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Highly Overrated But Still Good

good back-story, and good acting

Fantastic!

what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.

I remember vaguely having heard the music of this film when I was a child, a wonderful score composed by Francis Lai. After waiting so many years to watch this movie, I was quite disappointed; the director (photographer David Hamilton) was able to create a dream-like atmosphere for the film, but that's about it. "Bilitis" is an almost plot less, erotic feature about a teenage girl who is confused about her sexuality (she is attracted to both girls and boys). Patty D'Arbanville plays the main role with a certain charm and naivety, but the rest of the characters are completely flat and uninteresting. Nevertheless, there is an acute sense of romance and nostalgic longing in this movie, plus the unforgettable soundtrack and fine cinematography (reminded me of impressionist paintings...) Rating: 5/10

One must understand this film in the light of its background. In the 1970s the success of the sexual revolution in Europe had made things possible in mainstream film that perhaps would be frowned at today. David Hamilton was a photographer that made a name for himself with hyper-romantic images of mostly young teens. He developed a technique that involved copious amounts of vaseline on the lens to create a unique blurred effect. Out of this success the desire was born to translate his trademark style to film.As basis for the film an older story about an innocent young girl discovering and exploring her sexuality was used, but the storyline is largely inconsequential since it merely serves as a framework for Hamilton's soft focus tableaux. The result is that the film feels a bit like pink cotton candy: overly sweet and insubstantial. That it still remains palatable is due to just the pretty images and the excellent musical score by Francis Lai.

I remember I watched this movie when it 1st came out - 1977I was only a kid then!!! The story and how it was filmed was like a 'mystery' to me until a few years following that, I was sent to a boarding school in England.But that wasn't the end - I was fasinated that I was going to experience the life of Bilitis - but it happened it was nothing like it - and the memory of watching Bilitis remains as mystery to me until today!The music of the original soundtrack - till today - fresh and inviting to all ages.

I must have seen this movie on some early subscription service like ON TV or Spectravision, before super explicit pay services or video. I had to have been 18, and the fact that it was in french made it even more exotic. All i remembered all these years was the name of the actresss. It's how I located the title, so i must have fallen in love with Patti D'Arbanville around this time. Maybe Don Johnson did too.