Opening Statement

My expectations were both resoundly met and subverted in interesting ways. The film’s structure is as rigid as you might imagine, but I did not expect Jeanne Dielman to be both so engaging and hypnotic. Akerman smartly decided to front load the signature style, with almost two hours before it breaks its routines, allowing her to play with the audience – by Aaron Pinkston, May 8, 2017

Messy, Complicated Feminism

Jeanne Dielman is often referred to as a feminist film—a feminist masterpiece, even. But it’s a film that defies easy analysis and categorization. Is it enough for a film to be about a woman occupying a feminine space with an all female crew to reach feminist-hood? I think yes, but as other scholars and critics have pointed out, it’s got its problems – by Felicia Elliott, May 9, 2017

The Liberation of Jeanne Dielman

Her right hand is stained with blood. A streak of blood stains her white blouse. She breathes slowly, but otherwise appears completely still. Over the course of a few minutes, subtle expressions waft across her face. Is that a smile I see? Is that satisfaction? Or is it regret? The film ends. No questions are answered – by Alex Moore, May 10, 2017

Scenessential: Hypnotic Rhythm

Certainly, the film’s ending elicits the most obvious emotional response—shock chief among them—but a moment early on registered similarly. It’s not shocking, but it conveys the film’s m.o. in a clear, blunt way that nonetheless hits you – by John Gilpatrick, May 11, 2017

Related Review: No Home Movie

Not a documentary in any traditional sense of the term, No Home Movie doesn’t reckon with the Holocaust in any detail. Instead of probing interviewees and illustrating historical details through narration, it depends on the viewer to make emotional and thematic connections based on snippets of reality. It shares with Jeanne Dielman a neutral handling of space and time – by Patrick Brown, May 12, 2017

The Cinessential Podcast, Ep. 15

The Cinessential editors John Gilpatrick and Aaron Pinkston talk about feminist masterpiece Jean Dielman, 23 Commerce Quay, 1080 Brussels. Topics include: the film's unique pace and aesthetic, how the film's reputation met their expectations, and their interpretations of the ending – by The Cinessential, May 12, 2017