Belle de Jour,
directed by Luis Bunuel, with Catherine Deneuve
A different version of this note and thoughts on other books
are available at:
- https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEVa4_CsRStSBBDo4uJWT8BSWtTTn0N1E
and
http://realini.blogspot.ro/
Luis Bunuel has an unusual, at times surrealist take on
making movies.
Notwithstanding its eccentricity, Belle de Jour is more
"rational" than say The Exterminating Angel.
The film has been included on the New York Times' Best 1,000
Movies Ever Made List:
The phenomenal director has created other masterpieces:
-
The Discreet
Charm of the Bourgeoisie, The Diary of a Chambermaid, That Obscure Object of
Desire and others
The actress at the center of this film has participated at
an astonishing number of films:
-
129
From recent remarkable works like The Brand New Testament
and Standing Tall to classics like
Repulsion, Place Vendome, Indochine, The Last Metro,
Tristana and others
The tagline for this film is
-
„Luis
Bunuel's Masterpiece of Erotica.”
Appropriate.
Catherine Deneuve is Severine Serizy aka Belle de Jour.
I cannot decide whether Severine is bored, very imaginative,
perverse or more likely, a combination of the aforementioned traits.
Early on, she imagines or dreams scenes of a certain
masochism.
In these confabulations, Severine is abused by her husband.
Furthermore, she is whipped by two coachmen.
At the end of the beating, her husband is giving her as a
" sexual gift" and maybe a punishment to one of the two rough men.
At the time I thought that this is one of her fears.
And maybe this is part of the mystery.
She could well have acted crazy because of a deep anxiety
and a terror of violence.
On the other hand, she seems to be excited by aggressive
behavior, later on.
Henri Husson, a friend played by Michel Piccoli mentions the
address of a brothel.
Initially, the idea seems preposterous to Severine.
But she is curious and maybe she had this inclination
towards open relationships or "fornication".
I for one do not blame, look down on workers in the sex
industry.
There are well regarded women, with money and power- I even
think White House- who look like they have chosen despicable men not because
they love them.
So many marriages and relationships are based on interest,
love of money, fame, power and I see them as similar to the transactions from
the sex industry.
Only in these "respectable" affairs, there are
fewer "clients" or maybe just one has exclusivity in exchange for a
fortune.
Severine becomes a high class prostitute.
Her nome de guerre is
-
Belle de
Jour
The audience has a chance to see all sorts of sexual
fantasies and predilections.
One client likes to be trampled upon.
Another originates from some place in Central Asia.
Finally, one becomes fascinated with Belle de Jour.
And this complicates matters and it all becomes dangerous.
This is a very good film.
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