WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD. So if you don’t want it ruined then I recommend you go watch the film and come back here.

From its opening credits it’s obvious that the audience is about to see something…different. Eye-catching credits to perfumery and lingerie in indulgent velvety fonts sets the tone of what’s to come. Or so one would think.  I went in thinking 70’s inspired sex farce or some misinformed notions of S&M might be what I’m in for, but that’s certainly not what I got.

I entered, instead, into an almost fairytale like world of lush greenness and peaceful sounds of nature. The film has certainly been inspired by strange British dramas of the 70s, the original The Wicker Man springs to mind. That sense of something sinister bubbling under the surface of this seemingly idyllic existence. The world of The Duke of Burgundy shares that same feeling but also a definite oddness beginning with an inability for the audience to place it’s setting in time. It first appears that Burgundy is not of our time as there appears to be little to no modern technology except for electricity. But it could be argued otherwise as the wardrobe of characters range from victorian modesty to sexy secretary. The oddity continues as its soon revealed that this world is entirely inhabited by only women who apparently all share the same occupation of being entomologists (the study of butterflies. That is where the film gets it name, from a species of butterfly) and spend their free time attending such lectures about these insects. Think a gothic inspired lesbian 70’s Midsummer `Murders.

A wholly female cast normalises the relationships these women have with each other. Burgundy successfully contradicts the hetero-normative perspective of sexual relationships by removing comparisons. The film becomes about a specific relationship between two women and thus like Love Is Strange able to explore the specificities and present them as universal themes to the audience. Who hasn’t been so devoted to someone that you shove aside your needs to accommodate them?

The players in this tale of love are two of the all female entomologists, the formidably cruel Cynthia played by the outstanding Sidse Babett Knudsen and her abused maid Evelyn powerfully portrayed by Chiara D’Anna. We are invited to watch the daily ritual of degradation and punishment as Cynthia takes glee in humiliating and punishing Evelyn for the most minor infringement. All administered with an overtly sexual overtone. Most of those punishments are hinted at rather than shown and it becomes apparent why later.

The scenes repeat themselves with minor changes as it becomes clear that the two women’s relationship runs deeper than the abusive employer/employee dynamic. They are actually a couple. Engaged in consensual ritual games of dominance and subserviency. What is most intriguing is that it is D’Anna’s Evelyn who is the orchestrator of this fantasy world; the script, the clothes and punishments are all her doing and the devoted Cynthia plays along. The film explores how the role of dominatrix takes a toll on Cynthia, as it becomes evident that her preferred ideas of intimacy are much softer and loving. The film has great fun in exploring the tension between these two conflicting ideas of this couple’s love.

In amongst the lush set design, the exquisite sound and cinematography and the potent eroticism is the intimate examination of this couple’s relationship which director Peter Strickland describes as:

 A simple love story of a deeply devoted couple who’s sexual intimacies are rarely in harmony

Under all it’s oddity, eroticism and stylised beauty The Duke of Burgundy is just that – an exploration of intimacy and compromise.

 The Duke of Burgundy is richly complex and much of the is down to the meticulous detail in its cinematography and sound. No detail has been left untouched in the set design, the shots, the lighting, the colours. Accompanied by equally enveloping sound design (no surprise from the guy who brought us the most probably best film about sound The Berberian Sound Studio), the world of The Duke of Burgundy is all enveloping and hopelessly easy to get lost in.

Complimenting this strange new world is the remarkable central performances. So much so that however outlandish the words being spoken – a scene that centres around the couple’s possible purchase of a human toilet*  – are spoken with such conviction that while funny to hear doesn’t seem that outlandish, particularly within the context of the world in which they live.

I was particularly blown away by Sidse Babett Knudsen work that had me thinking about her character in particular long after the film had finished (not in that way guys, even though she is a smashing looking lady). The subtle shift in her character from somebody the audience is initially introduced to as a probable villain – a particularly cruel one – then in some of the film’s funnier moments a nervous amateur (I particularly liked her trying to remember the script and missing her cue, when it’s hinted that her horrible boss is little more than an act) to finally a neglected lover which we can all sympathise was remarkable work. And it was all in the eyes. So assured was Knudsen’s performance, I was convinced that I’d seen her in plenty of other things, but I actually haven’t and will be sure to correct this.

Chiara D’Anna, also almost unknown to me bar Berberian Sound Studio, held her own as the true dominator in the relationship. Her arousal at her role play is obvious but subtle again relying more on action and facial expression rather than words. The’s film’s script is relatively short for what is essentially melodrama. Instead Strickland, with artistic furore provides  a visual and auditory sensation to tell the intimate tale of this couple. When I referred earlier to much of the more explicit intimacies being referred to rather than shown I think that this is what sets The Duke of Burgundy apart from the usual erotic fare. Burgundy is indeed erotic, it’s very sensual but it is never explicit. which in my opinion makes it very smart. There is no nudity and the sex scenes that are there are filmed in a tasteful way. In essence the film is about sex but moreso the emotional aspect of it and The Duke of Burgundy finds that genuine emotion, unbridled passion and sexual connection between two people with striking sensous imagery rather than explicit sex scenes. (If ugly mechanical sex is what you’re looking for you’ve lucked out here, however, Nymphomaniac calls!). He may or may not have meant to, but Strickland has created a rare thing – a sexy female friendly film that everyone can relate to. It looks and sounds beautiful to boot.

The Duke of Burgundy is a must see. Don’t be fooled by 50 Shades of Grey comparisons because neither exist in the same sphere. The Duke of Burgundy is a smart, sensual exploration of relationships and has set Peter Strickland up to be an essential British filmmaker of our times. Watch it on the big screen where it was made to be seen!

The Duke of Burgundy is on limited release across cinemas in the UK.

*whatever the hell a human toilet might be. I thank Strickland and Co from the very bottom of my heart that there were never any actual demonstrations or visual examples provided.