Diary of a Chambermaid

Le Journal d'une femme de chambre, released in English as Diary of a Chambermaid, is a 1964 French-Italian satirical drama that was directed by Spanish filmmaker Luis Buñuel, adapted from Octave Mirbeau's 1900 novel of the same name. Jeanne Moreau plays Célestine, a Parisian chambermaid who takes a post at a provincial estate in Normandy, where she must rely on her wits and allure to handle the perversion, corruption and violence simmering among her employers and their circle. Set between the two world wars, the film offers a biting portrait of the reactionary French provincial bourgeoisie, reading their entrenched traditions as signs of emerging fascism. Although it carries Buñuel's characteristic anti-bourgeois edge, it ranks among his most realistic works, largely dispensing with the surrealist imagery and improbable twists typical of his other films. It also marked the first screenwriting partnership between Buñuel and Jean-Claude Carrière, who extensively reshaped the source novel and went on to collaborate on Belle de Jour, The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie and other celebrated films.