By 1991, Laura Mulvey’s theory of the "male gaze" had become academic currency. Breillat, ever the provocateur, decides to literalize it. Pierre is the ultimate spectator—a man who has seen so much violence and depravity that he can no longer achieve arousal through normal sexuality. He has regressed to a primal state of voyeurism. He wants not a lover, but an image.
Claude Brasseur delivers a fearless performance as Georges. He allows himself to look vulnerable and pathetic, capturing the tragedy of an older man gripped by a passion he can neither control nor afford. Dirty Like an Angel -Catherine Breillat- 1991-