It sounds a very forbidding film:over three hours of watching a woman do the repetitive household chores which are the norm for housewives in every part of the world. Of course in no Hollywood film would we ever see the lead character run a bath,peel potatoes or lay a table in real time:these are all actions which a commercial director would ruthlessly elide in favour of a powerful narrative,and yet this is never a boring film. Once the viewer becomes accustomed to the different pace and rhythm,there is something hypnotic and fascinating about the daily routines which Jeanne Dielman performs every day.
Narrative,however,has not been entirely banished from this film. There is something strange and unspoken in Jeanne's relationship with her son who comes home every day from college,eats the evening meal,studies, and then pulls out his bed from the wall. Jeanne's life too is shrouded in mystery. Her afternoon encounters with a series of mostly elderly male clients is presented in a straightforward manner totally at odds with the sexual titillation provided by,for example,"Belle de jour" where the camera followed closely Sévérine's sexual encounters. In this film the camera waits discreetly at the bedroom's door until the client takes his leave.
While it is a "feminist" film,a film which was directed by a woman,starring a woman and which had all female crew,it nevertheless has a meaning for men as well. And if you find this film boring,as some viewers do,then you must also find life boring.
Narrative,however,has not been entirely banished from this film. There is something strange and unspoken in Jeanne's relationship with her son who comes home every day from college,eats the evening meal,studies, and then pulls out his bed from the wall. Jeanne's life too is shrouded in mystery. Her afternoon encounters with a series of mostly elderly male clients is presented in a straightforward manner totally at odds with the sexual titillation provided by,for example,"Belle de jour" where the camera followed closely Sévérine's sexual encounters. In this film the camera waits discreetly at the bedroom's door until the client takes his leave.
While it is a "feminist" film,a film which was directed by a woman,starring a woman and which had all female crew,it nevertheless has a meaning for men as well. And if you find this film boring,as some viewers do,then you must also find life boring.