I am so excited right now. Finally a film from my list, hallelujah!
Belle De Jour was my #7.
Out of Bunuel films I've seen so far,
Belle De Jour stands out as an all-time favorite. No, not because I have a fetish for curvy female bodies... I mean, yes, it's partially because of that, but I love it because it's a masterpiece. Has there ever been a better film about sex?
Belle De Jour examines the life of Severine, our main character, and her journey into a whole new sex life for her, in the shape of a brothel. She decides to work at the brothel after her sex life with her husband is restricted to fantasies.
The motive behind Severine is no different from a character that wants riches or a meaning in life. To her, sex is riches that can fill her heart and a desire to keep being alive. It's not a man's point of view believing that women are sex addicts, but how low we human beings can become when it comes to instinct, desire, temptation, and most of all, dangerous imagination, which Bunuel handles well with his impeccable, unique styles. This can be proven by the fact that sex scenes are rarely shown. The camera hides in corners and seemingly hidden areas and lets the action unfold through the audience's mind and purely sound - a perfect understanding of eroticism. Severine is not turned on by solely vigorous sex, she is turned by the many sounds that inhabit the world, which become part of her when having sex.
Belle De Jour is truly a great film, a little rebellion by Bunuel and satire of sexual repression. If you don't like this film, you should (1) become a regular member at a hostel or (2) attempt to observe the subtle themes hidden inside the naked flesh of characters. A mysterious box and the sound of cat meowing, what does it all add up to? I'm still exploring and thinking, you know you've seen a brilliant piece of cinema when it keeps lingering in your head over and over again.