Winner of the Golden Lion at Venice in 1967, Belle de Jour carries all the eccentric hallmarks of a Luis Buñuel joint. Much like Un Chien Andalou (1929) and Viridiana (1961) before it, this sumptuously costumed tale is filled with shocking visuals, complex eroticism and a pitch-black sense of humour. Séverine Serizy (Catherine Deneuve) is a beautiful but bored housewife who can’t reconcile her masochistic fantasies with her everyday life alongside dutiful husband Pierre (Jean Sorel). When a friend directs her to a secretive high-class brothel run by Madame Anais (Genevieve Page), Séverine cautiously begins to work there during the day under the title “Belle de Jour”. Demonstrating a natural flair for the job, all goes swimmingly until one of her clients (Pierre Clémenti) grows dangerously possessive and she’s forced to try and return to her former life.
“Buñuel’s handling of color is gorgeous. And the acting is impeccable. Miss Deneuve has a rare, cool elegance which suggests far more fire than it reveals” — Los Angeles Times
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