MovieChat Forums > Lisa e il diavolo (1976) Discussion > Lisa's wardrobe fashion sense

Lisa's wardrobe fashion sense


For fans of LISA AND THE DEVIL and THE HOUSE OF EXORCISM, I can sympathize with your confusion. I've seen both films and am confused myself.

The VHS version of LISA AND THE DEVIL contains the explicit deleted scense enclosed at the end of the videotape. But the DVD version does not have these deleted scenes.

I've watched LISA AND THE DEVIL several times and last night a question occurred in my mind that I never thought of before, but it's so obvious I never thought of.

After Max chloroforms Lisa then undresses her (see the deleted scene in the VHS version) he pulls down her skirt and we see Lisa wearing panties. So, what's so strange about that? Nothing, except that the movie was filmed in 1973 and also, Lisa is a properly, well-dressed classy woman in the movie. She was not wearing any nylons, that is, NO garter belt stockings OR pantyhose. Pantyhose had already supplanted garter belts in the late 1960s so presumably, a female character in 1973 would be wearing pantyhose. I'm up there in age and I remember that no self-respecting properly dressed lady would go out with no nylons (pantyhose) in 1973. I must assume the film's director did not consider it attractive or sexy to portray Lisa wearing a normal item of undergarment common to 1973 - pantyhose, or even garter belt stockings, so he elected to have Lisa go bare-legged. Again, this would be considered a fashion faux paus for 1973, an anomaly. For people who are up there in age like me, jog your memory and recall that pantyhose manufacturers in the late 1960s and 70s encouraged women to wear pantyhose without panties (Americans today call it going, 'commando',lol). I don't think the film's director wanted to portray this in LISA AND THE DEVIL. It would have been perhaps too explicit. And the actress Elke Sommer maybe would have been unwilling to do it even if it was considered acceptable fashion sense in 1973.

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I have been wondering about that too, particularly in the beginning when she is carried to the ambulance. However: she did not wear a bra (which for a sophisticate woman would have been a faux pas as well) and it's in Italy where it is pretty hot.

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I’ve seen an extended version of the scene after Max chloroforms Lisa.

The first time I saw it, we see him start to unbutton her blouse and then the scene cuts to where she is nearly naked and artily framed through some plants.

In the extended version he removes her blouse fully and then unbuckles her belt. The stripping scene is longer and I imagined she was braless and not wearing nylons because otherwise we would have had another few minutes of Max removing her bra and removing her nylons etc and it would have run and run. By the same token, a loose summer skirt held up with a belt was probably easier to remove in the scene than the leather pants she is wearing on the plane.

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Still, the director did not follow the normal fashion custom for the time and a proper lady like Lisa (Elke Sommer) would have no doubt, worn a bra, pantyhose, and most likely, a slip. In the movie, Lisa is indeed portrayed as a proper, probably educated, and well-mannered, educated middle-class woman. Even in a hot climate like Italy, she would have dressed appropriately. Also note the fact that for 1973, Lisa is not wearing the common miniskirt, even with a blouse and jacket. She's wearing a long skirt, which was okay for the time, but showed that she was a conservative, very modest woman. It might be just a minor aspect, but it would have been more accurate, even if Max had to spend more time removing the additional foundation garments. Plus, let's call a spade a spade. This movie wanted to include a darkly sexual and sensual element and the undressing was clearly a part of it. Max was supposed to have some sort of culture in him too which is why he's shown appropriately and properly unfastening and pulling away Lisa's garments, not ripping or snipping it off.

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Ah now that's a very good point you make. I was watching this again the other day and I've always found the chloroform scene disturbing because it is darkly sensual but also essentially a rape. When I first saw the movie as a teenager I just figured I'd see a nekkid hottie in an otherwise baffling but cool movie. This time round I was more aware of the fact that although Max is obviously deranged, he really believes Lisa is his wife and he loves her. So he removes her clothing carefully and slowly because in his mind he is going to make love to his estranged wife, not rape a tourist. In the longer version of the scene, after's he's removed her blouse his hands hover over her chest but then instead of touching her he restrains himself and goes back to take off her belt and skirt too. It's almost like there's a sense of "correct" behaviour in what he's doing.

I think, as you say, Bava wanted a darkly sensual scene so it was important to show the undressing and also Max's combination of excitement and trepidation.

None of this addresses her particular wardrobe of course. I still just thought it was simpler to shoot if Max wasn't having to negotiate bra clasps and roll pantyhose down Lisa's legs. I could be wrong but in some earlier scenes the belt appears absent but she wears it later on.

I am not that well versed on the fashions of the time but will take your word for it.

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I think Bava, as a film maker was simply concrened with shooting an erotic scene that flowed well. Having to remove pantyhose from an unconscious woman would problably look awkward and a bit sloppy on film. I imagine it would have looked a bit silly to see Lisa getting peeled out of pantyhose. But this film as very fashion conscious; the clothing, for both the women and men were all gorgeous and very chic looking. Bava seemed to possess an almost fetishistic appreciation for fashion and furnishings, at least in his films.
"IMdB; where 14 year olds can act like jaded 40 year old critics...'

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Very true. It would have all become a bit comedic if she was dressed in her outfit from the scene on the plane - a sweater and leather pants if I recall.

Max would have had his work cut out.

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I do not know what were young women's fashions were in Europe in 1973 but I do know what it was in the U.S. Short skirts and pantyhose were still in widespread fashion. What Lisa was wearing, the longer dress and skirt was actually IN FASHION around 1976 till the mid-80s. In 1974 the mini-dress and the mini-skirt began to fall out of fashion during the summer and by 1975 the longer dress and longer skirt (falling to below the knees) became the new fashion. The miniskirt came back in full force in the later 80s, partially faded back and is partially still in fashion today, co-existing with the more formal, professional, knee-top length skirt and the leggings and jeans. The mini-dress, dormant since mid-74, has returned in full force by the end of 2015.

So Lisa was dressed very conservatively for 1973 but her fashion faux paus was that conservatively-dressed women would never go outside without pantyhose under their dresses. It just wasn't done. Yet I get a sense that the Lisa character, shown at the movie's beginning, was a modest, conservative, reserved woman so perhaps her clothing reflected her modest, reserved personality.

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