Maîtresse

Before I saw this film I was warned that the film contains quite a few explicit sexual ideas and images but I have to say that I found the film to be a beautiful romantic .It isn't a conventional romance ,rather extreme if I dare to say,but nevertheless you can easily identify yourself with some of the scenes.Me personally would categorise this film as an Atmospheric Romantic.quite self-explanatory!

The big virtue of this movie is that it is a real movie, with a real story and a reasonable plot, with remarkable actors, which gives a nice introduction to some BDSM practices and lifestyle in quite a credible movie.

I really recommend it if you want to raise the topic of BDSM with someone...

Story of the power struggle of a professional Dominatrix and her Alph- male boyfriend. Olivier (Gérard Depardieu)is the brutish & confused sponger boyfriend trying to show who's boss to Ariane, the professional Dominatrix. Despite their new relationship his interfering starts to make things difficult for her 'buisiness', aspects of which are shown in graphic style like a slave getting his bits nailed to a piece of 2 by 4. Also interesting to note is that S&m today doesn't seem much different than it was in '76 (note the ballet shoes & other accoutrement's).

A great film, photography and story-wise(but which could have done without the horse slaughter scene). However if I could edit out other parts of this film also, it would be the hulking Neanderthal thug Depardieu depicts (admittly well). Then I would watch this film a million times just for seeing the beautiful Bulle Ogiers Ariane.

*** NB: THIS COMMENT MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS. ***

The costumes in particular are dismayingly authentic and convincing, recalling original fetish heroine Diana Rigg in 60's TV series 'The Avengers.' Spike-heel ankleboots, trousers, corset, cloak and gloves all in the sleekest of black leather; add to this a purple velvet shawl, a perfect black wig and Bull Ogier's timeless bemused innocence, and a masochist's screen starlet is born. Her spot-on kinkiness is, if anything, a more cultivated progression on her English predecessor: one gruesome episode aside, she does precisely all the things you wished Emma Peel would do. In short, Schroeder's feature's impact is greatest at its most simple and straightforwardly visual i.e. when Arianne dons the leathers, wields her whips and coolly dispenses the sport to her minions. If (like me) this is your chief interest in the film - and it might well be - then yes, certainly, do seek it out.

I must have previously only seen the cut version of this and that version with some six minutes missing, clearly would have had some of its 'sting' removed. The complete film starts intriguingly enough with a young Gerard Depardieu playing amateur cat burglar with his loser pal when they stumble upon they know not what. Bulle Ogier, as the 'Maitresse' of the title soon gets rid of the loser and draws a starry eyed Depardieu into her lair. Apparently actual Parisian masochists were recruited (some say they even paid the film makers) into playing the roles we see enacted before our very eyes. Ogier is stunning in her Lagerfeld costumes and conducts her creatures most realistically while Depardieu seems to slip into the role of assistant (and lover), whipping and slapping like a real pro. This is astonishing stuff with very good dialogue and a sure hand on the directorship by Barbet Schroeder. I have to say that one scene was awesomely jaw dropping whilst another had me wincing and disappearing to the back of my chair. Having recently watched the director's, More and The Valley, this makes a sensational trio of unique films that deserve a much larger audience.