The Duke of Burgundy

Pals, let’s gab about “The Duke of Burgundy”, the 2014 flick by Peter Strickland that makes your head spin in the good, lotsa wine way. Now, we’ve got Chiara D’Anna and Sidse Babett Knudsen, two talented actresses playing lovers in a dreamy, almost claustrophobic world that feels like a forgotten fairy tale whispered in your ear at Midsommar.

I watched it on a Thursday night, last March, with a good mate. We had been messing around with trying to make Sill (pickled herring) all day… don’t ask. But as we sat down and the film rolled, our conversation quieted like you do when you sense you’re watching something special. And boy, it’s a unique piece! It’s lush and visual and… strange?

Strickland nails that retro vibe. You feel like you’ve found an old VHS in your grandma’s attic that’s actually hypnotizing you. The film explores power dynamics and intimacy in a kind of cocoon, no men in sight. Now, that’s saying something. It had me thinking about an awkward summer holiday in Öland, speaking to weird dynamics much like a couple ordering different flavors of ice cream and giving each other the side-eye.

But here’s the thing: the film’s pacing can be… tricky. One second you’re entranced by the beauty of butterfly wings, the next you’re kinda zoning out, thinking about that email you forgot to respond to last week. Maybe that’s Strickland’s point, to make you ponder your own… something or other?

To be honest, I’m not 100% sure what I took away from it. But maybe you don’t need to label or dissect it like Strömming at a Christmas table. Just soak in those haunting sights and sounds. Watch it, if you dare, with someone who wouldn’t mind a bit of mystery. Fika first, though—it’s heavy fare.

Check the trailer below