Abarten der körperlichen Liebe (1970)

In four separate episodes, Professor Fritz Leist analyzes, in voice-over, four versions of physical love regarded as “perverse.” The behavior of two lesbian women stems from the fact that one was harassed by her father, while the other had bad experiences with men in her youth. Their relationship ends when the former eventually falls in love with a man. The next case concerns transvestism. A boy was mistreated by his hard-hearted mother, while he found his feminine aunt much more likable. He therefore preferred feminine clothing himself and could not give it up even as an adult. Only a psychotherapist helps him break free from his overbearing mother, after which he dresses masculinely and even finds a partner. Next, the film examines the life of Peter, who is both married and gay. He leads a double life between the marital bed and a gay club. The boy who was once seduced became a seducer himself and can never fully escape his homosexuality. The final topic discussed is sadomasochism. Its cause lies in a harsh childhood, which is not uncommon, particularly as a consequence of the horrors of the twentieth century. Thus, a boy who was brutally beaten by his mother and also by his teachers is driven to vent his frustrations on women, while at the same time he himself needs inhuman punishment. Elfriede, meanwhile, is humiliated by her alcoholic husband until she divorces him. However, since she depends on being humiliated, she eventually finds herself working as a street prostitute. Between the episodes and at the end of the film, Professor Leist, who was already introduced in the opening credits as a scientific adviser, also appears in person. He calls for understanding toward people with “perverse sexual inclinations,” whose causes, he says, usually lie in a troubled family background.