belle de jour · N^o3965

Belle de Jour, a 1969 French drama directed by Luis Buñuel, is about a young housewife who turns to prostitution when neither her careful husband nor erotic daydreams will satisfy her most explicit sexual desires. She works only from the hours of two to five, earning her the name of a flower that only blooms during the day. A revealing, but still tasteful, film about sexual deviance, Belle de Jour has received critical acclaim and inspired many directors since, including Alfred Hitchcock and Martin Scorsese. The film was Buñuel’s first in color, which he uses to contrast the vivid scenery with the subdued costuming of his leading lady, Catherine Deneuve. The use of such contrasts, as well as the unique styling, is something that inspires us as well.