Romance (1999 film)

Romance (Romance X) is a 1999 French arthouse film written and directed by Catherine Breillat. It stars Caroline Ducey, Rocco Siffredi, Sagamore Stévenin and François Berléand. The film features explicit copulation scenes, especially one showing Ducey's coitus with Siffredi. Romance is one of several arthouse films featuring explicit, unsimulated sex, along with The Brown Bunny (2003), 9 Songs (2004) and All About Anna (2005).

Plot
Marie, a school teacher, is in a romantic relationship with Paul, but she is disappointed in his comparative lack of interest in sexual activity. One morning, Marie drives to a bar, where she meets Paolo; the two later have sex.

One day, Roberto, the headmaster, brings Marie to her house. The two begin engaging in BDSM until Marie asks him to stop, though she confesses to have imagined what it's like to be bound and implies that she enjoyed being gagged. On the way home, a man rapes Marie in the stairway; he leaves right as Paul returns, but the latter does not see her.

Upon returning home after a session with Roberto, Paul demonstrates interest in sex and manages to accidentally impregnate Marie. After one checkup during which the doctor reveals the baby's gender, the couple have sex for the first time in months – but also last.

After an unhappy night out to a bar, Marie wakes up about to go into labor but Paul is out cold. Frustrated, she turns on the gas and leaves, with Roberto driving her to the hospital. She successfully delivers the child and as expected, Paul dies in the gas explosion. As his coffin is being lowered into the ground, Marie watches from a distance, the baby in her arms.

Cast

 * Caroline Ducey as Marie
 * Sagamore Stévenin as Paul
 * François Berléand as Robert
 * Rocco Siffredi as Paolo
 * Ashley Wanninger as Ashley
 * Emma Colberti as Charlotte
 * Fabien de Jomaron as Claude

Production
In an interview with The Post, Catherine Breillat appeared to confirm the rumors of actual on-set sex. "An actor never pretends," she said. "At the same time, I'm not perverse. I don't impose on my actors or actresses any more than is absolutely necessary. But I don't pretend. I don't simulate. The deal was, we'd go as far as we had to, as far as the film required." Caroline Ducey accepted the part of Marie knowing that 'going all the way' was written into her contract. Apparently, Ducey began the film thinking that it would also be an exit from the sexual relationship she was in, but then decided while it was being made that she wanted to stay with her boyfriend. By the end, she was in a state of considerable distress.

Release and classification
In Europe, Romance was released mainstream; in the United States, it was reduced to a mainstream-acceptable R rating, and the European original version is unrated. In the United Kingdom, the British Board of Film Classification passed the film uncut for cinemas, though home releases suffered a brief cut to an ejaculation shot.

In March 2004, the original version was broadcast on late-night German public television. In Australia, the original version was broadcast uncut on cable television network World Movies. Although initially refused classification, it was eventually awarded an R18+ on appeal. It singlehandedly paved the way for actual sex to be accommodated in the R18+ classification in Australia.

In Canada, particularly in Alberta and the Maritimes, the film's explicit sexual content was seen as gratuitous and it was given an A rating and XXX rating in those regions. In June 2008, in the Netherlands, the original version was broadcast on Dutch public TV by VPRO as one of a series of Erotica arthouse cinema.