MovieChat Forums > La fille coupée en deux (2007) Discussion > BDSM -- Did anyone else see this? (Possi...

BDSM -- Did anyone else see this? (Possible Spoilers)

posted 16 years ago by justitia
7 replies | jump to latest

As I wrote a long post explaining this theory on another thread for this board, I just provide the link to it here: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0901485/board/thread/117875104?d=119145912&p=1#119145912

This film is probably a love poem to the BDSM Lifestyle -- and Chabrol probably lives it. His BDSM friends are probably all chuckling at this, as are others in the lifestyle around the world.

BUT BEWARE -- SPOILERS AT LINK AND SPOILERS BELOW

But anyone having more than a passing familiarity with the BDSM lifestyle surely must have picked up the clues that this is what the film was entirely about -- a young woman, without a clue but psycho-sexually inclined to be in a dominant-submissive relationship is spotted and lured into the world of a dominant who is married to one sub, has another sub regularly in his life as well -- the second sub and he active in a BDSM club. After the dom spots the innocent and lures her to his lair -- he uses her to satisfy his dominant urges and when he is done -- he cruelly (as many dominants are wont to do) dumps her without notice by changing the locks.

But I give a more detailed explanation, tying this theory to the various scenes in the movie that are curious but are now clear seeing things this way.

[–] mac_alain 14 years ago

Well worth checking out justitia's link http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0901485/board/thread/117875104?d=119145912 &p=1#119145912

[–] kakorrhaphiophobic 14 years ago

As a member of this lifestyle I certainly picked up on the hinting at D/s rather quickly. I read your other post as well and agree with your theories, though I disagree with your characterization of Charles as a "cruel" dominant. Though I don't deny that Charles acted very cruelly (I would have been heartbroken too! And angry, obviously--and more assertive than Gabrielle had been) I do not think that he owed any of his cruelty to the fact that he acted as a dominant. People involved in BDSM are just as variable as anyone else and dominants are not predisposed to having a cruel disposition simply due to the nature of their sexual identity. Oftentimes dominants are actually more caring and nurturing, which is what leads them to becoming doms in the first place-- the desire to provide, care for and protect someone is fulfilled through the act of dominance. Charles' changing the locks is due to him being cruel and/or cowardly, not due to his participation in the D/s lifestyle.

Overall very good analysis though. You basically summed up exactly what I had been thinking throughout the entire film.

[–] nick-1036 14 years ago

I don't agree, there was an implied scene of him sharing her with his friends at the brothel (club), but there wasn't a single hint at sexual or erotic BDSM at any point in the film. His haughty nature and changing the locks has more to do with being a selfish, self centered, cold man than it does with expressing any dominant tendency.

I think you are all way off, their scenes in bed were SO vanilla it was downright boring, she acted like a school girl and he was like a dirty old man, who seemed slightly bored most of the time. Unless there was a scene cut in the Netflix version, perhaps when he gave her her birthday present, I didn't see or sense a single clue about a BDSM lifestyle or her being a sub to anyone.

[–] PoppyTransfusion 13 years ago

There's the constant toying with the idea of (having) Gabrielle, not just by Charles but Capucine and others. He buys her the book by an erotomaniac at the auction. She picks up a book to read in his apartment entitled 'Lessons for Naughty Girls' or some such. The club certainly has allusions to something sleazy as does Capucine herself. Even in the love scenes between Charles and Gabrielle he was sometimes cold and offhand towards her. She crawls in his flat with feathers like a peacock and he asks her if she feels humiliated. Etc. There were lots of clues if you were willing to look.

I'm a fountain of blood
In the shape of a girl

[–] skay_baltimore 11 years ago

There's the constant toying with the idea of (having) Gabrielle, not just by Charles but Capucine and others. He buys her the book by an erotomaniac at the auction. She picks up a book to read in his apartment entitled 'Lessons for Naughty Girls' or some such. The club certainly has allusions to something sleazy as does Capucine herself. Even in the love scenes between Charles and Gabrielle he was sometimes cold and offhand towards her. She crawls in his flat with feathers like a peacock and he asks her if she feels humiliated. Etc. There were lots of clues if you were willing to look.

Agreed. I was going to post specifically about the peacock scene but, as often seems to happen when I read your reviews, you'd already covered it.

"Love isn't what you say or how you feel, it's what you DO". (The Last Kiss)

[–] junk-monkey 13 years ago

I don't think you have to be a practising BDSMist (or whatever the term is) or even know anything about BDSMism to have picked up on what were pretty blatant hints about what was going on.

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"Look! - it's the Invisible Man!"

[–] PoppyTransfusion 13 years ago

I agree that Charles and Gabrielle's relationship was BDSM but how on earth was this film a 'love poem' to BDSM? It ends badly for all concerned.

I'm a fountain of blood
In the shape of a girl