Diary of a Chambermaid (Le Journal d'une femme de chambre) (1964)
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85% of critics liked it
(20 reviews) -
82% of users liked it
(3,785 ratings)
The second screen version of Octave Mirbeau's novel (originally filmed in 1946 by Jean Renoir), Diary of a Chambermaid charts the ambitions of Celestine (Jeanne Moreau), a woman who comes to work in the 1930s for a Normandy estate occupied by Monsieur Rabour (Jean Ozenne), his daughter… More The second screen version of Octave Mirbeau's novel (originally filmed in 1946 by Jean Renoir), Diary of a Chambermaid charts the ambitions of Celestine (Jeanne Moreau), a woman who comes to work in the 1930s for a Normandy estate occupied by Monsieur Rabour (Jean Ozenne), his daughter (Francoise Lugagne), and the daughter's husband, Monsieur Montiel (Michel Piccoli). Celestine quickly learns that M. Rabour is a more or less harmless boot fetishist, his daughter a frigid woman more concerned with the family furnishings than in returning the affections of her husband, who, in turn, can't keep his hands off the servants. The gamekeeper, Joseph (Georges Geret), is a fascist who keeps his masters informed of all the doings downstairs, and the next-door neighbor (Daniel Ivernel) is a veteran who can't stand Monteil and is sharing a bed with his housekeeper. Celestine picks her way through this minefield carefully, spurning the advances of all of the men until it's convenient for her. ~ Tom Wiener, Rovi
- Directed By
- Luis Buñuel
- Written By
- Jean-Claude Carriere
- Genres
- Art House & International, Drama
Unrated,
- In Theaters
- Oct 13, 2000 Wide
- Studio
- 20th Century-Fox
Critic Reviews
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Eugene Archer, New York Times
Sadly, the intervening decades seem to have weakened Mr. Bunuel's powers. His new adaptation of Octave Mirbeau's Diary of a Chambermaid suffers in comparison with the strange but memorable version Jean Renoir did with Paulette Goddard in 1946.
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Donald J. Levit, ReelTalk Movie Reviews
Second-tier compared to Buñuel's masterworks, this film is worth seeing because it is his.
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, TV Guide's Movie Guide
A wonderfully vulgar film from the masterful Spanish director Luis Bunuel, Diary of a Chambermaid is an adaptation in spirit of Octave Mirbeau's novel and Jean Renoir's 1946 film.
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Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
Remarkably subtle and perceptive straightforward narrative on the rise of French fascism.
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Mark Pfeiffer, Reel Times: Reflections on Cinema
Diary of a Chambermaid is a piercing examination of the bourgeoisie and its obsessions. Buñuel shows us the horrifying actions and results with varying amounts of drama and humor like only he could.
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
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Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
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Cast
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Jeanne Moreau
as Celestine
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Michel Piccoli
as Monsieur Monteil
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Georges Géret
as Joseph
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Francoise Lugagne
as Madame Monteil
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Daniel Ivernel
as Capt. Mauger
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Jean Ozenne
as Monsieur Rabour
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Dominique Sauvage-Dandieux
as Claire
- Françoise Bertin
- Pierre Collet
- Madeleine Damien
- Marc Eyraud
- Jean Franval
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Gilberte Geniat
as Rose
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Claude Jaeger
as Judge
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Muni
as Marianne
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Bernard Musson
as Sacristan
- Jeanne Pérez
- Geymond Vital
- Dominique Zardi
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Jean-Claude Carriere
as Cure
- Andree Tainsy
- Gabriel Gobin
- Joelle Bernard
- Michel Dacquin
