The Perils of Gwendoline in the Land of the Yik-Yak

Gwendoline
English-language theatrical release poster
Directed by	Just Jaeckin
Screenplay by	Just Jaeckin
Based on	The Adventures of Sweet Gwendoline by John Willie
Produced by	Jean-Claude Fleury
Starring	Tawny Kitaen Brent Huff Zabou
Cinematography	André Domage
Music by	Pierre Bachelet
Distributed by	Parafrance Films
Release date	8 February 1984 (1984-02-08)
Running time	106 minutes
Country	France
Languages	English French Taiwanese Hokkien
Box office	$1,337,274^[1]

The Perils of Gwendoline in the Land of the Yik-Yak (original title Gwendoline) is a 1984 French action comedy film directed by Just Jaeckin, written by Jaeckin and John Willie and starring Tawny Kitaen and Brent Huff.^[2] The film is loosely based on the bondage-themed comics of Willie and on the character of Sweet Gwendoline. François Schuiten worked as a graphic designer for the film.

In the film, a mercenary rescues two kidnapped women. He is then hired as their guide in an expedition to obtain an elusive butterfly specimen.

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Plot

Captured by a trio of thieves at a Chinese port, Gwendoline (Kitaen), a courageous but naïve girl, is sold to a local casino-brothel owner, but after being rescued by Willard (Huff), a mercenary adventurer, she is reunited with her maid, Beth (Zabou), after the latter's abduction by the same thieves who had earlier kidnapped Gwendoline.

Hired to transport an illegal cargo, Willard reluctantly agrees to take both women with him after Beth, withholding information vital to his livelihood, promises to divulge it only if he becomes their guide. Gwendoline, who has come to China to capture the butterfly that eluded her father, who had staked his professional reputation as a scientist on obtaining the insect, offers Willard $2,000 to take her and Beth with him to the land of the Yik-Yak, in which the butterfly may be found.

After escaping from the cannibal tribe of Kiops, the trio find the butterfly, but as she is about to capture it, Beth is captured and Gwendoline and Willard must enter an all-women tribe's underground lair to rescue the maid. The tribe is the vestige of the city of Pikaho, a primary diamond mining centre, which was swallowed by a volcanic eruption in the 12th century. Afterwards, the entire male population perished due to a disease spread by the eruption, and Pikaho turned into an all-women society considered nothing more than a legend. To ensure the survival of Pikaho, its Queen (Bernadette Lafont) allows a victor among them to mate with any man who visits or is captured by the tribe. Aided by Beth and the Queen's henchman, D'Arcy (Jean Rougerie), Gwendoline, disguised as a Pikaho warrior, wins this right.

While Gwendoline and Willard make love before the Queen, D'Arcy activates the volcano and he, the Queen, and the citizens of Pikaho are killed as Gwendoline, Beth and Willard escape. In the process, Willard is able to capture the elusive butterfly.

Cast

The main cast

Tawny Kitaen as Gwendoline
Zabou Breitman as Beth
Brent Huff as Willard
Bernadette Lafont as the Queen
Jean Rougerie as D'Arcy

The rest of the cast

Roland Amstutz as Policeman Mr. Cattochet
Stanley Kapoul as Kiop (Chief of the Native Tribe)
Chen Chang Ching as Yuki's henchman
Vernon Dobtcheff as Shirko
André Julien as Tom
Takashi Kawahara as Mao
Kristopher Kum as Yuki
Loi Lam Duc as Yuki's henchman
Maurice Lamy as Yuki's henchman (Little man fighting with Willard)
Jim Adhi Limas as Yuki's henchman
Georges Lycan as Yuki's henchman
Dominique Marcas as Translator
Roger Paschy as Yuki's henchman (Muscle man fighting with Willard)
Hua Quach as Yuki's henchman
Just Jaeckin as Man in Sailor Hat Smoking Cigar (uncredited)
Larry Silva as Taoto (uncredited)
Annemieke Verdoorn as (?) (uncredited)
Daniel Vérité as Chinese villagers (uncredited)
Lionel Vitrant as Chinese villagers (uncredited)

U.S. release

An 88-minute U.S. version was released on Vestron Video January 25,1985 (Catalog Number: VA5071) (Barcode: 02848515071)

Severin Films has^[when?] re-released the 88-minute U.S. release of The Perils of Gwendoline in the Land of the Yik-Yak and has^[when?] also released a 106-minute Gwendoline: Unrated Director's Cut based on the French release.