A 1975 masterpiece that was once considered a slow, unconventional drama has now been crowned the greatest film ever made. The movie, Jeanne Dielman, 23 Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles, written and directed by Chantal Akerman and starring Delphine Seyrig, chronicles three days in the life of a widowed mother living in Brussels with her teenage son. It premiered at the 1975 Cannes Film Festival and was released in France in January 1976.
From Obscurity to Acclaim
For years, the film was regarded as a slow-paced, unconventional drama. However, nearly 50 years later, critics have declared it the finest film of all time. In 2022, it claimed the top spot in the British Film Institute's Sight and Sound poll, a once-a-decade ranking determined by film critics worldwide. It also boasts an impressive 95% critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Unlike major Hollywood blockbusters, this film does not rely on action sequences or special effects. Instead, it focuses on something far simpler and more unsettling: the meticulous daily routine of its protagonist.
A Slow-Burn Narrative
The narrative develops gradually. Jeanne prepares meals, tidies up, goes shopping, and performs her daily tasks with almost flawless precision. Each afternoon, she welcomes a man into her flat for a brief encounter, concealing the money afterwards. As small errors begin to infiltrate her routine, tension steadily mounts towards a startling final scene.
Filmed over five weeks on location and financed by a $120,000 grant from the Belgian Government, the movie has been reassessed as a landmark of feminist cinema and an early forerunner of "slow cinema." For countless viewers, it has become an absolute must-see.
Critical and Audience Reactions
One Rotten Tomatoes reviewer wrote: "There is a reason this is considered the greatest movie ever made. It is a brutally hard watch because of how real it feels." Another added: "Absolutely deserving of its present status as the greatest film ever made. If you watch it passively, you won't appreciate or enjoy it. It will seem boring or pointless. If you watch it actively and engagedly, you will find it stunning and richly rewarding. And the ending is a whopper!"
A third reviewer commented: "Absolute masterpiece. Mesmerizing. Beautifully shot. Very interesting idea that is well executed. The film has its own pace and makes the monotonous everyday life intriguing and hypnotising." A further viewer noted: "This might be one of my new favourite films! Every frame had meaning and information that built the story. Every moment was essential to the larger message."
Jeanne Dielman, 23 Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles is available to stream on the BFI Player.
