SpuffyWeb Sadly Over-hyped

Mjeteconer Just perfect...

GazerRise Fantastic!

Bessie Smyth Great story, amazing characters, superb action, enthralling cinematography. Yes, this is something I am glad I spent money on.

Vonia Jeanne Dielman, 23 Commerce Quay, 1080 Brussels (French: Jeanne Dielman, 23, quai du commerce, 1080 Bruxelles) (1975) Chantal Akerman Taking people-watching to A whole new level. Saw the twist ending coming, Like a mile away. Forced to mind-numbingly watch Perfect depiction For Einstein's "insanity", Doing the same thing, Expecting a difference. Experimental? Endurance Experiment. Not for fun watching. For admiring film as art, Academic use, Psychological study. In these contexts, this film shines.Choka (long poem) is an epic storytelling form of poetry from the Waka period, an unrhymed poem with the 5-7-5-7-5-7-5-7...7 syllable format (any odd number line length with alternating five and seven syllable lines that ends with an extra seven syllable line). #Choka #PoemReview

lovetogarden I'll offer no commentary on what the director was trying to say or tell us but instead offer what I got out of this movie. Contrary to what many reviewers of this movie believe, that this was about a woman who was oppressed by society and by men, I believe it was more about the choices we make in life and the consequences of those choices. Jean was born into Belgium society where written into that country's Constitution is the guarantee of Liberty and Equality. Had Jean been born into a collective totalitarian state or somewhere in the Middle East, where women have limited or no choices, I would agree with the general consensus that Jean was oppressed by the state and by men. But that is not the case here. Jean had free will. Jean chose to get married and have a child. That Jean became a widow at a relatively young age is one of those monkey wrenches life sometimes throws at you. It is only after becoming a widow and finding that her financial situation had changed for the worse that Jean's choice in the direction of her life delivers consequences that send her life into a downward spiral. Rather than go out into the world and get a job, as other women that she had daily interactions with had done, Jean chose to treat her body as a commodity. Where Jean gets into trouble is on the psychological level of leading a double life and trying to keep her lie under wraps. She knows what she is doing is wrong otherwise why would she go to such lengths to hide what she is doing from her son? But this lie is clearly taking a toll on Jean's psyche and is reflected in the bathroom scene where she is trying to scrub away her poorly thought out decision. Much like Shakespeare's Lady Macbeth who is trying to wash away the blood from her hands, Jean tries to scrub away every last trace of the John who used her body like an object. What's sad is that Jean never seems to realize that there is a wider world out there besides her little apartment, or that she has created the situation she now finds herself. Why she couldn't or wouldn't change is unknown – a fear of freedom or a person who is afraid of taking risks? I don't know. But just like another of Shakespeare's characters, Gertrude (Hamlet), all Jean need do is look into the mirror to see that she and the choice she made is ultimately the cause of her unhappiness and dissatisfaction in life.

tuzlak007 After watching a house-wife three hours and twenty-one minutes, mostly without seeing anyone else on the screen, going through her daily routine three consecutive days, it is very easy to say "What a monotonous, tedious, unexciting, and boring film." Also, I should add, during the stages of this most interesting story-telling, the camera never moves. Whatever she might be doing in her small, claustrophobic apartment, we observe Jeanne Dielman (played by exquisitely by Delphine Seyrig) through the fixed eye of the camera. Oh, one more thing: There are hardly any spoken words. And, the film has no music either; we hear only the murmur of the traffic outside.Yet, a twenty-five-year-old, extremely talented Chantal Akerman, within the frame of this very unusual structure, managed to direct an exceptional film, a film that should be part of every movie collection.This movie can be seen as a psycho-drama or as a psychoanalytical (i.e. Freudian) study of a lonely woman who has been living with her teen-age son six years after her husband passed away. Whatever the reason(s) --or motive-- of a viewer could be, this film is a gem. A remarkable work-of-art!

Tristan Schafer I had no idea what I was in for when I sat down to watch this 3-and-a-half hour experiment. I mean, I knew it would be tedious, and painful, but I had no idea how hypnotizing it would be. I didn't possibly think that after 3 hours of watching someone do daily chores, I would want to continue watching.The first half of the film set up the second half perfectly. After seeing Jeanne's daily routine in the first half, you start noticing small differences throughout the second half, which normally would just be small accidents, but are seen as huge mistakes that rip Jeanne's life apart at the seams. Small things like dropping brushes, forgetting to put the lid on a pot, or not turning off the light when leaving a room turn into major changes that somehow create tension in this idyllic world that Jeanne lives in. One scene, in which Jeanne seems more human than ever, consists of her getting up, going into a room, forgetting what she needed from the room, and then leaving. Don't try to tell me you've never done that.My only real complaint about the film is that it is insanely tedious and repetitive. But I can put this argument aside because 1.) That is precisely the point, and 2.) The twist at the end is extremely satisfying, and gives everything before it purpose. I wouldn't recommend it to everyone, but if you have a long attention I'd say go for it. Just make sure your seat is comfortable enough to sit in for three to four hours, but not enough to fall asleep in.