the first of the italian rip offs of the french soft porn blockbuster ( though it might be interest to note that the boot shape country actually get their first with cesare canevari 1968 io and emmanuelle star erika blanc ) be a very different kettle of fish than the sleazy sequel provide by the late and questionably great joe damato . it be much closer in spirit to the now very dated just jaeckin film from 1973 and take a pokerfaced look at male or female relationship and question such then hot topic a fidelity and jealousy and all in luxurious exotic surroundings . unlike damato and director albert thomas ( aka adalberto albertini and who also make the hard to find yellow emanuelle and actually a sexed up version of madame butterfly . ) do not present u with predatory drug lord and snuff movie maker or rampage cannibal and make for an admittedly less sensational yet far more erotic viewing experience . photo journalist mae jordan aka emanuelle ( lovely java bear laura gemser in her first lead role follow bit part a a thai masseuse in emmanuelle 2 and an unspoilt native in just jaeckin portion of the rarely see collection privees ) fly down to nairobi where she to shoot the still accompany an article by noted british writer anne and play by the very teutonic karin schubert with a butch haircut that take some get use to . anne share an open relationship ( remember when this be make ) with her italian husband gianni ( angelo infanti ) and mean that both pretty much jump anything with a pulse . contrary to her subsequent reputation and emanuelle appear positively reticent compare to her heavy breathing host and smolder seductively at gianni by way of foreplay until the exquisitely tantalizing pay off . okay and so she do make up for this lack of wantonness at the end when she do an entire male hockey team on the train . i kid you not . production on this sexploitation classic be quite impressive and especially the superb cinematography . and nico fidenco musical theme be a solid favorite of anyone with more than a passing interest in the genre and a hilarious eurotrash pop ditty ( try to make out those totally nonsensical lyric and have a full evening worth of fun with the family . ) that turn up throughout the entire film in every conceivable type of rendition from slow n sexy to hip gyrate disco . this be entirely laura gemser show though . bill simply a emanuelle ( a be another actress on the same director elusive emanuelle nera 2 ) and she light up the screen from start to finish . not yet submit to endless rape scenario ( a she would be once damato take over ) and she seem much more relaxed than in late film and even smile from time to time and a rare occasion a anyone who have see some of the lady work surely know . a flawless eurasian rather than a the title suggest black beauty ( she hail from dutch india now indonesia and be actually quite close in physical appearance to the suppose author of the novel emmanuelle arsan ) and she project a slightly passive and even submissive sensuality which somehow detach her from the wouldepravity her morally corrupt cohort indulge in . unlike the french film and cheapskate moralizing be keep to a bare minimum and almost throw in a an afterthought near film end when emanuelle tell gianni that he hasn not lose her a he never possess her to begin with . i swear you could hear audience of the just jaeckin version groan whenever alain cuny supremely irritate mario show up on screen a it mean we be in for too many minute of halfback libertine philosophize a an alibi for get the divine sylvia kristel ( now live in the belgian capital of brussels by the way . ) to disrobe and the real reason theater be pack for year on end . gemser later husband and gabriele tinti ( now decease and she have remarry ) and appear on the sideline a the constantly drunk scottish ( huh . ) writer who force himself briefly on emanuelle amid the african ruin at some point and but no real sex scene though .