Gabrielle

I love Gabrielle as a collector loves his most prized object.

The visit of Isabelle Huppert to Moscow was an unexpected and pleasant surprise. I have seen for two times «Les Fausses Confidences» and once again I understood, that if there were no Isabelle Huppert, it would be necessary to imagine her. The 62-year old Actress moved like a ballet dancer and her voice acting was superb. That is why, the wonderful Friday evening should be continued by watching some film with Isabelle Huppert on Saturday.

Jean and Gabrielle Harvey are married for ten years. Their marriage is a rather socially acceptable; they host the salons, take part in charity and patronage. Nevertheless, their marriage in not built on love, as Jean confides to the audience that he loves Gabrielle «as a collector loves his most prized object. » The day of the 10^th wedding anniversary goes as usual until Jean discovers a note from Gabrielle in which she writes that she will leave to meet her lover. Jean is completely lost and puzzled, but on the same evening Gabrielle comes back.

Sadly, I have not read Joseph Conrad’s original short story The Return. Even without that, the history of cinema knows many examples of stories about contract or loveless marriages, but in lots of cinema rubbish you could discover the true brilliants. From the first minutes, the film director uses an original technique. Patrice Chereau uses black-and-white and color cinema in order to distinguish between the routine and life.

Patrice Chereau made the film as a duo with «some inclusions» from outside world. Since the letter is read, the dynamite is ready and the foundation of family life is completely destroyed.  The masques of humanity are swept away and two monsters are shown. If in the beginning, Jean is only worried about societal norms, then, during the course of the film, he more and more loses his sanity and even becomes ready to rape his wife.

You could write a PhD thesis on an acting genius of Pascal Greggory and Isabelle Huppert. In «La Reine Margot», Pascal Greggory, almost without words, was able to portray an unprincipled, ruthless and power greedy Duke of Anjou. In this film, The Actor has portrayed the mental disintegration of his character, according to a standard paradigm «denial-rage-trade-depression-acceptance». Isabelle Huppert sometimes acted in not too good films, but the world doesn’t know such phrase as «bad acting of Isabelle Huppert».

«Gabrielle» is a clever and sad drama. If you are an admirer of Isabelle Huppert, watch it immediately.

8/10

Belle de Jour

Belle de Jour?

The history of cinema knows many examples of films, exploiting the theme of prostitution: a sociological cinematic essay «Vivre sa vie» and an analysis of society by the means of Ludwig Wittgenstein linguistic philosophy «2 ou 3 choses que je sais d'elle» by Jean-Luc Godard; an aesthetic erotique «La Marge» by Walerian Borowczyk. All these film have one thing in common – they show prostitution among the lower class; prostitution among the upper-class representatives remains relatively untouched. Nevertheless, everyone know the gossips and city legends about rich socialites, who goes to the truck stops; who are having fun with their horsemen and so on, and so on.

Séverine Serizy is living an upper-call petit bourgeoisie life. She has everything in her life, except for one thing – the sexual satisfaction. Unable to satisfy her sadomasochistic sexual desires with her husband, Severine takes the most radical step – starts working at the high-end brothel. At the daylight, she is the enigmatic Belle de Jour, but at the nights, she plays role of the good petit bourgeoisie.

Unfortunately, I haven’t read the original novel of Joseph Kessel. Nonetheless, one could fill the similarities between the film and the classical dirty books – «Venus in Furs» by Leopold von Sacher-Masoch and «Story of O» by Pauline Réage. From «Venus in Furs» comes the feminized name of Catherine Deneuve’s hero and her sadomasochistic fantasies. «Story of O» brings the fantasy plot twists and the opening scene reminds us of Pauline Réage novel.

Belle de Jour is a child (or at least teen) film in the terms of modern explicit standards. The film has not lost the bit of its sarcastic critique of the bourgeoisie life. Luis Buñuel mocks double standards and hypocrisy of the so-called «goody-good people». A bored housewife could find satisfaction of her twisted sexual desires inly in brothel. Other representatives of the upper classes also has not passed a shoe into their «abnormal» sexual desires.

Luis Buñuel plays a constant intellectual game with the spectator, by mixing reality and fantasy. The game becomes more and more sophisticated, along with Séverine journey into the Wonderland. There is no «real» sexual scene, except for the sadomasochistic dreams of Séverine, it is up to spectator to decide the extent of Séverine’s sexual madness.

Belle de Jour is a brilliant film, which has not lost its magic and originality. Remember one thing - «All Power to the Imagination!»

9/10