Review of Belle de Jour (1967) by Chris B — 21 Jan 2012

"Belle de jour" has a reputation that preceded it upon my initial viewing of the film, this being that it is one of the most artfully done and surreal erotic works in all of film. While the film itself is sexy in it's own perverse way it is more a realistic, if somewhat disturbing, expression of sexual liberation and fantasy in this case of many different individuals.

Not only is Belle de jour (The working name for Catherine Deneuve's character Severine) finding her sexual fantasies finally fulfilled in the brothel house in which she makes her way too after collapsing to her boredom and compliant existence, but also the customers who come to the brothel.

Each has their own fantasies and ideas for indulging in these fantasies with the girls and express it in varied and at times downright disturbing ways. The film isn't one filled with nudity and pornographic portrayal but with just enough to skin and just enough lingering of the camera to realize what is happening and then we move on to the next event.

It's a masterpiece in this regard, as it captures the disturbing and masochistic tendencies of Severine as Belle de jour who is finally content in her life after becoming a prostitute. She still has a husband, however physically lacking to her needs, that she loves and doesn't want to hurt and also a moral belief that what she is doing is wrong and she will indeed be punished for it.

The film will meet this fate in a more literal way than one dealing with spiritual punishment as the gangster who has fallen for her shows up at her home and threatens her secret and in a very real way, her entire existence.

The film ends with dire consequences for both Severine's husband and the gangster who is infatuated with her however, Severine herself essentially gets away with her sexual debauchery. What a great and surreal work where Catherine Deneuve portrays the title character flawlessly and is reminiscent of her character in "Repulsion" for Roman Polanski even though both works are different works entirely.

I would highly recommend "Belle de jour" for anyone interested in cinema within a serious scope of realizing and appreciating technique and story as well as disturbing and surrealist ideals.

This is a masterpiece by one of the greatest of French Director's Luis Bunuel's works and is thought provoking cinema on a hard to cover and display topic that is indeed captured with passion.