VENUS IN FUR/VENUS A LA FOURRURE

France/Poland, 2013, 91 minutes, Colour.
Emmanuelle Seigner, Matthieu Amalric.
Directed by Roman Polanski.


Venus in Fur is an adaptation of the 19th-century novel by Leopold von Sacher- Masoch, from whose name the word masochism is derived.

But this film is not exactly a version of the novel. Rather, the writer, David Ives, has written a play, performed on Broadway, with the two central characters of the novel but in impersonations by the adapter of the novel for the play and an actress who turns up for an audition. This means that the film is a two-hander, the camera initially tracking up a darkening Paris street in cold weather and entering into a theatre where auditions are being held for the play (and, at the end, the camera tracks back out into the street).

The film relies on a great deal of dialogue coming from the play and capitalises on its action remaining inside the theatre for the whole of the performance, using many parts of the theatre, the audience seating area as well as the stage and adaptations of the lighting for effect.

This is a film by Roman Polanski, who has been making films for 50 years and turned 80 at the time of this film’s release. His previous film, Carnage, was also adapted from a play but was a four-hander, two couples in New York City confronting each other about bullying in the school – which turns into some bullying of each other. Polanski allows himself more restriction in this film but it is not exactly just a filmed play. Rather, each take is particularly set up and the film relies on a great deal of editing for the interaction.

Thomas, who has adapted the novel for the stage, is played by Matthieu Amalric. And the actress, Vanda, is played by Polanski’s wife, Emmanuelle Seigner, with whom he has collaborated on three other films. This is one of her best performances, a dominating performance.

Vanda has quite a repertoire of wiles. She can be ingenuous as happens when she first turns up late for the auditions, skimpy dress, chewing gum, seeming rather ignorant. She can be shrewd as she engages Thomas in conversations, often confounding him. She can be pushy, quickly winding Thomas around her finger so that he gives her an audition.

But, once the audition starts, Vanda (both the actress’s name and that of the character in Venus in Fur), is different, her manner changes, her diction becomes more refined, she proves to Thomas that she really can act. She virtually takes control of the audition, even persuading Thomas to reverse the roles so that she becomes the master of the house, Severin, and he puts on a dress and shawl to become Vanda.

Not only are the roles reversed but also the power play between the characters. In the 19th-century, it was expected that the man would dominate the woman – although women could become dominatrixes, wielding sadistic power and weapons for the man’s masochist experience. But here, it is the woman impersonating the man dominating the man impersonating the woman, a fascinating psychological reversal of the challenges for the audience as it responds to Vanda’s control of the situation. Finally, naked but with a fur, and with striking chord music, she performs a dominating dance illustrating the success of her power, leaving the man-impersonating-woman with a collar around his throat, tied, being led like a dog and finally completely bound.

Anyone thinking that this is something of a pop-erotic film will find it tedious for their sensibility and wonder why they came in. For audiences interested in the psycho-erotic, with top performances and direction from a master, it is a challenging psychosexual exploration.

1. The impact of the film? Two-hander? Confined to the theatre? A 19th-century story and the 21st century treatment?

2. The history of Leopold von Sacher- Masoch? His story, Venus in Fur, the characters, the sexual relationships, the erotic nature of the story, pain? Men subjugating women? Women subjugating men?

3. Roman Polanski and his career, his life and the well-known situations about his behaviour in the United States? Emmanuelle Seigner his wife of 25 years? Collaborating with her in the film?

4. The theatre, the tracking shot, the dark, the weather, the street? The notices outside the theatre? The interiors of the theatre? Stage, lighting, seating? The musical score?

5. The title, the final credits and the images, classical, of Venus?

6. The adaptation of a play, for the screen, the collaboration with the author of the play for dialogue and the adaptation?

7. The situation, the theatre, advertising auditions, the cancelled play with the western overtones, the interiors, the stage, the large cactus?

8. Vanda and her arrival, the coincidence of her name, her being late, the clothes, and her misjudging the situations, her continued talk, the gum, the situation to get to the theatre, the train, the rain, her knowledge and ignorance? Knowing the play? Smart repartee? The pressure on Thomas, getting permission to read, his phone call and saying yes, and she taking it as permission to perform, having the 19th-century dress, putting it on, his zipping it up, ready for the audition?

9. Thomas, adapting to the audition, reading for Vanda? His holding of the auditions, mocking the limitations of the young actresses? His dinner appointment, phone calls?

10. Vanda’s power, Thomas’s agreement, his interactions? His coming on to Vanda, her coming on to him? the cups of coffee – symbolic?

11. The nature of the rehearsal, Vanda being the play’s Vanda, he being Severin as well as Thomas?

12. Interactions, playful, the performance, her changing the lighting, the fire? The lounge, her draping herself on the lounge, with the fur?

13. The play: her arriving, interacting with Thomas, his reading, writing his diary…?

14. The phone calls, Vanda and her talking to Thomas’s partner, a revelation that she was setting herself up, to test him?

15. The reversal of roles, the effect, Severin/Thomas wearing the dress? The build-up of the interaction, the domination, his/her putting on the collar, tide, being led by the collar? Tied up?

16. The final dance, Bacchanal, the powerful music, her being naked, with the fur, tormenting him/her, vanquishing, leaving?

17. Audience response to this experience of erotic masochism? The past and men dominating women? The present and women dominating men?