Don Edmonds
Ilsa She Wolf of the SS

THE REVIEW

Let's start with a "cinematic" term to best describe this film: Nazisploitation. This film genre combines erotic and gore scenes with Nazi aesthetics, and this subgenre also proved to be an enormous economic boon for splatter directors, as production costs were low but the theme was compelling.

The first film that many (but not me!) believe gave birth to all this was "The Devil's General"; but the film (that not only gave rise to this cinematic theme) that most represented this subgenre was "Ilsa, She Wolf of the SS." It was the most representative because all the theories about Nazisploitation are encapsulated in this film.

Don Edmonds directs a very simple and "heart-stopping" film (pardon the expression), because watching the film's introduction, it seems like a movie commonly set in the Nazi era; also because there isn't much vulgar language throughout the film, but the first splatter scenes might be a bit bothersome for the uninitiated. What most compels viewers to watch this film, in my opinion, is the aesthetic of the feature-length film. Dyanne Thorne acts just enough, almost giving the impression of an actress robotically playing her parts without adding much personality, which is masked by the Nazi aesthetics. The production of the film has a rather small budget, but certainly well-utilized as the splatter scenes are quite intense and very realistic. I prefer this film over others because, in my opinion, the feature film in question is for a wider audience (in the underground realm) compared to the "local" ones; of which I don't want to mention the titles (nor have I seen them, as violence in a film is one thing and dementia another), they depict too many disgustingly gruesome scenes to the point of excess, descending into banality and losing the air of violence that should exist in a film of this genre.

In conclusion, Nazisploitation is the most delirious and perverse genre in splatter and erotic cinema, and this film represents it at best, as it is a small masterpiece and a cult classic. Experts are forced and obliged to place it on a pedestal (although for me it's a rather nice film, masterpieces are something else, and the films I prefer are not these).