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Mar 01, 2012 Web Exclusive By Austin Trunick

Two years after harassing an old man atop a pillar in the short subject Simon of the Desert, Luis Buñuel returned to feature-length filmmaking with one of the more straight-forward and popular films of his career. Catherine Deneuve stars as Severine, a sexually unsatisfied housewife who turns to employment in a high-end brothel (while her wealthy husband is at work) in an attempt to fulfill her masochistic fantasies. As her own desires become entangled with those of the men she sees, Severine grapples to justify her needs with her genuine love for her husband and her own religious upbringing.

In a day and age when a TV program such as True Life: I’m Addicted To Porn is a very real (and rather regular) thing, the portrayal of sexual taboos on-screen in Belle de Jour just isn’t as shocking an exploration as it likely was when released. Nonetheless, Deneuve is radiant in the lead role, and it’s packed with Buñuel’s trademark surrealistic imagery and a few really memorable fantasy sequences. Plus, the open-ended finale is still as open to discussion as ever.

Criterion’s transfer is unsurprisingly gorgeous. The supplemental features and booklet are enlightening, though a bit on the dry side. (www.criterion.com/films/27949-belle-de-jour)

Author rating: 7/10