Jeanne Dielman, 23, quai du commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (1975)

Jeanne Dielman, 23, quai du commerce, 1080 Bruxelles: Directed by Chantal Akerman. With Delphine Seyrig, Jan Decorte, Henri Storck, Jacques Doniol-Valcroze. A lonely widowed housewife does her daily chores, takes care of her apartment where she lives with her teenage son, and turns the occasional trick to make ends meet. However, something happens that changes her safe routine.

“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.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eNarrative,however,has not been entirely banished from this film.There is something strange and unspoken in Jeanneu0026#39;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.Jeanneu0026#39;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,u0026quot;Belle de jouru0026quot; where the camera followed closely Sévérineu0026#39;s sexual encounters.In this film the camera waits discreetly at the bedroomu0026#39;s door until the client takes his leave.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eWhile it is a u0026quot;feministu0026quot; 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.”