Adapting Sex on Screen: the Cinematic Biographies of Lulu, La Ronde and Venus in Furs

There is a new book out which should be of interest to fans of Louise Brooks and the Lulu archetype. The book, by Julian Preece, is titled Adapting Sex on Screen: the Cinematic Biographies of Lulu, La Ronde and Venus in Furs (Bloomsbury Academic). The book is out in the UK, but won't be released in the United States until January.

The publisher just sent me a pdf copy. And though I have not had time to really dig into it, the chapters I've glanced at regarding Lulu and Louise Brooks and Pandora's Box look detailed and fascinating. And recommended for the discerning reader. I was also pleased to see a footnote and an acknowledgement, "Thomas Gladysz from the Louise Brooks Society and Molly Harrabin from the Weimar Film Network have responded generously to my queries...."

The Louise Brooks Society was also mentioned in chapter six. "Brooks eclipses Pabst and Wedekind as the transmitter of the Lulu story and excreted a fascination in wider US culture. The first of many biographies of the rediscovered silent-screen star appeared in 1989, four years after her death. Thomas Gladysz formed the Louise Brooks Society in 1995, which provided a focal point for fans and scholars alike on the new forum of the internet. Gladysz's catalogue of Brooks's literary and pop culture afterlives is encyclopedia and surely unique for a 1920s star."

The publisher description reads: "Tracing the adaptation histories of Leopold von Sacher-Masoch's novel Venus in Furs, Arthur Schnitzler's play La Ronde, and Frank Wedekind's play Lulu, Julian Preece explores how these works were censored, celebrated, and adapted for the screen from pre-World War I Austria to modern day United States.

Through case studies of filmmakers like Max Ophüls, G.W. Pabst, and Roman Polanski, this book explores how directors have used sexual themes to push boundaries and critique societal norms. From Pandora's Box (1929) to La Ronde (1950), these films captured shifting attitudes toward sex, confronting issues such as Nazism, Hollywood censorship under the Hays Code, and the AIDS crisis. Preece also highlights how marginalised voices-particularly women and minorities-have fought for sexual rights on and off the screen.

This compelling analysis will appeal to students, scholars, and general readers interested in the intersection of film, literature, and sexuality. Adapting Sex on Screen provides a nuanced and engaging look at how cinematic portrayals of sex have both reflected and shaped social change, making it an essential resource for understanding the ongoing cultural significance of these provocative works."

Julian Preece is Professor of German at Swansea University, UK. His articles have featured in The German Monitor, German Life and Letters, and Monatshefte. His previous books include the BFI Film Classic The Lost Honour of Katharina Blum (2022), Günter Grass (2018), Baader-Meinhof and the Novel: Narratives of the Nation / Fantasies of the Revolution, 1970-2010 (2012), and Out of the Shadows of a Husband: The Rediscovered Writings of Veza Canetti (2007).

 

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