MovieChat Forums > Belle de jour (1968) Discussion > Buñuel's women

Buñuel's women

posted 19 years ago by klimtissa
6 replies | jump to latest

I'm very curious to know what other people think of Buñuel's portrayal of his women in film. Patriarchal chauvinist or a Women sympathiser?

[–] Eumenides_0 19 years ago

Without giving it much thought right now because it's late and I'm tired, I'd say Severine is an unhappy woman trying to find happiness in a male-dominated world. Her husband is an otherwise dull man, and I think her exaggerated fantasies are a response to a patriarchal that tries to set its rule on women's behaviour. In this way, I see Buñel's movie as a situation in which a woman tries to find her own freedom.

So it'd be sympathiser.

[–] klimtissa 19 years ago

Thanks for your response. But don't you think that we see the film through Buñuel's point of view? He created the character of Severine (even though it is based on a novel by Kessel)and makes us think that she IS a woman. The woman that we (physically) see, Catherine Deneuve, playing somebody created by Buñuel (everything except for appearance). He could be called a puppetmaster.

[–] ixta_coyotl 19 years ago

i agree this was an offensive part of the film to me...

what is bunuel saying? in most of his films, the odd symbolism is just that, it has no meaning at all.

but here i cannot agree; he appears to be acting like a typical spaniard, clearly saying that woman are:

A) useless, almost subhuman creatures incapable of self-rule (like monkeys)
B) slutty, unfaithful b*tch*s

you might just say he was being irreverent, which some of us find ok if aimed at church or state or our parents' generation. but you know what, simple bitterness, even directed at those we despise, is distasteful. i remember a line from "The Lady Eve" that went something like: "let us be crooked, but never common". bunuel might get a little too close to common here for me... but i must admit even though i got the same bitter shrill from this film, it was still entertaining enough for a one time watch.

i must also admit i am not a big fan of bunuel i find him all too often uninspiring and trivial. that said i think Los Olvidados is one of the finer films films in cinema history and certainly the best mexican film.

[–] hugovinagre 19 years ago

hi...

i totally disagree with the opinions on the previous posts... bunuel is not portrainting woman. bunuel is portraiting Severine, a women with a "perversion"... i dont know the exact psycology term in english. the film its kind of psychological study.

ps: do you know of many woman who fantasise about being beated ?

[–] PunchB 18 years ago

Yeah I think your assessment is off the mark too. First of all, you don't get Buñuel, or you wouldn't say his symbolism has no meaning at all in most of his movies. It certainly does, and the things he's expressing are far from trivial.

Belle de jour can certainly be interpreted in numerous ways, so I hesitate to offer specific interpretations. I prefer not to analyze too much anyway, and have only intuitve, non-vocalized opinions of the meaning or meanings. It has to do with women's sexuality in the patriarchal society of course. But the interesting thing is that Séverine gets power by being submissive. She actually is in control in every situation in the movie, or at least her drives are and she lets them. (A question of free will versus instinctual desires arises.) One very specific and realistic interpretation is that she was molested as a child. However even if one believes that to be the case, this doesn't take away from the more universal, symbolic meanings of the story. It's also about sexuality in general, which is something very specific for each person. Severine has very specific turn-ons, and her husband cannot fulfill them. (But she loves him - sex vs love.) She is like two people, and most people have an inner and an outer life like that. But Séverine actually goes far in realizing her inner life.

Sorry about the randomness of this post, just trying to show that there are a lot more to this than your simplistic take on Buñuel's portrayal of women.

[–] 18 years ago

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