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7.4/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 7.4/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Boule de suif remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you like movies that make your skin crawl because of how human beings treat each other, you’ll dig this. It’s not a cozy watch. If you’re looking for a light romp or anything remotely heroic, skip it. It’s a bitter pill, but a necessary one.
There is something about the way these characters huddle together in that carriage that feels suffocating. It’s not just the tight space. It’s the way they hold their breath, hoping to keep their fake reputations intact while the world is literally burning outside.
Watching the way the bourgeois travelers look at Boule de suif—like she’s a piece of furniture that might be dirty—is the best and worst part of the film. It’s incredibly observant. You can see the shift in their eyes the second they realize they actually need her to solve their problem.
It reminds me a bit of the social maneuvering in Gold Diggers of Broadway, but with all the joy sucked out of the room. Here, the singing is replaced by a heavy, looming silence.
There’s this one moment where someone is eating, and the sound just… lingers. It’s almost aggressive. It’s a small detail, but it tells you everything about who these people are. They aren't just hungry; they’re entitled.
The pacing doesn't rush. It forces you to sit in the muck with them. I found myself wanting to reach into the screen and just shake the whole lot of them. The hypocrisy is thick enough to cut with a knife.
The film doesn't try to be pretty. It doesn't need to be. It’s sharp, it’s nasty, and it doesn't give you a clean exit. It just ends, leaving you with that sour taste of reality. 🙄
It’s funny, I thought about The Inner Struggle while watching this, though the conflict here isn't internal—it’s entirely external and social. They are fighting themselves, really.
Not a film for a Friday night when you want to feel good. But for a Tuesday night when you want to feel something real? Yeah, watch this.
