The film's impact relies heavily on its fearless lead performances:
Here is a factual, critical report on the film, its versions, and its controversial status. ma mere 2004 nc 17 uncut english subs
Louis Garrel’s Pierre is the vessel of the audience’s discomfort. He begins the film as a repressed innocent, eyes wide with judgment and fear. As the film progresses, particularly in the uncut sequences which explore the boundaries of his sexuality, Garrel portrays a shattering of the self. It is difficult to watch because it is not played as liberation, but as a possession. Pierre’s descent is a collapse of identity; he loses his soul to find his body, and the tragedy is that the trade-off leaves him with nothing. The film's impact relies heavily on its fearless