Cynthia is the mistress of the house, Evelyn her maid. As is usually the case with staff: She is always doing something wrong. In return, Evelyn has to be chastised by Cynthia, for example with an audible golden shower. In reality, of course, things are more complicated. The couple have their timetable, both know their roles inside out, the somewhat stressed look at the clock gives an idea of how much sex has to do with the other domestic chores - just as dinner has to be on the table at the right time, the suspenders also have to be on point. When there doesn't seem to be enough money for a bed with a built-in punishment compartment and doubts arise about the fidelity of the couple's partnership, the house is in trouble ...
The Duke of Burgundy (2014) (named after a type of butterfly) is therefore the rarest thing there is: a sensual, sensual black comedy about the existential importance of sex for relationships, aesthetically anchored in a 1970s decade where the difference between art and exploitation is purely academic. With the incomparable Jess Franco icon Monica Swinn in the role of Lorna, the sinister neighbor!
