I was in the Fnac looking for a DVD, and I noticed a category for one type of movie: Charme.What kind of film is a "Charme?" I wondered. Sounds so beguiling and sweet.
Sometimes I'm so naive.
Upon closer inspection it was clear that these "charming" productions are the steamy X-rated variety. Puts a new twist to the meaning of "lucky."
I loved the euphemism, but I decided to move right along to another aisle.
I researched and found the vocab for other categories of films from my neighborhood video store. I can't figure out the difference between "humour" and "comédie." And "emotion" films are, ah, stories of true (or false) love.
Action/Aventure
Court-Metrage
Dessins animes/Famille
Comédie
Documentaire
Emotion
Fantastique/SF
Grands Classiques
Guerre
Horreur
Humour
Musique
Série TV
Sport
Theatre
Thriller/Policier
Western
Walt Disney
6 comments:
K- I'm game- -- other than, I suppose, the obvious connection (she is, indeed charming), WHAT could "charme" possiblement have in common with skin flix?
Aide-moi!
In the dim recesses of my memory, there's a line from Zazie Dans le Métro: the police stop and ask her father what he does for a living, to which he modestly replies "Danseuse de charme". It stuck because it was a rather striking thing to read as an impressionable teenager..
I knew about charme from a French photo magazine (Photo, I think) that used to have an annual contest where readers submitted their photos. A special edition of the magazine showed the top entries by category: sport, tourisme, nature, etc., and charme. (I think there may have been a separate category for nudes.)
Yeah, "charme" is an euphemism for "nude in a more or less arty way but with an erotic content". This includes among other things photography, dance (strippers), and of course movies.
Those movies are not X rated (the Fnac can't sell those (well, I never actually checked, but I really doubt it)) but soft core stuff like "Emmanuelle" and other movies that were very popular in the 70's-80's.
I guess I don't understand what "X rated" is in France, David. Whoa!
Is there a next level beyond "charme"? Can't wait to discover that nuance.
I love the "danseuse de charme" description, Autolycus. Time to re-read or re-view 'Zazie': a classic.
Personally, I love the "Emotion" label for tender stories.
Well "X Rated" in France is the same thing than "X Rated" in the US.
But "charme" is softcore. You don't see any genitalia and the sexual acts are usually simulated and the films are forbidden for kids under 16, not 18 (that is X rated).
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