Betty Blue

It starts as a sort of romantic farce, centered around a somewhat young tumultuous couple who are seemingly engaged in a hysterical relationship unchained from the restraints of social responsibility and adulthood. Together they are like riotous wind storming through the droll and moribund aspects of poverty stricken life. The magic of Betty Blue is not all too contingent upon these major plot devices, but rather the charismatic offbeat, kinky hi jinx that the characters display at will.

One of the most beautiful and envolving love stories commited to film. To dub this as softcore (as I've read in tons of US reviews) is ludicrous and plainly stupid. If you want to watch sex go seek somewhere else. Oh, it is here - a lot, but never gratuitous. The 3 hours long complete version is a must see and I can't imagine how was it possible to cut off 1/3 of it without butchering this work of art. ***** - for substance. ***** - for style.

Beineix creates a seductive fever dream of a romance with BETTY BLUE. If you can handle the incredulous fable-like nature of its story and characters, you'll find something well-meaning and remarkable here. It's often hilarious and completely over the top, with a somnambulistic quality that's hard to explain but enchanting and hallucinatory nonetheless. Also, don't listen to Roger Ebert: you'll see Jean-Hugeus Anglade's ass just as much as you'll see Beatrice Dalle's ass.

Moral of the story: Kill insane partner to cure writers block.

How sad it is that humans aren't particularly good at staying happy, always driving each other mad over their own incapability of being satisfied, how sad it is to find someone to share your share of misery with and to be disillusioned, how sad it is to date someone beautiful, how sad it is to be so optimistic that you can't face how awful life can get.

The magnum opus of European arthouse decadence.

Tender and flamboyant romance.

Best.film.ever. I really admire Béatrice Dalle. As Betty goes insane slowly, it's heartbreaking to see Zorg's neverending love and patience to her. Everytime I watch it, I cry my eyes out. The scenario follows the book exactly but it's better to see the drama with your eyes. As a unique case, the movie is better than the book. Awesome indeed.

I really enjoy Beineix's films

A would-be writer (Jean-Hugues Anglade) falls for an unpredictable woman (Béatrice Dalle), then he slowly realizes that she is going insane.

Stylish degenerate trash still equals degenerate trash. "Diva" was at least watchable. Should be called: "Indefatigable Psycho Bitch (and the Dolt Who Loved Her)".

oldie but a goodie

A bit overlong, but visually inspired and heartbreakingly played by the leads.

Director's Cut feels almost devoid of plots since Beineix mostly concentrates on the spaces inhabited by this couple and how they fill in the scenes with their passion. Throughout their journey they change locations, meet new people, undergo some bizarre circumstances. While everything is transforming somehow, for two and an half hours, they remain exactly same as we first met them. Once the main plot starts moving it feels rushed, true to form, the effect is not with a bang but a whimper.

The nouvelle vague sensibilities, youthful spontaneity and bold primary-coloured compositions make this a near-classic - at least in the first half. The story does tail off once the seductive opening gives way to a more formal structure, and the ending is obviously a bit of a downer (especially if you watched the 3-hour version). But somehow it seems worth it to have seen Dalle light up the screen with her exuberant passion and Gallic charms - a femme fatale for her era and beyond. Influential.

Long version is better.

OK, they get naked a lot, but who cares?

What virtues this film has are more in style than content, but most people will find it over the top anyway.

I didn't know who it was until it was ending. I'll rewatch at some point.

Manic tenderness.

Top badass moment? Betty throwing a bucket of pink paint all over Zorg's boss's car. He was a serious asshole. When you're boyfriend's being a wimp and not sticking up for himself, someone has to be badass about it. And let's face it, who hasn't thought of doing something like that to a crappy manager at one time or another? 1 cat, no decapitations or chainsaws. The cat, a lovely white one, appears in three scenes and has a pivotal role right at the end, including a bit of (dubbed) dialogue.

I saw the theatrical version and have a feeling some important material is missing, because despite an unforgettable performance by Ms. Dalle, her descent into madness is a bit too swift and unexplained and the ending itself truncated. Enjoyable nonetheless.

Betty Blue estreava há 35 anos na França. Isso raramente ocorre, mas eu não sei o que achar desse filme. Em primeiro lugar sou terminantemente contra filmes de saúde mental se mesclar com erotismo, embora esse não seja exatamente um exploitation, ele fica nesse meio a meio que me impede de gostar e desgostar dele, além do clássico uso da mulher como degrau de amadurecimento masculino que já deu no meu saquinho. BlurayRip no MakingOff.

(...)Wer sich nun wundert, in welcher Welt so eine Geschichte nun spielen soll? In keiner realen. Wer würde eine gewalttätige und impulsive Frau wie Betty auf Dauer ertragen? Ausserhalb des Betts funktioniert im Grunde nichts. Wer den zugrunde liegenden Roman von Philippe Djian las, weiss recht bald, dass Betty nervenkrank ist. Dem Leser wird bewusst, dass sie Arzneimittel missbraucht und sich in einer Abwärtsspirale befindet. Jeder merkt dass, ausser Zorg.(...)

Wild woman, wild love, wild end. Love actually can kill.

This movie brings those old 80s photographs to life. Fun to watch but also very painful. Awesome soundtrack.

Great film.

Disburbing and wonderful film.

The director's cut is the top of the drama movies.

The edited version. Ill have to go back to see the uncut version since I really did like this.

Good ending... What a love...

Brilliant in every way ! Beautifully shot, beautiful characters, funny, yet deeply disturbing - so French !

The most special part of film, for me, is that you can fall in love with it. You fall in love with the colours, the setting, the people that inhabit it... Sometimes you see it once in your life, but you'll always remember it in vivid images.