The Duke of Burgundy follows Cynthia, a strict and controlling entomologist, and Evelyn, her devoted assistant and lover, who live together in a secluded, timeless world dominated by the study of butterflies and moths. Their relationship is structured around elaborate BDSM rituals. Beneath the carefully constructed roles, the story reveals the characters’ emotional vulnerabilities and the challenges of maintaining connection, making the film a tender, meditative exploration of intimacy, trust, and negotiation in relationships.

The Duke of Burgundy (Hamearis lucina) is a small orange and brown springtime butterfly that is found in England only with a stronghold in central-southern areas and more isolated colonies in the southern Lake District and the North York Moors. The Duke of Burgundy butterfly’s wings are striking but also patterned in a way that suggests structure and containment. This duality mirrors the film’s interplay between freedom and confinement, pleasure and ritual, and the aesthetic beauty of their S&M dynamics versus the emotional constraints beneath them.

“Would a human toilet be a suitable compromise?”

THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY
THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY
Storbritannia 2014
Regi: Peter Strickland
Medv: Sidse Babett Knudsen, Chiara D'Anna, Eugenia Caruso, Zita Kraszkó, Monica Swinn
Spilletid: 104 min
Språk: Engelsk (norsk tekst)
Aldersgrense: 15 år
Omtale: Court Ropp

Trivia
After the cast of actresses are finished in the credits, there is a cast of Featured Insects in Order of Appearance.