Emmanuelle Forever: Remembering Sylvia Kristel And Her Iconic Erotic Role

Dutch actress Sylvia Kristel, who passed away overnight at the age of 60 after battling cancer, defined the character of Emmanuelle as much as it defined her four-decade film career.  With her first appearance as the doe-eyed sensual adventuress and 1970s softcore icon in 1974's Emmanuelle, Kristel became synonymous with the character, which, in turn, became shorthand for an entire genre of art-house erotica: gauzy, softly lit tales of  women exploring their own sexual curiosity in exotic lands and pushing the boundaries of  social conventions. Without Emmanuelle and Kristel, would we even have EL James' 50 Shades of Grey?
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