Mademoiselle (1966)

Wow! I’ve never seen this movie, but this clip convinced me that I need to. John Waters’ endorsement may have helped, too. When asked in 1994 what video he’d give someone as a gift, Waters replied, “I’d give ‘Mademoiselle,’ the arty 1966 ‘shocker’ written by Jean Genet and directed by Tony Richardson. A horny, repressed schoolteacher (Jeanne Moreau) in a remote French village poisons the farm animals, sets fires, crushes baby bird eggs in the nest and licks the boots of a woodcutter, all in the name of Gallic frustration. I guess I’m just a romantic at heart.”

What do you guys think of Mademoiselle? I’m waiting for the DVD to arrive in the mail, so I’ll post my thoughts as soon as I’ve seen it.

Great performance by J Moreau…not so great movie. It’s difficult to capture Genet on film but Richardson makes a noble effort. A great companion piece to the other Richardson/Moreau collaboration THE SAILOR FROM GIBRALTAR

Thanks for the recommendation. I’ll have to check out The Sailor from Gibraltar!

I finally watched this today and I LOVED it. It’s one of my new favorites. I find the story and characters so damn fascinating. The amount of animal cruelty is troubling, but I’m somehow able to look past it. I hope Criterion does release this someday on Blu-ray because the current (out of print) DVD from MGM has a really terrible transfer.

I also like the film. The animal cruelty is inexcusable and repulsive, but the film is a visual treat from beginning to end. Moreau is great and, as always, very beautiful. It is leagues better than Poison, the other Genet adaptation I watched not so long ago.

I forgot to add that the cinematography in this movie is perhaps the most spatial I’ve ever seen. Every corner of the frame is utilized. It’s pretty mind-blowing.