Ilsa, She Wolf of the SS (1974)
Starring: Dyanne Thorne, Gregory Knoph, Sandi Richman, Jo Jo Deville, Uschi Digard
Director: Don Edmonds
Synopsis: Revolting, stomach-churning piece of classic Trash Exploitation....Fabulous!
Reviewed by: Omar Khan

 

An unparalleled masterpiece of degradation, Ilsa, She Wolf of the SS remains one of exploitation cinema's towering achievements—a trashsploitation landmark of monumental proportions. It introduced audiences to one of the screen's most unforgettable monsters: the sadistic Nazi dominatrix Ilsa, a character who has rightly secured her place in the pantheon of cult cinema.

Ilsa presides over the highly efficient Camp 9 for "Medical Research", where she and her battle-hardened band of female officers subject unfortunate inmates to an endless catalogue of grotesque experiments. Among their more enlightened medical pursuits are the deliberate injection of lethal strains of syphilis and typhus into healthy young women, followed by the careful observation of the resulting agony.

What follows is an almost uninterrupted parade of exploitation excess. Festering sores writhe with maggots, prisoners are electrocuted, fingernails are painfully extracted, bodies are mutilated in increasingly imaginative ways, and the camera lingers lovingly over every open wound, every spurting artery and every revolting injury with an enthusiasm that borders upon the scholarly.

Refinement was clearly never the filmmakers' objective.

Ironically, Ilsa's eventual downfall stems not from Allied forces or military defeat but from her own insatiable libido. Discovering an exceptionally gifted American prisoner blessed with seemingly inexhaustible stamina, she happily recruits him as her personal plaything. It proves to be the only tactical error made by the formidable commandant, for her growing obsession eventually leaves her vulnerable enough for the tables to be turned in a satisfyingly ironic finale.

The film's underlying "scientific" premise is that women possess a far greater tolerance for pain than men—a theory Ilsa pursues with tireless dedication and astonishing enthusiasm. The result is a relentless barrage of blood, nudity, torture and outrageous Grand Guignol excess, exactly as one would hope from an exploitation film of this vintage.

Yet beneath all the gore lies something rather unexpected.

The film is genuinely funny.

Its absurdly earnest dialogue, gleefully excessive performances and almost operatic commitment to bad taste frequently provoke laughter just as readily as revulsion. It shocks, disgusts and entertains in almost equal measure.

The film's greatest asset, however, is undoubtedly Dyanne Thorne.

Faced with material that would have defeated most actresses within minutes, she attacks the role with complete conviction, delivering one of exploitation cinema's truly iconic performances. Not once does she betray the slightest hint that she recognises the glorious absurdity unfolding around her. Her icy authority, theatrical cruelty and unforgettable mock-German accent combine to create one of cult cinema's greatest villains.

It is a remarkable performance in a thoroughly ridiculous film.

Ilsa, She Wolf of the SS is gloriously tasteless, unapologetically excessive and about as politically incorrect as cinema is capable of becoming. It is also one of the defining camp classics of the exploitation era—a film every bit as hilarious as it is revolting.

For devotees of cult and exploitation cinema, this is essential viewing.

Having survived Camp 9 once, you'll probably find yourself eagerly seeking out the remaining Ilsa adventures soon afterwards.