Pretty Good

This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

A very beautiful, elegant and poetic film. Far more enjoyable than I expected (I worried that I would have to sit through another Lancelot du Lac) and far better than the reputation of Mrr. Borowczyk suggests. I wish Walerian Borowczyk retired after making this one – as judging from Blanche and preceding Goto, as well as from his animations we could think of him as of great talent who did not direct enough films, but instead we have what we have - Franco-Polish equivalent of Tinto Brass. Blanche is a really nice film - following certain trends of Pasolini's Trilogy of Life and precursor of similar medieval undertakings of both Rohmer and Bresson, alas, he traded respectability for commercial success – churning art porn exercises at alarming speed. With the exception of the Story of the Sin - all of his erotic output is just cold, nighttime entertainment, Arty soft-core, or Soft-core art but incomparable to Blanche and Goto.

Though fans of European cinema are most likely to remember the erotic art films of Walerian Borowczyk, "Blanche" purposely avoids explicit sexuality. In fact, the film is a tragic tale of love and lust sans the nudity and sex.(The only nude scene takes place at the very beginning when Blanche is getting out of her bath.) The plot concerns the Blanche, the young wife of a much older lord, and the tragedy that is the offspring of 4 men's love for her. Her stepson (a very handsome young man) is pure of heart and is madly in love with her. When he expresses his feelings toward her, she refuses to return them out of loyalty to her husband. Thus, Blanche is a very naive and dedicated woman. However, when the king and his page arrive Blanche is faced with their affections for her...The story avoids the cliché "happily ever after" ending. In fact, the only survivor in the whole tale is the king. What begins as a light and airy tale ends on a bleak note. Fans of Borowczyk or European cinema in general should look this film up. It isn't a very fast paced or action filled tale, but the story is very well structured and effective. It is a shame that films aren't made in this vein anymore.

This is an extraordinary firm. Ethereal is a word to describe Blanche, the beautiful young wife of the aged master of this gloomy French castle. When the King and his entourage come to stay, the King and his page inevitably fall for her naive charm. Her stepson, whose love for her is strong and pure, steps in to defend her honour.Blanche is the innocent victim of these mens affection, and with all this testosterone boiling in the pressure cooker-like environment of the castle, it is inevitable that an avalanche of tragedy should fall upon them. Ultimately, of the main characters, only the King is left unscathed.This simple age-old plot is depicted in an equally simple, yet refreshingly down-to-earth manner, free from overdramatic soundtracks or unnecessary special effects. It leaves one with a good insight into the spartan lives of people in the middle ages. I particularly enjoyed the music and can recommend this film to all those who have a love of history or who are tired of mainstream cinema.

Blanche is an example of Continental 70's film making at its most colourful, adventurous and luschious. See this medieval fantasy as a precursor of all those artless attempts to evoke times of mythic romance and violence that fail to pleasure the senses as this does. A directorial triumph. Recommended to those wishing to indulge their cinematic senses.