Review of La Collectionneuse (1967) by Amy D — 20 Mar 2008

"She's a collector of men." Haydee does sleep around a lot, but Adrien never gets a turn. He's too judgmental, so she has fun watching him compromise his "morals.".

The screenplay is tight and clever. This is probably Rohmer's best put together and executed story. The style reveals a tiny splash of Goddard's influence with a perfected Rohmer touch. The prologues are funny. The cinematography and costumes are excellent. The dialogue is perfect. Unlike in CLAIRE'S KNEE, Rohmer trims down insightful discussions/monologues about life and relationships, and not a bit of it is too long or boring.

Sex is all over this film. I got turned on. I personally don't think it's fair for Adrien and Daniel to judge Haydee for having so much sex. She points out to them that they can be "beasts," so she should be entitled to her freedom too. Haydee just wants to have fun. There's nothing wrong with that. Adrien wants to control her, and he can't. As a result, he fails his own "moral code.".