La Prisonnière (1968) ****
Henri-Georges Clouzot's final (and only color) film, La Prisonnière (aka Woman In Chains) (1968), is an underappreciated psychosexual drama with impressive visual flair. While the S&M subject matter may seem tame by today's standards, the story and the way it unfolds is what holds your attention, rather than any particularly shocking imagery.
Elisabeth Weiner is captivating as Josée, the unsatisfied wife of an artist drawn into a world of voyeurism and submissiveness, sparked by the BDSM photography of her husband's gallery owner Stan. She is looking for true love, but what she finds instead holds tragic consequences for all involved in the triangle.
La Prisonnière culminates in an incredible and surreal dream sequence—reminiscent of another unforgettable sequence in another film from 1968, 2001: A Space Odyssey—that echoes the experimental, kaleidoscopic techniques that Clouzot was dabbling with in his aborted film 1964 Inferno (more on that here). The film ends on a bleak note, that put me in a similar frame of mind that I had whilst watching Lars Von Trier's Breaking The Waves (1996).
Clearly a very personal film for Clouzot, it was sadly met with mixed criticism. It's been really amazing to see the transformation of his work as a director, as I discover his films one by one, having only previously seen his more well-known works Diabolique (1955) and The Wages Of Fear (1953) prior to this year.
For fans of Eyes Wide Shut (1999), Body Double (1984), Belle De Jour (1967), Blow-Up (1966), and Peeping Tom (1960) (review).
Elisabeth Weiner is captivating as Josée, the unsatisfied wife of an artist drawn into a world of voyeurism and submissiveness, sparked by the BDSM photography of her husband's gallery owner Stan. She is looking for true love, but what she finds instead holds tragic consequences for all involved in the triangle.
La Prisonnière culminates in an incredible and surreal dream sequence—reminiscent of another unforgettable sequence in another film from 1968, 2001: A Space Odyssey—that echoes the experimental, kaleidoscopic techniques that Clouzot was dabbling with in his aborted film 1964 Inferno (more on that here). The film ends on a bleak note, that put me in a similar frame of mind that I had whilst watching Lars Von Trier's Breaking The Waves (1996).
Clearly a very personal film for Clouzot, it was sadly met with mixed criticism. It's been really amazing to see the transformation of his work as a director, as I discover his films one by one, having only previously seen his more well-known works Diabolique (1955) and The Wages Of Fear (1953) prior to this year.
For fans of Eyes Wide Shut (1999), Body Double (1984), Belle De Jour (1967), Blow-Up (1966), and Peeping Tom (1960) (review).
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