Maîtresse (1975)

Maîtresse is a 1975 French dramatic film directed by Barbet Schroeder, starring Bulle Ogier and Gérard Depardieu. One of Gerard Depardieu’s earliest films, it proved such a breakout performance for the young actor, that his career following Maîtresse could only be described as meteoric. Depardieu starred in over two dozen films in the next decade. In fact the finished script of Maîtresse languished for almost a decade, until Schroeder found Gérard Depardieu—for him, the only possible actor to play the male lead. The cinematographer was the legendary Nestor Almendros, a long-time collaborator with Schroeder. The film’s main character, Ariane -portrayed by Bulle Ogier in a stunning performance – is a professional dominatrix, and accordingly this film originally provoked a good deal of controversy in the United States and the U.K. because of its subject matter and real and graphic depictions of sadomasochistic behavior, which include intense scenes of whipping and even of nailing a client’s penis into a wooden plank (yes you read that correctly)! Maîtresse was considered so scandalous on release it was banned in England. In the U.S. It had an “X” rating ! Today this controversial film is considered a cult classic. It was released in 2004 as MAITRESSE; Criterion Collection.

Trivia: 1) All of Maitresse’s “clients” undergoing punishment are not actors but actual S/M enthusiasts that Schroeder had met through a Parisian madam and who had agreed to participate in the film. 2) Famed British artist Allen Jones, who specializes in erotica and fetish, created the Maitresse poster (the first image in the Photo Gallery). 3) Costume Design was by Karl Lagerfeld.