"Belle de Jour" (1967) was considered one of the most famous French movies, especially since it was directed by Louis Bunuel. With a Jesuit upbringing, the director left Spain in order to join the Surrealist movement in Paris. "Belle de Jour" is his first out of six movies he shot in France.
The universe he creates is quite strange, and the line between what is real, what is wished for and what is a mere dream is so often blurred that it becomes disturbing more often than not.
The 24 year old Catherine Deneuve plays the part of Belle de Jour, a prostitute who sells herself out of too much boredom, not because she needs the money and this is her only way of acquiring it. However, her kinkiness and depravity get the best of her and still, I felt I was left wondering what was real and what not, so this was indeed an avant-garde experiment. It is worth seeing, especially as it is seen as one of the world's cinematic masterpieces, not to mention that Bunuel himself defined his movie as "the search for truth, as well as the necessity of abandoning it as soon as you’ve found it.”
You can read a great review here.
6 comments:
It sounds fascinating, I have heard of it but have never had the chance to see it.
I found it quite disturbing, even if there is no nudity in it...
I saw this movie years ago. I was deeply impressed by it. Thanks for brining back the memories
Thank you for visiting, Mel. It is indeed a movie you cannot forget.
This does sound remarkable and one I'll definitely be on the lookout for. I really do like Deneuve. I'm not sure she's ever had a bad performance.
Jeanie, I think she has become better with age, when it comes to acting.
Post a Comment