Betty Blue (37°2 le matin) (NR)

synopsis

An intimate epic of obsessive love, "Betty Blue" is the story of Zorg, an aspiring novelist who gets by as a handyman at a dilapidated beach resort, and Betty, a beautiful, unpredictable temptress who turns his life upside down. When Betty and Zorg are not having wild and uninhibited sex, Zorg is writing his novel, an unpublished masterwork that Betty discovers and vehemently champions. Betty, prone to violent fits of passionate rage, attacks Zorg's boss and burns their shack down, leaving Zorg no choice but to join her on a series of spirited adventures. They move in with Betty's best friend and her boyfriend and for a brief time live a happy bohemian lifestyle, wild and crazy in love. But as the film progresses, Betty's mental illness becomes more apparent, she lives in a fitful manic world of passionate highs and lows while Zorg desperately attempts to coddle and comfort her. Finally, the lovers start over in a dreamy rural town, hoping to live a normal life, but Betty's fantasy world encroaches on her reality as she slowly spirals out of control.