Emanuelle in America

Emanuelle in America

Year: 1977

Runtime: 100 mins

Language: Italian

Director: Joe D'Amato

DramaHorrorMystery

In the decadent West, the striking black photographer Emanuelle pursues a story that leads her to an ex‑prizefighter. He reveals a wealthy pervert who assembles a private harem, selecting women according to their astrological signs. Emanuelle follows the trail.

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Timeline – Emanuelle in America (1977)

Trace every key event in Emanuelle in America (1977) with our detailed, chronological timeline. Perfect for unpacking nonlinear stories, spotting hidden connections, and understanding how each scene builds toward the film’s climax. Whether you're revisiting or decoding for the first time, this timeline gives you the full picture.

1

Manhattan photo shoot and Tony's theory

In a Manhattan studio, Emanuelle shoots a nude session while Janet introduces Tony, a virgin philosopher who believes sex is the root of modern evils. Janet complains they talk but do nothing, hinting at Tony's fixation. The scene establishes the film's tension between sex and morality.

Daytime Manhattan studio
2

Tony hijacks Emanuelle in her car

In her car, Tony hijacks Emanuelle and threatens to kill her over perceived sexual immorality. He reveals a troubling sexual childhood trauma that fuels his obsession. Emanuelle tries to argue for a cleaner view of sex, and the encounter ends with her beginning to satisfy him before he panics and runs away.

Shortly after the photo shoot In her car
3

Bill's gun game and postponement

Back at Emanuelle's apartment, Bill toys with Tony's gun and playfully threatens suicide to coax Emanuelle into postponing a meeting for sex. The moment highlights their volatile relationship and underlying danger. They eventually give in to their desires.

Evening Emanuelle's apartment
4

Investigation leads to Van Darren

Emanuelle goes to a boxing gym to investigate billionaire Van Darren and is helped by Joe, who provides false papers. The setup marks the start of her undercover mission into Van Darren's world. The gym scene begins to connect the dots of Van Darren's influence.

Day Boxing gym
5

Infiltration of the harem

At Van Darren's villa, Emanuelle infiltrates the harem and participates in a poolside underwater game with two other women. She begins to uncover the villa's decadence and power dynamics. The environment underscores the obscene rituals surrounding Van Darren.

Evening Van Darren's villa (harem, pool area)
6

Stables and the 'horse shoes' stash

Exploring the stables, Emanuelle discovers a weapons stash labeled 'horse shoes', hinting at the violence behind the opulent façade. The discovery raises the stakes for her undercover mission. It signals the danger lurking within Van Darren's world.

Later that evening Van Darren's villa, stables
7

Duke Elvize's arrival and a disturbing display

The Duke of Elba Alfredo Elvize, a guest with a more monogamous stance, contrasts with Van Darren's libertine world. A disturbing moment appears when a guest witnesses a risqué ritual involving an animal, highlighting the villa's moral ambiguity. The scene brands Elvize as a different kind of player.

Evening Van Darren’s villa
8

Confrontation and escape toward Venice

Emanuelle confronts Van Darren in the game room and defeats him at poker dice, winning a substantial sum. She escapes in Elvize's car and is invited to his Venetian palazzo, signaling a major turn in her infiltration. The confrontation tightens the danger and opportunities ahead.

Night Van Darren's villa / Elvize's car
9

Venetian palazzo and marital entanglements

At the Duke's Venetian palazzo, the duke catches his wife with another man and then sleeps with Emanuelle. When the wife later joins them, Emanuelle leaves, yet the couple is later shown as reconciled. The episode underscores the messy ethics of desire in a lavish setting.

Later that night Venetian palazzo
10

Return to Manhattan and a Spring concerto

Back in Manhattan, Emanuelle's relationship with Bill continues as he visits and they share a sexual moment during a rehearsal of the Spring concerto. The sequence reinforces the film's theme of passion intersecting with performance. It also ties her personal life to her professional world.

Evening Manhattan
11

Party revelations and island resort lure

At a mansion party, Emanuelle learns of a Caribbean island resort offering beautiful men to sex-starved women. She also uncovers the duke's stash of forged paintings. When a pop-out cake triggers an orgy, she takes photographs that will fuel her later investigations.

Night Mansion
12

Undercover at the island resort

Back at the island resort, Emanuelle infiltrates as a client and photographs couples, discovering an 8 mm snuff film. Her cover is blown when a male sex worker recognizes her from her journals, forcing a dramatic escape as she seduces and drugs the resort's director and rides away with the chauffeur.

Day to evening Caribbean island resort
13

Senator and a dangerous trip

The snuff-film trail leads to a US senator in Washington, whom Emanuelle seduces and manipulates. In his studio, he showcases his snuff film collection and becomes enthralled with her, providing wine and drugs that lead to a perilous drug trip in which she witnesses disturbing acts abroad.

Evening Washington, D.C. studio
14

Editor rejects the scoop

The editor reveals orders from the top not to publish the explosive photographs, leaving Emanuelle feeling betrayed and furious. She decides to take an indefinite break from her job, stepping back from the world she has been documenting.

Morning Newspaper office
15

Island ceremony and escape

Vacationing on an island with Bill, Emanuelle is captured by a native tribe who intend to make her their twelfth wife. Bill confesses he sold her for a shell necklace and beer, but a US film crew arrives and turns the scene into a spectacle. The couple elopes, escaping along the beach at sunset.

Sunset Isolated island

Last Updated: October 05, 2025 at 12:26

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Emanuelle in America Summary

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