“Belle de Jour” is a 1967 French drama film directed by Luis Buñuel. It is based on Joseph Kessel’s 1928 novel of the same name. The film follows the complex and mysterious life of Séverine Serizy, a young and beautiful woman who harbors secret desires and fantasies beneath her seemingly conventional exterior.
Catherine Deneuve plays the main character, Séverine Serizy, a reserved and elegant young woman married to a wealthy surgeon who harbors secret desires and fantasies that she cannot express daily. Her husband (Pierre) is played by Jean Sorel Séverine’s loving but oblivious husband, unaware of his wife’s inner turmoil and desires. Michel Piccoli plays Henri Husson, a family friend who becomes infatuated with Séverine and introduces her to the world of prostitution, and Geneviève Page as Madame Anaïs, the madam of a high-class brothel where Séverine begins working as a prostitute under the pseudonym “Belle de Jour.”
The story unfolds as Séverine’s repressed desires and fantasies begin to manifest in her dreams and fantasies, leading her to seek out an outlet for her desires. She becomes drawn to the world of prostitution and begins secretly working as a prostitute during the afternoons while her husband is at work, adopting the name “Belle de Jour.”
As Séverine becomes more deeply entangled in her double life, she finds herself drawn to the dangerous and illicit thrills of her new profession while also grappling with guilt and shame. Her encounters with clients, including a sadomasochistic gangster and a wealthy aristocrat, further blur the lines between reality and fantasy, leaving Séverine increasingly unsure of her own identity and desires.
Meanwhile, Séverine’s husband begins to suspect something is amiss in their marriage, leading to tensions and conflicts between them. Séverine’s double life eventually comes to a head when her secret is exposed, forcing her to confront the consequences of her actions and decide whether to embrace her desires or return to the confines of her previous life.
“Belle de Jour” is a provocative and stunning film that explores themes of desire, repression, and identity with Buñuel’s trademark surrealism and wit.
The Other Cinema 