“When pain is pleasure, punishment becomes reward…”

When Jean (Carl Parker), an author living in Paris, runs into his old friend Claire (Marilyn Burns) at a boring society party, he becomes intrigued by the S/M relationship she shares with her younger submissive, Anne (Rebecca Brooke). Initially shocked by the harsh manner that Claire punishes and publicly humiliates Anne, Jean soon finds himself becoming a willing and enthusiastic participant in the couple’s sexual games—and learns that the roles aren’t quite as set as they initially appear.

Adapted from the controversial underground novel by the enigmatic Jean de Berg (later revealed to be France’s most famous dominatrix, Catherine Robbe-Grillet) and made shortly before his switch to hardcore filmmaking as “Henry Paris,” Radley Metzger’s The Image is a sumptuous and transgressive study of sexual power dynamics from one of the true masters of erotic cinema.

New 4K restoration by Distribpix.