Kristel plays a captive in the kidnapping scheme. While her role in this film is small, the film itself is an excellent example of the avant-garde projects Kristel sought out.

Pastoral 1943 is an intriguing WWII drama released in 1978 about the German occupation of The Netherlands. Kristel is Miep Algera, an English teacher at the school where the main character, Johan Schults (Frederik de Groot), also works. She is shunned by her peers and neighbors because of her romantic association with a German officer. We find, however, that her romance is a cover for her position in the resistance.

Next is Mysteries, a Dutch translation of a popular Swedish novel. Fans of period romance will find great interest in this film.
Johan Nagel (Rutger Hauer) is a visitor to a small seaside town who woos two local women, including the rich and popular Dany Keilland (Sylvia Kristel). Nagel’s behavior becomes increasingly bizarre as the film goes on. There are several beautiful depictions of his visions and dreams including a wonderfully surreal fever dream at the end of the film. Especially for fans of classic romance, Mysteries is recommended viewing.

Finally comes one of Kristel’s more well-known works; 1974’s Julia, a German sex comedy/drama. Much like the first film in this collection, Julia is a study in perversion, though much less extreme. Pauli (Ekkehardt Belle) takes a trip to join his father for a summer retreat away from boarding school. There he meets a long-time friend and object of his lust, Julia (Sylvia Kristel) who is trying desperately to lose her virginity.

Extras:

DISC ONE: Playing With Fire
*The Film
-- Audio Commentary by film historian Tim Lucas (2021)
-- Interview with director's wife/collaborator Catherine Robbe-Grillet (5:36)
-- Photo Gallery
-- Trailers

DISC TWO: Pastorale 1943
*The Film
-- Audio Commentary by film professor Peter Verstraten (2021)
-- Interview with actress Sylvia Kristel and actor Frederik De Groot (7:35)
-- Interview with actress Sylvia Kristel (11:02)
-- Poster & Photo Gallery
-- Trailers

DISC THREE: Mysteries
*The Film
-- Audio Commentary by film professor Peter Verstraten (2021)
-- Audio Commentary by author Jeremy Richey (2021)
-- Interviews with the Cast & Director (6:27)
-- Poster & Photo Gallery
-- Trailers

DISC FOUR: Julia
*The Film
-- Audio Commentary by author Jeremy Richey (2021)
-- Poster & Still Gallery
-- Trailers