Actuakers One of my all time favorites.

2freensel I saw this movie before reading any reviews, and I thought it was very funny. I was very surprised to see the overwhelmingly negative reviews this film received from critics.

Roxie The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

Cassandra Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

Richard Chatten About 25 minutes into this film we abruptly learn that the dynamics of the relationship between these two women is far from what it at first seems; and 'The Duke of Burgundy' becomes an engrossing emotional drama about a relationship in crisis. Sidse Babett Knudsen and Chiara D'Anna are both wondrous as the two glamorous lipstick lesbians - especially when their magnificent bone structures are photographed in close up or in profile - and the film doesn't stint on cool girl-on-girl action (there's much zipping up and unzipping of boots, and the film appropriately has credits for both perfume and lingerie). The older, more sophisticated Cynthia (Knudsen), however, is tiring of being required daily to play out the same scenario in which she has to bully her younger lover Evelyn (D'Anna), who remains stubbornly oblivious of the strain this is placing upon Cynthia. Cynthia (presumably in a nod towards Vladimir Nabokov) lectures on butterflies and moths before an all-woman audience attired & coiffed with the same buttoned-down elegance as the two leads. (The only male cast are the dead insect specimens pinned to pieces of card.) The period is unclear (Cynthia writes her lectures on a very old-fashioned manual typewriter) but vaguely resembles the 1970s of hothouse sapphist fare like 'Daughters of Darkness', 'Die Bitteren Tränen der Petra von Kant' and exploitation films like 'Vampyros Lesbos'. (Much of 'The Duke of Burgundy' resembles a vampire film without vampires.)Cynthia's mounting disinclination to keep up with Evelyn's insatiable demands for stimulation is exacerbated by back trouble, (as Victoria Wood once famously put it, "You know I pulled a muscle when I did that grouting",) which means that she's now spending a lot of time slouching about in pyjamas rather than a corset and stockings when not being woken up in the night by Evelyn because of her snoring (although Knudsen still looks chic even in pyjamas without her wig.) Neither Knudsen or D'Anna's first language is English, which lends a certain unreality to their enunciation; but both actresses are extremely eloquent with their eyes and facial expressions. The crowning moment comes with Cynthia's sudden tearful disintegration at her inability to continue for the umpteenth time with yet another of Evelyn's endless roleplays.

Leofwine_draca Peter Strickland's follow-up to BERBERIAN SOUND STUDIO is an equally arty mood piece, although a film with even less plot (if that's even possible). Instead, the narrative structure focuses on building up characters and relationships and a very specific atmosphere, without worrying too much about story lines or character arcs.As with BERBERIAN, it's a film I'm in two minds about. On a physical level, it's very well made indeed and often beautifully shot. I particularly loved the '70s-themed opening credits which are quite breathtaking. As you'd expect from Strickland, the attention to detail in of sound is also quite wonderful; this is a film that has clearly been carefully edited, which must have been a painstaking process.What I didn't enjoy so much was the foot-dragging pace, or the lack of either resolution or explanation. In short, THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY explores the relationship between a pair of lesbian lovers, where one is the dominant mistress and the other a submissive servant. Interest arises from a twist where it gradually turns out that the submissive girl is very much the one in control. I liked that aspect of it, and the two actresses are very convincing in their parts.But what's the overall result? This is a nice film to watch and enjoy purely on an artistic level. But it seems there's little to keep you coming back. This certainly isn't an exploitation piece, as any questionable material is kept off-screen and there isn't even any nudity. It's restrained, chilly, beautiful, sure, and I enjoyed the entomological background, but once I'd spent nearly two hours with this movie I was eager to go on to find something with more substance.

Hepburn Duke of Burgundy starts off really interesting and it was enjoying watching the story unfold. But the second half of the film fails to inspire any intrigue and the acting is pretty shallow. I didn't feel for any of the characters.I disagree with other reviewers that the film showed anything about relationships. I found the relationships simplified and frankly unrealistic.However, the otherworldly feel of the film is incredibly well done. The pace is at times perfect, slow enough to be intriguing without becoming boring and overall I had a good feel during the first half. But in the end, the style of the film really just covers the failings in the story and acting, making a terrible film into an okay one.Watch if you're into otherworldly films exploring slightly odd relationships. Don't expect much depth. Expect things that don't quite make sense and can't be placed.

Josh Friesen On the surface The Duke of Burgundy is about two lesbian entomologists in a repetitive and ritualistic S&M relationship, an homage of sorts to 70's soft core euro trash. However, where those films would be voyeuristic in their depiction of such a relationship, stressing the erotic strangeness of the situation, The Duke of Burgundy cleverly does the opposite. As we are more engrossed in the world of the film, the strangeness of the two central characters begins to fade away. The world they live in contains no men, and the presence of travelling S&M saleswomen give the impression that this sexual behaviour is also the norm. The surface is stripped away to reveal a complex and nuanced metaphor for the everyday sacrifices we all make to maintain romantic relationships. If that isn't enough to sell the film, there is also a hilariously deadpan discussion about human toilets.