--- title: "Belle de Jour: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/belle-de-jour/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/belle-de-jour" critics_score: 84 critics_reviews: 11 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Belle de Jour (1967): what the critics said Critics' score 84 from 11 reviews: 10 positive, 1 mixed, 0 negative. Most critics respond warmly to Belle de Jour, with praise centred on Catherine Deneuve’s controlled performance and Buñuel’s dry, subversive handling of sexual desire and social hypocrisy. The reviews repeatedly admire the movement between fantasy and reality, finding its ambiguity compelling rather than confusing. Deneuve’s cool elegance is a recurring point of agreement, while the photography, colour, production design and editing also draw praise for giving the heroine’s double life such a precise visual form. The spread runs from strong enthusiasm to qualified admiration, with only one mixed assessment and no negative reviews. The clearest reservation comes from the Los Angeles Times, which finds the film interesting and provocative but considers its detached, cerebral approach a limitation. Even that review praises the acting and use of colour; the disagreement is chiefly over how much Buñuel’s coolness limits the film’s impact. ## Radio Times — David Parkinson Rating 5/5. The critic regards the film as a complex, acclaimed masterpiece. They single out Catherine Deneuve’s beguiling performance and the film’s deft shifts between dream and reality. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-o9ngpq/belle-de-jour/) ## Slant Magazine — Ed Gonzalez Rating 4/4. 9 September 2003. The critic calls the film radical and compelling despite some flaws. They praise how Buñuel shows patriarchal power spilling into Séverine’s fantasies. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/belle-de-jour/) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw Rating 5/5. 6 September 2017. Bradshaw finds the film strange and captivating, with a shrewd, scabrous critique of social hypocrisy and sexual politics. He especially praises Catherine Deneuve’s extraordinary, ghostlike performance. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/sep/06/belle-de-jour-review-luis-bunuel-catherine-deneuve-erotic-shame) ## Sight and Sound — Jan Dawson Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 7 September 2017. Dawson praises the film’s seamless blending of fantasy, memory and reality. She singles out Catherine Deneuve’s controlled performance and Sacha Vierny’s camerawork. [Read the review](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/belle-de-jour-archive-review-catherine-deneuve-finds-release-luis-bunuels-liberation-fantasy) ## The New Yorker — Anthony Lane Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 9 April 2006. Lane welcomes the film’s return and regards its subversion as enduringly fresh. He singles out the deadpan precision of Buñuel and Catherine Deneuve as the reason it has not dated. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2006/04/17/the-day-job) ## Empire — Ian Nathan Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 2000. Nathan highly recommends the film as witty, erotic and elegant. He praises its effortless style and the contrast between Deneuve’s delicate beauty and her character’s carnal desires. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/belle-de-jour-review/) ## IndieWire — Beth Hanna Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 23 January 2012. The critic treats the film as a masterpiece and finds Criterion’s Blu-ray an impressive presentation. She especially praises the restored transfer’s colors and sound, along with the disc’s supplemental interviews and documentary. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/culture/dvd-review-kinky-classic-belle-de-jour-gets-the-criterion-treatment-183273/) ## Time Out — Wally Hammond Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 19 December 2006. The review presents the film as one of Buñuel’s greatest popular successes. It singles out the film’s sly, provocative character for praise. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/belle-de-jour-1) ## Variety — Variety Staff Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 31 December 1966. The critic calls the film crackling and praises its clear-eyed portrayal of the heroine’s double life. Catherine Deneuve’s performance and the film’s color photography, production design, and editing stand out. [Read the review](https://variety.com/1966/film/reviews/belle-de-jour-1200421415/) ## Los Angeles Times — Charles Champlin Fi1m's normalised score 55/100 (inferred from the text). 19 December 1968. Champlin finds the film interesting and provocative but less than a masterpiece, criticizing its detached, cerebral approach. He praises Buñuel’s gorgeous use of color and the impeccable acting, especially Catherine Deneuve’s cool elegance. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-mini-belle-de-jour-archive-20180412-story.html) ## Eye for Film — Chris Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 30 December 2006. The critic finds the film still shocking and an ambitious, forceful artistic statement. They praise its luxurious couture and photography, alongside its emotional complexity and ambiguous storytelling. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/belle-de-jour-film-review-by-chris) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/belle-de-jour.md