Rating: 
Summary: Great -- [there should be] more movies of this adult kind!
Review: Great masterpiece; a classic Deneuve.It's a shame that we see the offer of such works curtailed today.
Rating:
Summary: BELLE DE JOUR/BELLE DE L'OMBRE
Review: The artistic interest of the surrealists in the invasion of 'unconscious' material into consciousness and its at least temporary or partial take-over of consciousness was not merely a matter of artistic method, it was also an interest in human nature itself. Most of the time, in fact, this invasion is not directed into artistic creation because most people are not artists, but such invasion occurs to various degrees in all people and always has a deep impact whether observed or not. If such an invasion is very strong and has a centering idea it can become what is called an obsession and create a more or less complete fantasy world that is highly charged enough to take on a value and reality at least equal to that of actuality. If the obsession crosses the line into actuality, then we have a compulsion. Very frequently there is a blending of the two and we have an obsessive-compulsive neurosis.
In Bunuel's profound and very beautiful tragi-comic film, BELLE DE JOUR, Catherine Deneuve plays Severine, an ultra-beautiful, ultra-glamorous, rich, married, frigid, slightly vapid, young parisienne who goes by the sobriquet, Belle De Jour, in her fantasy-obsession life as a prostitute. Here Bunuel directs this woman's obsession into art of a very high order. The film is a brilliant, detailed study of the woman's particular obsession and of obsession and compulsion in general including that of the viewing audience. Bunuel was quite aware that Catherine Deneuve's fame was rooted in part in the obsession of many men and women with stardom, glamour, wealth and stereotypical beauty. One of the most amazing things about this film is the how Bunuel plays directly into the audience's obsession with Deneuve, or the woman they imagine Deneuve to be, and also how this film's own reputation rests more on that obsession than on a deeper understanding of the film itself. Bunuel, as usual, hits the bull's-eye: we live in a plague of blind obsessions.
The film is wonderful achievement. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: good film
Review: At the time of its release, I could understand why this film was somewhat of a controversy. Although I must admit I probably missed some of its deeper under-pinnings. Its general effect and mood is so poignant that I was actually moved by it. For those willing to view this film more than once and actually listen to the commentary, I am sure you will find this film enjoyable and may even explain its ubrupt and enigmatic ending.
Rating:
Summary: Served hot.
Review: The best film Martin Scorcese has been involved with since *The Last Temptation of Christ* is one he didn't direct: 1967's *Belle de Jour*, by master-director Luis Bunuel. The fact that this movie's re-release, overseen by Scorcese in 1995, created a sensation in art-houses only illustrates what a graveyard European cinema is today by comparison. At any rate . . . *Belle de Jour* is about a repressed, wealthy young housewife who finds herself irresistably drawn to a high-class Parisian whorehouse. She becomes a part-time employee, working the day-shift from 2 to 5, before beating it back home before clueless hubby returns from work. Because this is Bunuel, you may find yourself wondering what's really happening to Catherine Deneuve and what she's simply fantasizing. Don't worry about it. Remember that for Bunuel, the interior and exterior life had the same level of importance; it was all life to him, and therefore real. Applying a magnifying glass to your TV screen in order to look for "clues" that demonstrate either reality or fantasy would be missing the point. I suppose that in the final analysis, *Belle de Jour* will aggravate meat-and-potatoes movie-watchers craving linear narrative. (You know who you are, and you've been warned.) The rest will rightly not give a hoot about "reality", and will enjoy the comical details in this study of sexual fantasies and obsession. The autumnal photography by cinematography legend Sacha Vierny, as well as the magisterial direction itself -- as unobtrusive as it is stylish, an effect earned by Bunuel's 40 years of hard work --, should win over those sitting on the fence. Finally, it must be said that those who thought Stanley Kubrick's *Eyes Wide Shut* was a masterpiece will have their eyes wide opened when they see sexual obsession done right, as it is in *Belle de Jour*. [The DVD looks great. The subtitles, however, are questionable at best. Those seeking to broaden their horizons with a foreign movie can be advised to use the dubbing option to help them along -- something I've never advised, but the translations are THAT bad. Also comes with commentary by a "Bunuel scholar": it's amusing to listen to her try to decipher a movie that not even the director entirely understood.]
