Review of Jeanne Dielman, 23, quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (1976) by Rich M — 30 Aug 2009
Jeanne Dielman, 23 Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles is, to paraphrase John Waters, the kind of movie that will get you punched in the face for just recommending it to even your best friends. Which is not to say that it isn't worth the trip, but despite it's rewards, the movie is not exactly a brisk three hours and twenty minutes.
Following the (deceptively) simple life of a middle aged widow and mother, the movie is made up entirely of static shots of the title character going though her day. Simple events like knitting, going to the butcher and preparing dinner are played out in near (or exact) real time.
Example: There's a sequence of Jeanne peeling potatoes. No cuts, no camera movement, no dialogue. Just a straight ahead shot of a women peeling potatoes for over five minutes. It takes a bit to get fully immersed into this movie's unique universe, but eventually it becomes hypnotic.
..and almost unbearably intense. Jeanne Dielman contains, or rather perhaps is, the greatest slow burn in cinema history, culminating to a moment of violence that's at once completely shocking and totally expected.
Highly recommended, but don't say I didn't warn you.
This review of Jeanne Dielman, 23, quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (1976) was written by Rich M on 30 Aug 2009.
Jeanne Dielman, 23, quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles has generally received very positive reviews.
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