Review of La Belle Noiseuse (1991) by Dannie W — 27 Feb 2006

Torture. I love this movie. We're given the impotence of an artist as the spine of the film. This is accentuated by the beauty of his muse. He just can't find his art despite his valliant efforts, and we share his frustration as he tries.

A lot going on with the passing of muses, the torture of Beart's posing endlessly, the developing relationship between the artist and his model. In the end, he's won over by her and finds the link back to his creativity, but we, the audience, are tortured further by watching the artist brick his masterpiece into the wall of his studio- we never see the final painting.

Love Emmanuelle Beart and the refreshing sensibilities of the french director's story telling.