Anatomy of Hell (2004)

A woman employs a gay man to spend four nights at her house to watch her when she's "unwatchable".

Director:

Catherine Breillat

Writers:

Catherine Breillat (novel), Catherine Breillat (screenplay)

Stars:

Amira Casar, Rocco Siffredi, Alexandre Belin

1 win.

Cast

Cast overview:
Amira Casar	...	The woman
Rocco Siffredi	...	The man
Alexandre Belin	...	Blow-job lover 1
Manuel Taglang	...	Blow-job lover 2
Jacques Monge	...	Man in bar
Claudio Carvalho	...	Boy with bird
Carolina Lopes	...	Little girl
Diego Rodrigues	...	Little boy playing doctor (as 'Diogo Rodriques')
João Marques	...	Little boy playing doctor
Bruno Fernandes	...	Little boy playing doctor
Maria Edite Moreira	...	Pharmacist 1
Maria João Santos	...	Pharmacist 2
Pauline Hunt	...	Amira Casar's stand-in
Catherine Breillat	...	Narrator (voice)

Storyline

A man rescues a woman from a suicide attempt in a gay nightclub. Walking the streets together, she propositions him: She'll pay him to visit her at her isolated house for four consecutive nights. There he will silently watch her. He's reluctant, but agrees. As the four nights progress, they become more intimate with each other, and a mutual fascination/revulsion develops. By the end of the four-day "contract", these two total strangers will have had a profound impact on each other.

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Plot Keywords:

female frontal nudity | gay | suicide attempt | bloodstain | explicit sex | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

Unrated

Details

Country:

France

Language:

French

Release Date:

28 January 2004 (France)

Also Known As:

Anatomy of Hell

Filming Locations:

Ericeira, Portugal

Company Credits

Production Co:

CB Films, Canal+, Centre National de la Cinématographie (CNC)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

77 min 87 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

For the close-ups of the female sexual parts, Catherine Breillat deliberately chose a body double for Amira Casar who was quite hairy. This was to counter expectations of female nudity in film and also to reinforce the male character's aversion to what he sees in a naked woman.

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Quotes

The woman: In fact they are frightened, frightened that their woman may no longer belong to them. They do not believe the importance of freedom. They shake the leather belt and fetters, Shout out so-called chastity and those rotting morals. Because they need the ego consolation. At least they know very much clearly. These are something needn't to be proved. Because love is no reality.

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Connections

Referenced in Brows Held High: Room in Rome (2013)

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Soundtracks

Timeless Bass
Composed and Produced by D'Julz

User Reviews

Is it over yet?

In case you were under the illusion that interaction with other people, and that any attempt to find love was a worthwhile endeavor - please see this movie - it will clear that up right away.

In case you ever thought that sex was fun, interesting or life-affirming, see this movie.

This wonderful gem of a film shows how sexuality is, in fact, not an expression of joy, love - or even hormones. Rather, sex is shown for what it truly is - a war between the sexes - best engaged in grimly, humorlessly and with an unending tirade of post-modern deconstructionist invective.

Thank you Ms. Breillat for showing me the way. Now, go play in traffic.