but also desires more. Her capacity for sexual pleasure is far greater than Durand Durand anticipated, and he is ill-equipped to cope.

His excitement turns to anger as he becomes more and more frustrated at being unable to reach Barbarella’s orgasmic limit – and he becomes verbally abusive, revealing his own overriding sense of inadequacy. This is perfect characterisation for an individual accused of developing a rare weapon in a time of peace, and seeking to use it to grab political power. It also perfectly encapsulates the restrictions placed on female sexuality by men – who require them to be sexually available, but not enjoy it too much, or be too liberated in the pursuit of physical satisfaction. It is then Durand Durand that unwittingly facilitates the denouement, as he traps Barbarella in the C...

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