Das Mädchen mit den schmalen Hüften (1961)

The story begins on a yacht sailing along the Greek coast. Its owner, a wealthy businessman, is on board with bored luxury-loving yuppies from his social circle, who amuse themselves with plenty of alcohol and attractive young women. The millionaire’s son, Robert, a “rebel without a cause” and “angry young man” type, is disgusted by the hollow, hypocritical behavior of his father and the guests. When Robert learns that his father is having an affair with his girlfriend, it is the last straw. A fierce argument with his now ex-girlfriend follows, and Robert, by now quite drunk, grabs the yacht’s dinghy and heads for the coast. He lands on a small, remote island, home to just 380 people and cut off from all the achievements of civilization. It is a very archaic place, with archaic rituals, as he soon discovers. Shortly after arriving, Robert witnesses a young man hurl himself to his death from the cliffs. Robert rushes to the spot where he landed and manages to retrieve the man, whom he assumes to be dead. He drags the body to the nearest village and is immediately suspected of murdering him, especially since, given how drunk he is, he can’t remember anything specific and has blood on his hands. On his first night on the island, he meets the youthful, alluring Yusha, a girl still in her teens who clearly has a great secret. It isn’t long before Robert has fallen in love with the enigmatic islander. He soon learns that the girl is supposedly under a curse; indeed, the superstitious villagers even whisper that she is a witch. For wherever Yusha goes, death follows close behind. Anyone who falls in love with the narrow-hipped girl soon dies. The man Robert found was already the third man to court her and lose his life for it. Yusha returns Robert’s feelings, and the young couple decide to flee. But the real killer of the men is still at large, and he will not allow anyone to come between him and Yusha.