Bed Scenes

Seven brief scenes, each with a couple, explore the surprises and the changes of heart that can occur during sexual encounters. Only one of the seven couples has been in bed together before; several are strangers or new acquaintances. A prostitute and her john, an older woman and a youth who follows her home, two women friends, a gay man with a straight man, a man with distinctive ideas about soap and water, a woman who wants the light left on, and a Spanish-speaking woman with a French-speaking man make for an array of possibilities and unanticipated consequences. The 7 bed scenes are titled: The Black Hole [Le trou noir]; Mr. Clean [Monsieur Propre]; Madame; Heads or Tails [Tête bêche]; The Ideal Man [L'homme idéal]; Love in the Dark [L'amour dans le noir]; and The Virgins [Les puceaux].

Directed by François Ozon, Bed Scenes leans on a strong ensemble — Valérie Druguet, François Delaive, Philippe Dajoux — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about drama titles of 1998.