Methodical, erotic, and exquisitely photographed and edited, The Duke of Burgundy is one of the more memorable films from 2015, a piece of work that’s in love with the very foundations of cinema and the endlessly possible ways that the moving image can transport the viewer to a richly atmospheric and highly seductive world. A romance, a thriller, a psychological horror story, and above all, a strangely sexy exploration of mental and physical domination, there isn’t a shred of nudity in this hot-blooded independent film, but that doesn’t matter; your pulse will race just from the sight of a person touching another’s leg. Writer/director Peter Strickland has made a film that Brian De Palma would and should be envious of; you feel the stylized filmmaking in this intoxicating and highly artsy effort right from the start, much in the same way that a De Palma film traffics in self-reflexivity and heightened stylistic flourishes. The Duke of Burgundy moves at a purposefully slow pace, inviting the audience into its esoteric and enigmatic playing field, where you observe the back and forth between two very particular women, and how they use sex, lust, power, and potentially love, in an effort to one up each other emotionally and mentally. Chiara D’Anna and Sidse Babett Knudsen are both spellbinding in this film; you literally can’t take your eyes off either of them, if not out of wonder about what they’ll do next, but rather, they’re just so strikingly photogenic in very unique and unexpected ways. The costumes and lingerie featured in this film are also major strengths; the undergarment supervisor is even given an on screen credit which is something I’m not sure I’ve ever noticed before! The entomology subplot puts things into thematic context while allowing Strickland some amazing opportunities for impressionistic filmmaking, while the entire film feels wholly unique in and of itself; there’s very little that I can think of that this film compares too. While not likely for everyone, this is one of those amazing pieces of dreamy and velvety storytelling that will produce a charge out of patient and artistically inclined viewers. The film also features an unsettling and nervy musical score, one that raises the tension levels while still hitting some lovely, romantic beats of sophistication. Available to stream via Netflix and also available on Blu-Ray and DVD.
Podcasting Them Softly 