Jeanne Dielman, 23, quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (1983)

I'll offer no commentary on what the director was trying to say or tell us but instead offer what I got out of this movie. Contrary to what many reviewers of this movie believe, that this was about a woman who was oppressed by society and by men, I believe it was more about the choices we make in life and the consequences of those choices. Jean was born into Belgium society where written into that country's Constitution is the guarantee of Liberty and Equality. Had Jean been born into a collective totalitarian state or somewhere in the Middle East, where women have limited or no choices, I would agree with the general consensus that Jean was oppressed by the state and by men. But that is not the case here. Jean had free will. Jean chose to get married and have a child. That Jean became a widow at a relatively young age is one of those monkey wrenches life sometimes throws at you. It is only after becoming a widow and finding that her financial situation had changed for the worse that Jean's choice in the direction of her life delivers consequences that send her life into a downward spiral. Rather than go out into the world and get a job, as other women that she had daily interactions with had done, Jean chose to treat her body as a commodity. Where Jean gets into trouble is on the psychological level of leading a double life and trying to keep her lie under wraps. She knows what she is doing is wrong otherwise why would she go to such lengths to hide what she is doing from her son? But this lie is clearly taking a toll on Jean's psyche and is reflected in the bathroom scene where she is trying to scrub away her poorly thought out decision. Much like Shakespeare's Lady Macbeth who is trying to wash away the blood from her hands, Jean tries to scrub away every last trace of the John who used her body like an object. What's sad is that Jean never seems to realize that there is a wider world out there besides her little apartment, or that she has created the situation she now finds herself. Why she couldn't or wouldn't change is unknown – a fear of freedom or a person who is afraid of taking risks? I don't know. But just like another of Shakespeare's characters, Gertrude (Hamlet), all Jean need do is look into the mirror to see that she and the choice she made is ultimately the cause of her unhappiness and dissatisfaction in life.

Really, really wanted a slice of meatloaf while watching this. Just a few observations from someone with a huge Criterion library who enjoys "artsy" films:(1) This film might have appeal to students who want to see the results of static scenes. Or it might impress those who need to actually see boring routines play out to get the point (the pocketbook on the table gets my vote for best actor). Or it might be an opportunity for people to yell advice at the screen ("Sit down while polishing shoes!" "You're kneading the meatloaf wrong!" "Turn on the radio while you're working!"). Otherwise...meh.(2) For those who insist that the length is appropriate, I haven't noticed anyone saying that the film would be better at six hours. If she really wanted to make a point, why not film six days? Heck, who knows what exciting things she does the rest of the week...perhaps Ackerman just chose the three days when little happens other than routine (seemingly embraced by the protagonist with little effort to perk up her existence. Maybe she's enjoying herself, or maybe she has an active imagination that allows her to entertain herself).(3) Drying paint on walls has no choice in its banal existence. Humans do have choices. Anyone who doesn't understand that or doesn't know people who don't exercise their choices & live in ruts needs to volunteer to work with the public. Then Ackerman's film won't seem so much like a "masterpiece."(4) If this film is "brave" (whatever that is supposed to mean), here's an exercise in artistic courage: Take a blank sheet of paper to your local art gallery and insist that they display it (perhaps with a huge price tag) to demonstrate your minimalist talent. If they are the pretentious sort and comply, you'll be sure to be lauded by the same sort of snobbish viewers who love to chide others for calling out pretension.

"Jeanne Dielman" is the movie where you already know it's from a true story, many women stays at home to clean the house during the whole day. You surely ever heard of someone in your entourage who has the same life.We can interpret this film like a critic of the cliché of the wife who mostly stay at home and the husband who drink alcohol front of television. Directed by a woman, it's probably sure as she wanted to tell as the life of housewife is not funny at all.The crew of the movie is mostly composed of women (scriptgirl, cinematographer...), it's very rare in cinema industry.A must see movie.

This movie is deliberately different, all in the service of telling us something we didn't know.Movies are about movies. The borrow plot, character, lighting, sound editing and camera angles from what went before. Since "Birth of a Nation" introduced close-ups, cross cutting and cutaways in 1915 everyone has adopted that vocabulary for story telling. This movie throws all that out: The camera is fixed and stares at a scene for a very long time. Scenes had to be performed all the way through when they were filmed, because each was done in a single shot.Movies use telescoping of time to compress the happenings of a long period into two hours. This movie tries to avoid that, depicting mundane tasks in their entirety. We watch Jeanne Dielman prepare a meatloaf, step by step, wash the dishes (her back is to us!), smooth the bed, or go shopping.Movie use facial expressions to express feelings. Spoiler alert: When we get strong facial expressions from Jeanne Dielman there is a very good reason. And that only happens once in a three-hour, 21 minute film.Movies use broad strokes to carry the audience along. Spiderman supplements explosions with 3D to keep me occupied. By contrast, this film uses subtle changes. You must watch closely to see what happens.Most movies come to you. This movie requires you go to it. If there is dullness it is among those viewers who think that because they don't get something it's not there to get. There is plenty here but instead of being served to you it has to be harvested. And it is very fresh.