Beginning his cinema career in the late 1950s as an assistant director to the likes of influential Spanish Filmmaker Juan Antonio Bardem, Jess Franco would blaze a path all his own. A prolific filmmaker with over 175 films to his credit, Franco wrote, directed, produced, scored, and even acted in his projects for over 50 years. Impassioned with a love for making movies, Franco was also quite limitless in what genres he worked, ranging from Horror (including 1971’s Vampyros Lesbos and 1981’s Oasis of the Zombies) and Comedy (like 1987’s Thong Girls), to Crime Thrillers (such as 1972’s Death Packs a Suitcase) and Adventures (like 1968’s The Blood of Fu Manchu), as well as exploration into Erotica.
A broad-reaching style that spans many areas and sub-genres, some of the titles that fall under Franco’s Erotica filmography include 1969’s Marquis de Sade’s Justine and 1970’s Eugenie… The Story of Her Journey Into Perversion (which are period pieces based on the writings of controversial 18th century French Writer Marquis de Sade), but also more Horror-themed stories like 1977’s Voodoo Passion, and its predecessor, 1976’s Doriana Gray.
Looking particularly at Doriana Gray, written and directed by Jess Franco, the story drew on Oscar Wilde’s iconic 1890 novel The Picture of Dorian Gray, mixed with a curiosity about the erotic philosophy of the Marquis de Sade. A very interesting combination, you can see the connection between the two, considering that in the original Dorian Gray story, graphic sexuality is not depicted, but certainly alluded to in the main character’s dark adventures. Nonetheless, Franco unified the two concepts through the female antagonist Doriana Gray and her twin sister, Maria.
In this story, Doriana lives a life of sexual decadence while Maria remains hidden away from the world. The intrigue is that Maria has a psychic link with the aggressive high society Doriana, and thus experiences the sensations of her sister’s pleasure and pain, but mostly the bodily toll of her behaviors. In essence, shedding the ill effects of her sin onto Maria, Doriana lives on without regret or emotional attachment. Portrayed by Jess Franco’s partner and regular in many of his films, Lina Romay, in dual roles as Doriana and Maria, she performs at her best in terms of sheer intensity (especially in her eyes) from scene to scene. An interesting approach to the duality of one’s personality, Franco’s concept is certainly intellectually stimulating and far more than skin deep.
With all of this being said, Doriana Gray could largely be viewed by many as solely an extremely explicit erotic film. Up for debate, there is no question that Doriana Gray is not a mainstream film, even in the soft production designed for a general European theatrical release, but especially the hard cut produced by Franco, filled with unsimulated graphic sexual content. In other words, there is little left to the imagination in terms of the intimate scenes; however, Doriana Gray is far more artistic and inherently full of sorrow to be dubbed merely a pornographic film. Yes, the dialogue is not extensive, but the way Franco shot Doriana Gray, the somber music in the background, and the mood he sets are darkly psychological.
Erotica with a heavy subtext of loneliness and an estrangement from oneself, some would call Doriana Gray one of Franco’s most compelling feature films. A matter of opinion, it is one of Franco’s many curious cinematic explorations in an extensive filmography. A film that has been subject to heavy censorship over the last fifty years, the United States audience now has the opportunity to own the uncut edition of Franco’s Doriana Gray on Blu-ray.
Released under the Delirium Home Video label (in partnership with Full Moon), it arrived on January 27, 2026, via various retailers, including Full Moon Direct and Amazon, just in time for the film’s 50th anniversary. An upgrade from the 2017 DVD release from Full Moon, this new Blu-ray offers a remastering from the original 35mm camera negative, including both the 79-minute hard cut (with English dubbing) and the soft cut (presented in German with English subtitles, known in Germany as Die Marquise von Sade).
Also, new audio commentary from Film Historian Troy Howarth; archival bonuses include an interview with Jess Franco, Producer Erwin C. Dietrich, and film star Lina Romay. All quality features for this Blu-ray release: the restoration is truly the best part, offering improved color, deeper contrast, and greater clarity. So, if you are a Jess Franco fan and have never seen Doriana Gray, Delirium Home Video presents you with a great opportunity to do so. Surreal and mesmerizing, Cryptic Rock gives this new Blu-ray release of Doriana Gray 5 out of 5 stars.
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