Rating: 
Summary: 5 stars for the movie 1 for the dvd
Review: Halfway, I had to stop watching the movie. I could not stand the audio! This is a great movie acted by one of the great forces of nature - Catherine Deneuve. The quality of the audio made it sound like she was inside a giant drum or were there water in my ears? It is a shame because this is truly a classic film. Usually I can forgive the DVD quality of some foreign films because they are beautiful movies, eloquently written and artistically filmed. If we can obtain a great DVD quality for an American B-minus movie why not put an effort on this classic? Tsk...tsk!
Rating:
Summary: Belle, ma petite betise
Review: I've watched this movie again and again. Its story is simple. Severine, a card-carrying French bourgeoise of the late 60's, is driven by a compulsion to the secret life of a prostitute. What ensues in her passage through this fantasy is a exotic mix of shame, of secrecy, of pain, and of pleasure. But things go wrong, and Severine must confront her "little obsession". The story culminates in her eventual unravelling and her ironic new found happiness.This movie is a psychodrama. Although its period dates the film somewhat., the theme is ever fresh and controversial. And for the American audience, it's disturbing. This is not Hollywood. At the same time it's not abstract. It's accessible and fiercely real. You cannot watch this movie and not ponder its theme long after the final credits.
Rating:
Summary: Top Notch Movie
Review: Directing, acting, and the general feel of this movie is magic. Of course I watch it to see Deneuve an absolutely enchanting, cool, gorgeous female in every sense of the word. It will leave you thinking about it long after the last frame. Buy the DVD, watch it in Frence with subtitles to get the best of it and enjoy!
Rating: 
Summary: Great Film, but don't blame Criterion
Review: Several people have posted here blaming Criterion for a lousy job on the DVD transfer. They're right that it's not a great job, but blame Mirimax. Criterion had nothing to do with this release (Criterion *has* released three other Bunuel films: "That Obscure Object of Desire" "Diary of a Chambermaid" and best of all "The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie" in a deluxe edition).
Rating: 
Summary: DVD Quality
Review: I've been reading quite a few reviews on various dvds and this one. Recently a lot of people have been writing in and hailing the Criterion Collection, which I find astonishing, especially owning several of their discs. There are numerous reviews on various Criteron discs, written just after the disc release date where people have discussed in great detail the dubious transfer quality, and have complained about the hefty price tag associated therewith. Why all of a sudden are there so many back to back to back hails for the Criterion Collection? Hmmm? The Criterion Collection has put out many movies that have been as poorly transferred as this one. While the extras are a bonus, trust me they do not make up for poor picture quality. It is true Buena Vista fell down on this one, but so has other studios regarding the classic movies. While the picture quality is superb, Gone With The Wind has no supplements to speak of and neither does Cassablanca. What the studios, all of them, should understand and be told, is that the viewer/customer want first and foremost a watchable product, and second, supplements, interviews-screen tests-commentaries. As the dvd viewer becomes more sophisticated, so should the dvd product-'CLASSIC' and new. The Classics of yesterday, deserve as much (if not more) time and care as the blockbusters of last year, right now they are being treated as after thoughts. I guess we weren't suppose to notice. Pointing to a specific studio is not the answer (there are no white knights). A lot of us watch the old movies instead of the new, and this is what the studios are failing to realize. Next time you receive your survey card, let them know - if the card is too small, send a brief but direct e-mail. I do...
Rating:
Summary: ruin a great film 101
Review: How to ruin a great film: lesson 1: pick a great film i.e.belle de jour lesson 2: don't put any effort into the dvd release whatsoever for any questions, see the belle de jour dvd
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