297: Belle de Jour

Belle de Jour comes with a reputation of sexual liberation, female empowerment combined with undertones of masochism and bondage. At the centre of Belle de Jour is Catherine Deneuve's Séverine, the "Belle" of the title. Séverine is married to a successful doctor but she cannot be physically intimate with him, though at the same time she has incredibly graphic fantasies where her husband, friends or men from the street flog her, bind her and fight for her. To relieve some of this sexual tension Séverine starts work in a brothel and is introduced to new and interesting forms of sexuality.

When reading the synopsis for Belle de Jour it appears as though it is either a very sexy and witty film or a very hard hitting, gritty tale of prostitutes and creeps but what actually results is a film nestled in between these two thoughts. Though many of the situations Séverine finds herself in are either humourous or dangerous, Catherine Deneuve maintains an ice cold composure throughout the film, whether happy, sad, imperrilled or in climax. It becomes hard to generate any feeling towards Séverine at all, she isn't forced into prostitution like her associates also her husband cares for her and wishes for their relationship to be more physical. The turmoil that eventually surrounds Séverine is completely self inflicted, though Séverine is unaware and as such the film leaves a slightly bitter taste in the mouth

This isn't to say that there aren't moments that do shine in Belle de Jour, the majority of the drama centres around the brothel run by Madame Anaïs, and in the brothel the films most interesting moments arise. A discussion regarding the difference in pay at a regular job and working at the brothel springs to mind. The comraderie amongst the ladies of the brothel is evident, they are simply work colleagues spending time with each other outside work, lending clothes and meeting families. The brothel isn't portrayed as a dangerous or harmful place, the women appear to enjoy their work, but just as Séverine isn't happy at home, she isn't at work either.The variety of clients that frequent the brothel provide both humour and disconcertion. The clientele are an array of losers, criminals or fantasists like Séverine herself, all wanting a particular type of attention whether it's 3-in-a-bed romps or masochistic humiliation. Pierre Clémenti shines as the creep of all creeps, Gold toothed obsessive Marcel, Séverine's love interest (if you could call it that) whose violent tendencies are always close to the surface.

There are most certainly moments where Belle de Jour is the funny, witty and erotic film it wants to be, it is a shame therefore that these moments hardly feature Deneuve at all. When Deneuve is on screen, all eroticism seems to depart and the film is left cold, which is a shame. As the credits roll the experience of the film feels empty and (I would imagine) similar to the feeling following a visit to a brothel, unfulfilling.