The Sins of Ilsa

The Sins of Ilsa
Original proposed movie poster
Directed by	Radley Metzger (as Stanley Paul)[1]
Written by	Radley Metzger (as Gene Borey); based on a novel by Iris Murdoch[1]
Produced by	Radley Metzger (as Peter Wolfe); Ava Leighton (as Idlewild Productions)[1]
Starring	Helga Sven Sharon Moran
Edited by	Jimmy McDonough[1]
Distributed by	Audubon Films (unreleased)
Running time	96 minutes (US)
Country	United States
Language	English

The Sins of Ilsa (also known as, The Iris Movie) is a 1985 American adult erotic film, based on a novel by Iris Murdoch, filmed in New York City and, for exteriors, in Paris. The film is notable as the last film directed by Radley Metzger and, as of November 2019, has not yet been released publicly.^[1][2][3]

The film was made during the Golden Age of Porn (1969–1984) (inaugurated by the 1969 release of Andy Warhol's Blue Movie) in the United States, at a time of "porno chic",^[4][5] in which adult erotic films were just beginning to be widely released, publicly discussed by celebrities (like Johnny Carson and Bob Hope)^[6] and taken seriously by film critics (like Roger Ebert).^[7][8]

According to one film reviewer, Radley Metzger's films, including those made during the Golden Age of Porn (1969–1984), are noted for their "lavish design, witty screenplays, and a penchant for the unusual camera angle".^[9] Another reviewer noted that his films were "highly artistic — and often cerebral ... and often featured gorgeous cinematography".^[10] Film and audio works by Metzger have been added to the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City.^{[11][12][13][14]}

Sue (originally, Joanie), a New York City journalist, is attempting to write an article about Ilsa (originally, Iris), a former erotic star who had lived in Paris, but who is currently in retirement and, initially unbeknown to Sue, who had earlier traveled to Pars to interview Ilsa, now living in New York City.^[1]

• Cook, David A. (2002). History of the American cinema. Vol. 9. University of California Press. pp. 274–275. ISBN 0-520-23265-8.
• Heffernan, Kevin, "A social poetics of pornography", Quarterly Review of Film and Video, Volume 15, Issue 3, December 1994, pp. 77–83. doi:10.1080/10509209409361441.
• Lehman, Peter, Pornography: film and culture, Rutgers depth of field series, Rutgers University Press, 2006, ISBN 0-8135-3871-8.
• Williams, Linda, Hard core: power, pleasure, and the "frenzy of the visible", University of California Press, 1999, ISBN 0-520-21943-0.

• The Sins of Ilsa – film history