A lusty story of mad, bad, all-consuming passion, Betty Blue is the kind of quintessential “French movie” that many viewers association with SBS.
When it premiered in 1986, it gained instant notoriety for its full frontal nudity and explicit sex. With audience members questioning if the sex scenes were simulated or not, the word-of-mouth buzz helped it at the box-office. Based on a novel by Philippe Djian, it has become a cult classic for its mercurial characters, bohemian sexuality and descent into l’amour fou.
It’s the shocking and offbeat story of two French lovers, Zorg (Jean-Hugues Anglade) and Betty (Béatrice Dalle), who fall into a deeply erotic and all-encompassing relationship. Zorg is a repairman in his mid-thirties who lives a relatively dull life in a remote, weathered shack until he meets Betty, a sexy, mercurial younger woman who challenges his way of thinking and forces him to change his life. Their brief period of domestic bliss is threatened by Betty’s tumultuous ups and downs, which come on with increasing ferocity.
Betty Blue: The Director’s Cut expands on Betty’s crossover from obsessive passion to emotional breakdown, as Dalle’s mesmerising performance takes centre stage. It’s an even darker and more memorable ride, and you can catch it at SBS On Demand for a limited time.
Watch 'Betty Blue: The Director's Cut'
SBS, 11.30pm Friday 29 September 2017
Available after broadcast at SBS On Demand
Available after broadcast at SBS On Demand
MA15+
France, 1986
Source: SBS Movies
