I saw Peter Strickland’s (of “Berberian Sound Studio”) latest this weekend - “The Duke of Burgundy”. I am saying that it is under-rated, simply because I had never heard of it before, despite it having shown for more than a year.
It is about two female lepidopterists and the dynamics of their relationship, with free/pinned butterflies functioning as metaphor for the cat-and-mouse nature of their erotic role playing. Not unlike BSS, there is a slightly retro vibe to this as it works partly as homage to the style of European erotic art/exploitation films of the 1970s. It is quite visually rich, detailed, and atmospheric. And like BSS benefits from strong audio - the sound design, foley, and score are amazing and work well together. There is a lot of quirk and symbolism, which seems very well thought out and deliberate. Also solid acting from the all-female cast, especially the two leads.
I was quite tired when I watched this, but it woke me up and kept me interested, despite an often languid, dreamlike atmosphere. It was one of the best movies I have experienced in a while, and I definitely hope to see it again soon.
(ETA: Apologies to those who dislike the word “female”, it’s a proud term in my book)
