Reformatory for Sinners

A video with Becky Jordan and Elizabeth Simpson

The third in this trilogy of period productions depicts the then popular Victorian practice of attempting character reform, through the liberal use of corporal punishment on young ladies who displayed a loose moral character. It is set within the kind of typical institution to which young ladies of the night, or indeed any young lady of dubious moral conduct may have found herself sent, by a judicial court or even by anxious parents. Little did the authorities suspect that the practices that occurred therein were themselves of even a more dubious nature. The Reformatory is run by a fanatically religious and strict Matron, feeling it her moral duty to try and save the souls of her two wards, Molly and Nell, who have fallen by the wayside in their pursuit of the pleasures of the flesh.

They are made to change from their gaudy street attire to more sombre uniforms. They have to attend chapel daily, eat a most frugal diet and live a restrictive lifestyle of cleanliness, tidiness and prayer. Needless to say, in their attempt to rebel against this conformity they suffer the indignity of being spanked and birched by Matron. She humiliates them further by making them strip naked to be punished with her leather strap.

The final straw comes when they are caught not only having smuggled food and drink into their dormitory, which is against the rules, but also in the process of ‘comforting’ each other in bed. For this they are both caned in turn over a padded horse that she keeps in her study. The scenario is crafted to portray a sense of authentic historical re-enactment with the initial atmosphere and style of a period drama building, before launching straight into the punishments. We feel this adds to the watchability of the piece as a whole, as the story unfolds.

A rather cantankerous review from www.spreview.net:

2001, F/2f, 46 minutes

A dour matron — woman reads scripture at a desk setting similar to the Headmaster series at Rigid East/Lupus. Two new girls are brought to her at the reformatory. Blond Tori and brunette Nell are charged with sufficient moral offences that it appears that nothing might happen here will be a surprise to them.

The girls are taken to their room, procedures explained, rules read, jewellery collected. The girls change into pinafore-like uniform dresses to Gothic music soundtrack; why didn’t the director use this moment to take them to total nudity?

The girls pray and sit for soup and bread with the Matron, then hide bread and table wine when they are left alone — one of the actionable rules they learned earlier. The next morning they are awakened by a loud bell — the girls look snug and comfortable in their beds and nightclothes — no hairshirts or burlap in this place. They arrive late and dishevelled at morning services. The spanking offences are mounting.

Nell and Tori are taken for their first punishment — noisy and inattentive at church. They kneel on a bench — skirts up. The matron separates their drawers in search of bare skin. They recite scripture while Matron straps them, alternately, moderately hard.

Back in the dorm, the girls bathe each other naked and are caught by Matron — naked bathing prohibited. More punishment, Nell is spanked on her nightgown, then birched on the bare on the bench. Nell gets the same. Tepid stuff, but sexy girls and effective rustling of period clothing. The girls console each other partially naked on the bed, best part of the show so far.

The girls sneak the food and wine they filched. We’re hoping one of these offences will turn the spanking up a few notches. They are under the blankets with a dildo-shaped loaf of bread. Matron arrives! She wears a sort of tool belt, with keys and a spanking strap. Both girls face down, bare tushes, on their beds. Ceiling camera. The dildo is found. ‘Down to the study, both of you… the devil is still deep in your loins.’

Nightdresses off, they kneel naked facing each other, frontal glimpses; they are belted crushed together with a leather belt, a traditional sexy B&D posture for young ladies who can’t get enough of each other. The Matron straps their bottoms, but ineffectually, failing to capitalize on this alluring display of available skin.

Scene fade: the girls have positioned a giant clunky Gothic-looking whipping horse, too big to be moved during the filming. A clever producer would have had his carpenter just copy the competition. The girls lean on each end to be caned, about 25 strokes each, with repeats, and again, mild stuff with no bite. Because they can’t hold position, the Matron adds a half-dozen more, to no effect.

The girls go to bed, silly sobbing. We’d be sobbing too, but this film was not expensive to watch.