L'etreinte

L'etreinte

1969 · 103 min · ★ 4.3 · Adventure, Drama, Romance

L’Étreinte (1969) is a sharp, provocative Franco-Belgian psychological drama that masterfully subverts power dynamics through an erotic lens. Heavily inspired by The Story of O, the film tracks Gisèle, an innocent runaway who becomes a housemaid—and subsequent sex slave—to Michel, a wealthy playboy. What begins as a classic tale of bourgeois exploitation takes a radical turn when a visiting friend awakens Gisèle to her own alienation. In a striking third-act shift, the film flips the master-servant dynamic, leaving the oppressor completely subjugated by his former victim..

Directed by Paul Collet

Your Rating

Where to Watch

Streaming

Rent or Buy

Cast

Make it a double feature

3h 47m together

L'etreinte

The Breach

Both from Paul Collet.

More from Paul ColletSee all →

Daughters of Darkness

Daughters of Darkness · 1971

Daughters of Darkness

MovieDramaHorror

Ostend, Belgium. In a decadent seaside hotel, Stefan and Valerie, a newlywed couple, meet the mysterious Countess Báthory and Ilona, her secretary.

The Breach

The Breach · 1970

An innocent woman falls prey to her abusive husband, his wealthy father and a shady family friend.

Because of the Cats

Because of the Cats · 1973

Because of the Cats

MovieDramaCrime

A gang of six wealthy, well-dressed and well-spoken hoodlums break into a married couple's house and rape the wife while forcing the husband to watch. Thus begins a dogged investigation by a determined detective who quickly finds that their cult-like solidarity can be a serious obstacle to breaking them.

Death of a Nun

Death of a Nun · 1975

Crippled as a young girl, Sabine vows to become a nun if cured. But when it turns out the original diagnosis was faulty and she regains the use of her legs, she decides to marry instead. Wreaked with guild when her first child is stillborn, Sabine enters a monastery where her sister Gertrude also resides. But after her sister dies of an illness, Sabine leaves the nuns behind and travels to India seeking peace.

Louise, One Word of Love

Louise, One Word of Love · 1972

Louise, One Word of Love

MovieDramaRomance

The young Isabelle escapes from the orphanage and she adopted by two chaps on a caravan. They then meet by chance the posh family of Louise- who runs away with the three adventurers when confronted with the reality of having to marry a Belgian with a large moustache and a bald head. They find a dog. Later Louisa degenerates into a minor moment of sexual hedonism and multiplexing with the two chaps before they are all overwhelmed by the Armageddon that was WWI.

Appointment in Bray

Appointment in Bray · 1971

Appointment in Bray

MovieDramaMusic

In 1917, the First World War is raging. Julien is from Luxemburg, so instead of having to go to war he studies piano in Paris. One day his friend Jacques, also a musician and now a fighter pilot on the front, invites him to spend a few days in his family's empty house in Bray. The housekeeper, a beautiful stoic woman lets Julien in, but his friend is late and he is obliged to wait. In the meantime, he starts reminiscing of the pre-war days spent with his friend and Jacques' girlfriend Odile.

Cash? Cash!

Cash? Cash! · 1968

MovieActionCrime

When a ruthless businessman tries to blackmail a rival industrialist over the seduction of his daughter, Karin, the rival fights back. To protect his reputation, he hires a rebellious gang of Provos to take scandalous photographs of Karin to destroy her innocent image. However, inner-gang betrayal and unexpected romance soon turn the blackmail scheme upside down.

Het Beest

Het Beest · 1982

When he finds out that his company has expropriated his own mother, a successful young manager gets deeply upset. Money and power now have a different meaning. He needs to struggle against his own self and stake everything in order to reorganize true values in his life. His career is at stake. When his mother dies in the pension she's been put, his point of limit is reached. He feels responsible and takes revenge through terrorist actions. The beast explodes.

More Like This

Double Lover

Double Lover · 2017

MovieRomanceThriller

Chloé, a fragile young woman, falls in love with her psychoanalyst, Paul. A few months later she moves in with him, but soon discovers that her lover is concealing a part of his identity.

The Canterbury Tales

The Canterbury Tales · 1972

The Canterbury Tales

MovieComedyHistory

Glimpses of Chaucer penning his famous work are sprinkled through this re-enactment of several of his stories.

Wild Orchid

Wild Orchid · 1989

MovieDramaRomance

A woman lawyer becomes mesmerized by a self-made millionaire during an encounter in Rio setting off a series of erotic encounters.

Rate this film

Your ratings make Midnight smarter