Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #24594 in DVD
• Released on: 2000-02-08
• Aspect ratio: 1.66:1
• Formats: Closed-captioned, Colour, DVD-Video, Letterboxed, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English, French
• Subtitled in: English, Spanish
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: 5.00 pounds
• Running time: 84 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
Briefly notorious around the time of its release for being just about the most sexually explicit art-house film to be passed uncut by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC), Romance is strong stuff, as forebodingly enigmatic as it is confrontational. Schoolteacher Marie (Caroline Ducey) lives with her boyfriend Paul (Sagamore Stévenin), a vapid male model. When he refuses to have sex with her anymore she seeks out loveless couplings with, among others, an Italian widower (Rocco Siffredi, a porn star in real life) and her headmaster (François Berléand), who introduces her to bondage. Marie's abject, monotonous voiceover tartly undercuts any potential titillation the images might offer (although there'll be no stopping some viewers from watching this with the sound off). With all the careful, neutral-coloured tailoring and immaculately whitened set dressing, it's a bit like a film edition of Elle Interiors as edited by Anaïs Nin. For all that, you have to admire director Catherine Breillat's willingness to take risks--and certainly Romance potentially risks boring as many readers as it shocks others. No less intrepid is Ducey, literally exposing herself in a way few actresses would dare. Whether the film really opens up and interrogates the nature of female sexuality, Breillat's stated aim, is debatable, but there's no doubting the film's visceral impact.--Leslie Felperin

Customer Reviews

far from pornography
this is a very interesting film. for once a woman's sexuality is explored, where we would usually expect the male perspective. whatever her motives may be for her relationship or her infidelity, they are not clearly articulated, and we are left to reflect on them - we are introduced to her and her unfulfilling relationship, then to a succession of lovers, each of whom provoke different questions about relationships, sexuality and how men view women.

the artistic aspect of the film is prominent, using elements from western art to illustrate the image of women in mainstream cinema. the interiors of the various apartments are very symbolic, particularly the artwork displayed in the s&m enthusiast's flat.

where this film breaks down for many viewers is in the explicit sex scenes filmed in an impartial, objective way. the lack of eroticism may be a disappointment to those viewers who expected a slice of intellectual porn, but for many people it provides a welcome change from representations of women as objects which exist to fulfil men's sexual desire.

i thoroughly recommend this film, if only because i am still thinking about it a month or so after seeing it - that kind of thought-provoking cinema happens only very rarely.

A question of taste.
Romance is a shocking yet compelling view, which covers the insatiable sexual appetite of French schoolteacher Marie (Caroline Ducey) following the refusal of her boyfriend (Sagamore Stevenin) to continue with a physical relationship.
Catherine Breillat (Director) certainly showed positive strength in regards to exploring new avenues within the film industry when trying to portray everyday life.
The film is more Art House Porn than Film Noir due to its very aggressive portrayal of sex and following and may I seem surprised its approval by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) despite its very explicit sex scenes of which the only way I can describe in clean text is that you actually see it going in. I can only say that at the time of its release French film directors were at the forefront of modern/alternative film production and I’m sure there are many more out there like it.

Strong scenes to emphasise message
The train of thought in this film seems to be about how the main character punishes herself and allows herself to be taken advantage of without taking any responsibility for her situation. her fiance is incredibly vain and holds her in contempt. The unbelievable aspect of this film is she seems to have no supportive friends who can tell her what they think (being lectured to and whipped is hardly supportive). The events in the film are about what we imagine when we feel stuck in a situation which we can't get out of, an escape from her realities with a self destructive edge. When in reality she might have shouted at him a bit and left him if nothing changed. If the sex scenes weren't so strong we'd only have a weak storyline remaining.