On 5 November the BFI releases Barbet Schroeder’s fourth feature Maîtresse which stars a youthful Gérard Depardieu and Bulle Ogier. After causing controversy in 1976 with its graphic scenes of torture and fetishism, it was confined to a handful of club cinemas upon its release. It was then given an ‘X’ certificate in 1981 after the BBFC requested a number of cuts.
Presented here uncut on DVD and, for the first time, in High Definition on Blu-ray, in a Dual Format Edition, Maîtresse is a stylish love story – costumes are by Karl Lagerfeld – with a dark undertone. Click on the link above for the theatrical trailer.
The release coincides with Uncut!, a season to mark the centenary of the BBFC at BFI Southbank which runs from 1 – 30 November. Maîtresse will be screened during a season of films that have been either banned or censored in the last century of cinema, giving film fans a chance to see some of the most contentious films ever made, in their complete versions on the big screen. The season aims to illustrate how the BBFC’s attitudes to confrontational material have changed.
