Ilsa, She Wolf of the SS (1975)
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A sadistic Nazi commandant conducts gruesome experiments to prove female superiority while seeking a male prisoner who can withstand her hypersexuality.
The story
In 1945, Ilsa serves as the commandant of a Nazi concentration camp where she conducts sadistic scientific experiments to prove that women can endure more pain than men. A hypersexual authoritarian, she selects a new male prisoner each night for sexual encounters, promptly castrating and killing them afterward. However, her routine is disrupted by the arrival of Wolfe, a German American student who resembles the Nazi Aryan ideal. Unlike other prisoners, Wolfe possesses the ability to ejaculate at will, allowing him to endure Ilsa's demands. Wolfe quickly gains her confidence, becoming her first repeat partner, while simultaneously beginning to plot a revolt with other prisoners.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 1945, Ilsa, a sadistic Nazi commandant, conducts experiments to prove women are more durable than men. She habitually sleeps with male prisoners, castrating them after they ejaculate. She becomes enamored with Wolfe, a prisoner who can ejaculate at will, and spares him. Wolfe begins plotting a revolt with Mario and other female prisoners. Meanwhile, Ilsa tries to convince a visiting general of her theories by showing him the inhumane experiments on women; the general awards her the Iron Cross and demands a golden shower. As Allied forces break through, the prisoners revolt, killing most guards. Wolfe ties Ilsa to her bed during a sex game before stealing her gun to help his comrades. Wolfe urges the prisoners to leave the staff for capture, but they choose to execute them. Wolfe and one female prisoner escape into the hills, while the remaining prisoners are wiped out by a tank unit. The unit's commander finds Ilsa tied up and shoots her in the head before razing the camp to destroy evidence.
- First release year
- 1975
- Runtime (minutes)
- 96
- Production countries
- Canada
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Don Edmonds
- Writers
- John C. W. Saxton · writer
- Cast and characters
- Dyanne Thorne · Ilsa; George Buck Flower · Dr. Binz; Richard Kennedy · Wolfgang Roehm
- Genres
- nazisploitation; sexploitation; horror; war
- Themes
- female supremacy; sadomasochism; hypersexuality; Nazi atrocities
- Tone and mood
- sadistic; degenerate; campy
- Setting
- A Nazi concentration camp in 1945.
- Premise and plot tags
- exploitation; historical fiction; war; medical horror
- Source material / true-story basis
- Historical records of wartime medical experiments and the life of Ilse Koch.
- Franchise connections
- Ilsa series
- Content notes
- graphic violence; torture; castration
- Reception
- The film received overwhelmingly negative reviews and was met with controversy, though it became a financial success and a cult classic.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 36% · review count: 11
- Awards and nominations
- Best Alternative Release · AVN Awards · 1985 · win
- Production trivia
- The film was shot on the set of the TV series Hogan's Heroes.; The character of Ilsa became a pop cultural icon of 'strong, aggressive' female authority.; The film was rejected by the British Board of Film Censors and remains unreleased in the UK.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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