Main Cast: Jean-Hugues Anglade, Béatrice Dalle, Gérard Darmon, Consuelo de Havilland, Clémentine Célarié
Release Year: 1986
Country: FR
Run Time: 121 minutes
MPAA Rating: NR
Plot
Jean-Jacques Beineix's Betty Blue stars Béatrice Dalle as the title character, a mentally unbalanced and sexually aggressive free spirit who becomes involved with Zorg (Jean-Hugues Anglade), a repairman moonlighting as a writer. The two engage in a variety of sexual encounters, and grow more passionate toward each other. Betty finds Zorg's book and is aggressively supportive; over time, her mental and emotional instability begin to catch up with her and drive her to the point of romantic obsession with Zorg -- leading to a grisly and shocking conclusion. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
Vincent Lindon - Policeman Richard; Jacque Mathou - Bob; Claude Confortes - Bungalow Owner; Philippe Laudenbach - Guneco Publisher; Raoul Billerey - Old policeman; Claude Aufaure - Doctor; André Julien - Old Georges; Nathalie Dalyan - Maria; Louis Bellanti - Mario; Bernard Robin - Renter No. 2; Nicolas Jalowyj - Little Nicolas; Dominique Besnehard
Credit
Elisabeth Tavernier - Costume Designer, Jean-Jacques Beineix - Director, Monique Prim - Editor, Gabriel Yared - Composer (Music Score), Judith Gayo - Makeup, Carlos Conti - Production Designer, Jean-François Robin - Cinematographer, Jean-Jacques Beineix - Producer, Claudie Ossard - Producer, Jacques Leguillon - Set Designer, Jean-Francois Cousson - Special Effects, Georges Demetreau - Special Effects, Jean-Jacques Beineix - Screenwriter, Philippe Djian - Book Author
Betty Blue is a 1986French film. Its original French title is 37°2 le matin, which means "37.2°C in the Morning". (37.2°C [99°F] is the normal morning temperature of a pregnant woman.) The film was directed by Jean-Jacques Beineix and stars Béatrice Dalle as Betty. It is based on the 1985 novel of the same name by Philippe Djian.
Betty (Dalle) and Zorg (Anglade) are passionate lovers who live in a shack on the beach. He works as a handyman who does odd jobs to pay the bills. As the film begins, they have only been dating for a week and are in a very passionate stage of their relationship. Zorg narrates the story of their relationship via voiceover. He describes Betty, “like a flower with translucent antennae and a mauve plastic heart.” She yearns for a better life and quit her last job as a waitress because she was being sexually harassed by her boss.
Zorg's boss asks him to paint the 500 shacks that populate the beach — a fact that he keeps from Betty who thinks they only have to do one. She attacks the project with enthusiasm that quickly turns to anger once she learns the actual number. In response, Betty covers the boss’ car with pink paint.
During a nasty fight, Betty accidentally discovers a series of notebooks that contain a novel Zorg wrote years ago. She reads it and falls in love with him even more. She then makes it her mission in life to type every hand-written page and get it published. Betty's free spirited nature and devotion to Zorg develop into alarming obsession, aggression and destructiveness, and the film alternates between comic and tragic modes.
