Madame X: An Absolute Ruler

1978 [GERMAN]

Action / Fantasy

4
IMDb Rating 5.2/10 10 185 185

woman director

Plot summary

The notorious pirate ruler Madame X places a print ad, calling on women to escape their boring lives and promising "gold, love and adventure" to all who come aboard her ship, the Orlando. A motley crew including a housewife, diva and artist (played by Yvonne Rainer) embark on a quest for self-transformation, which quickly heads towards destruction as they are subjected to Madame X's sadistic, erotic escapades.

Director

Ulrike Ottinger Photo
Ulrike Ottinger

Top cast

Claudia Skoda Photo
Claudia Skoda as Flora Tannenbaum
Lutze Photo
Lutze as Betty Brille
Mona Photo
Mona as Omega Zentauri
Irene von Lichtenstein Photo
Irene von Lichtenstein as Blow-up
720p.WEB 1080p.WEB
1.23 GB
986*720
German 2.0
NR
Subtitles de  
23.976 fps
2 hr 16 min
Seeds 1
2.27 GB
1480*1080
German 2.0
NR
Subtitles de  
23.976 fps
2 hr 16 min
Seeds 3

Movie Reviews

Reviewed by faloopnik2

One of the most excruciating experiences of my life!

I had stumbled upon the works of Ulrike Ottinger while walking through SOHO one afternoon. It was there I came across an exhibit of her film stills and was taken away by the imagery, especially "Joan of Arc of Mongolia." There happened to be mini festival of selected films at Anthology Film Archives and Madame X was the film I chose to view.Not only are the seats at Anthology uncomfortable but it made the experience of sitting through this ponderously, didactic film unbearable. The quality of the film was mediocre. I felt as if I was being beaten over the head with feminist ideology to the point where I wanted to scream. I really didn't care for Madame X and found that even with meticulous editing, it still wouldn't be watchable, since it seemed to run for about 3 hours.The only saving grace about Madame X is one specific shot, where a dummy in a wheelchair goes off the side of a ship. This broke up the monotony of a truly painful experience...but only briefly.
Reviewed by smanolakos 5 / 10

Perfect depiction of something that is 'camp'

While Ulrike Ottinger's Madame X is a playful and lively film, it is not easy to sit through without questioning every decision made by Ottinger. From the excessive costume design and makeup to bizarre scenes of a fish getting devoured, the film falls nothing short of camp. Although I did not necessarily enjoy viewing the film due to its lack of eventfulness, I do commend Ottinger for creating a work that successfully fails to be serious. As mentioned by Susan Sontag in "Notes on Camp," camp is a form of refusal to take life or something serious. Madame X resists all type of analysis making it extremely difficult to interpret (Sontag 1964). While I do believe that this is what makes the film so strenuous to watch, it also can account for why it is so thought-provoking. In a world where we tend to analyze every aspect and detail of life and what we consume, Ottinger makes fun of the viewer and their overall cinematic experience (Sontag 1964). I will admit that I was not fond of Madame X while I was staring at the screen. I gained a lot more insight and appreciation for the film after having read Sontag's work on camp. Ultimately, I would recommend for anyone who watches Madame X to pair it with the reading from Sontag since it helps explain the frustration most viewers feel towards the film. Alas, I advise anyone who cannot wrap their head around the 'point' of Madame X to ponder more on why we have the desire for everything to have meaning and less on Ottinger's technical and artistic decisions. As stated by Susan Sontag: "The whole point of Camp is to dethrone the serious."
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