Luis Buñuel's iconic masterpiece was actually much stranger and more bizarre than I thought it would be. Whipping back and forth between fantasy and reality, this is, from what I gather, another variation on the common themes of Buñuel. Catherine Deneuve (who can forget her in The Hunger as the hot hot hot Miriam Blaylock?) as the frigid housewife who turns tricks during the day was stunning -- all at once aloof and rigid, curious and deviant. It was the whole Madonna/whore dichotomy wrapped into an intriguing package.
A few interesting notes about this movie for me: Buñuel has said he has a foot fetish and there are lots of shots of Deneuve's feet in this movie. Secondly, there is much speculation about what is in the Asian John's wooden box. My theory is that it is mystery left to us by the cunning Buñuel who hopes that our imaginations will take over.
We saw this as a double feature with Belle Toujours, the sequel where Séverine and Henri meet some 40 years later.
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