The camera in Jeanne Dielman, 23 Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles is low, and the frame often feels a bit narrow. This is limiting for us viewers, but not for Jeanne Dielman , who is free to walk out of the frame and out of our sight without the camera following her. The film shows us a character's daily life in rigorous detail, but it doesn't feel voyeuristic. There is no pleasure derived from the sense that we're seeing something not intended for our eyes. We have no power, and our attention is directed less toward people than to processes and a particular balance of objects. This is all more important than the plot, which can be summarized as follows: A woman named Jeanne Dielman does errands, cares for a friend's baby, and cooks dinner for her son, adhering to a strict routine. She makes money through prostitution, taking one client each day. The film takes place over the course of three days in Jeanne's life, and on the third day she br...
"We are in the world, not against it." - Ursula K. Le Guin