Recently I watched, Godard’s, “Two or three things I know about her”, that was centered on the phenomena of housewives working as part time prostitutes in Paris. That film, had nothing real to say about its subject matter, as Godard preferred to use the topic as an excuse to relay his personal political beliefs. The same year that Godard’s movie was released, the Spanish surrealistic and atheist cinema artist, Luis Bunuel, used the same subject to create a deep soulful tale of inner passion. At the time, Bunuel was at a ripe mature age of 67, and it was the first of his late career, French, renaissance films. That film, “Belle De Jour”, revolves on the inner passionate and sexual fantasies of what drives a well to do woman to become a prostitute.
A 24-year-old Catherine Deneuve portrays Severine Serizy, a young, drop dead gorgeous, upper middle class wife to a successful Parisian surgeon. She lives her privileged life without passion and sleeps in separate single beds, in the same bedroom, with her husband. This domestic arrangement looks like it came right out of old school Hays code romantic comedies from the Hollywood 40’s and 50’s. I think Bunuel was trying to make a statement as to the absurdities of the Hollywood portrayal of married life. At the time the movie was made, cinema was itself opening up sexually and becoming more liberal. With, “Bell de Jour”, Bunuel wanted to open the door and keep it open.
Severine and her husband Pierre (the perfect looking Jean Sorel), walk hand in hand at all times and appear from the outside to be the perfect couple. Severine’s good friend’s present boyfriend Henri (the perfectly slimily Michael Piccoli), even states this during a meeting with the couple at a ski resort. He will also hit on her at the same time. Even though she pushes away his advances, he senses her inner turmoil and plants in her mind the idea of domesticated women, prostituting themselves during the day, for extra money. Severine is not in need of cash, but becomes obsessed with the idea of sex without attachments and ends up visiting the address of the upper class brothel that Henri, not so discretely, gave her. Her first encounter with a paid customer is harsh, physical, and very much to the point. It was enough to addict her to more, and she becomes the ultimate professional resulting in being the favorite girl for all of the brothel’s customers. In the end, it is the inherent danger of prostitution that results in an explosive ending that is as expected as it is unexpected at the same time. That is the brilliance of the movie. The movie is not about hardship or cruelty, but rather inner obsessive passion, that when kept locked up for too long, endangers everyone involved.
I was immediately absorbed into Severine’s world from the opening scene, with its elegant period piece horse and buggy, appearing from a distance, and moving ever so closer to the camera’s viewpoint. Initially thinking I was watching a period movie of aristocracy, until Bunuel cleverly inserts a motor vehicle as the buggy arrives at the camera’s position. From there, the horse and buggy, two horsemen, and the loving seated passengers enter a wooded path in a beautiful forested area. There the young woman is dragged out of the carriage, tied to a tree, whipped by her husband and begins to get raped by one of the horsemen. The couple of course is Severine and Pierre, and as soon as the rape begins, Bunuel thrusts us into the domestic bedroom of Severine, as I was now made to be aware that the initial introduction was one of her sexual fantasies. What is not made clear, is if this was an unconscious dream, or a conscience fantasy? Throughout the movie Bunuel inserts dream sequences, representing the thoughts and passions of Severine. There is one scene where Severine meets a customer outside of the brothel, coerced into a sexual fantasy by portraying a corpse, which initially seemed like an actual occurrence, but later made me assume was one of her fantasies. This unclear reality left me questioning the validity or reality of the entire movie. This actually forced me into an enhanced alert state while watching the movie, and in so doing creating a riveting and thought provoking experience.
One of the prevailing themes of the movie is that of obsession. The obsession of Severine with the act of sexual servitude, the obsession of possessive sexual love felt by the gangster who falls for Severine, and even the obsession of Pierre in having a trophy wife. As Severine, Deneuve is superb and plays the part with cold quiet restraint, while at the same time showing a fiery desire through her body language and subtle expressions.
Bunuel was one of the founding fathers of surrealistic cinema and it is with, “Belle de Jour”, that he was able to incorporate all of his experience and talent to create a beautiful, textured and wonderfully erotic work of art.
1001 Movies before you die 