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Belle de jour
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Belle de jour

Belle de jour

1967
Drama
1h 40m
Severine is a beautiful young woman married to a doctor. She loves her husband dearly, but cannot bring herself to be physically intimate with him... (imdb)

Directed by:

Luis Buñuel

Screenwriter:

Jean-Claude Carrière, Luis Buñuel, Joseph Kessel

Starring:

Catherine Deneuve, Michel Piccoli, Pierre Clémenti, Françoise Fabian, Macha Méril, Jean Sorel, Geneviève Page, Muni, Michel Charrel, Claude Cerval, Francis Blanche, Francisco Rabal

Genre:

Drama

AKA:

Beauty of the Day

Countries:

France, Italy

Languages:

Spanish, French
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Belle de jour

1967
Drama
1h 40m
Your probable score
Ratings & Reviews Cast Collections Similar Stats Trailer
Avg Percentile 70.6% from 2047 total ratings
Ratings & Reviews Cast Collections Similar Stats Trailer

Ratings & Reviews

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alex_watkinsAlex Watkins
Rated 31 Dec 2009
3
38th
A very interesting, if somewhat dry, take on sexual perversity and escapism, that touches on several other interesting themes - misogyny, societal attitudes towards sexuality, perception, et al. It plays out rather conventionally, and lacks any particular stylistic flair, but Severine's mysterious fascination and pursuit of sexual awakening, and the movie's occasional sense of humor give it a boost. I look forward to seeing more by Bunuel.
Rated 31 Dec 2009
billkerwinbillkerwin
Rated 14 Mar 2010
100
99th
A beautiful and enigmatic film. Surrealism in a high-class bordello . . . what could be more enticing? This is Bunuel at the the height of his powers, when--with a style as deceptively simple as Howard Hawks'--he causes the reveries and jokes of the unconscious mind to materialize within a realistic narrative as naturally and casually as the appearance of the sitcom neighbor next door. Also . . Catharine Deneuve-and this is saying a lot--has never been more beautiful.
Rated 14 Mar 2010
coheedCoheed
Rated 03 Jan 2011
40
14th
With the exception of Un Chien Andalou (1929) and L Age d or (1930), I have really not gotten Luis Bunuel at all. This is his most accessible film so far from what I have seen, with clear themes and ideas, but it was also extremely dull for me to sit through. Blasphemous maybe, but I feel that there are people who could take these ideas into far more interesting places than him.
Rated 03 Jan 2011
kasperlKasperL
Rated 01 Feb 2010
80
86th
Before Lynch, Buñuel was the undisputed master of creating atmospheric states able to suggest that the action takes place somewhere between reality and a dream. Applying this sort of atmosphere to sexual fantasy works very well here, even if the story is relatively simple.
Rated 01 Feb 2010
purgatospurgatos
Rated 18 Jan 2009
84
80th
This is well done by Buñuel, but I feel like I've seen most of this elsewhere. It's just earlier stuff in a slicker, sexier package. Not to say it's not great(the fantasies and ending particularly were), it just doesn't offer anything new as far as I could see.
Rated 18 Jan 2009
eveeluneveelun
Rated 18 Nov 2008
88
96th
Bunuel is in top form here, skewering the aristocratic circle with relentlessly cynical humor that reveals disdain mixed with fascination. The dreamy surrealism fits in very well, and the ending is just perfect.
Rated 18 Nov 2008
cclzaCCLZA
Rated 03 May 2008
90
95th
Buñuel's peak on style is here. One of the finest examples of surrealism, where memory, dreams and reality convey in a single moment. Deneuve is untoppable.
Rated 03 May 2008
martintellerMartinTeller
Rated 09 Feb 2007
77
60th
I was engaged by the story, intrigued by the fantasy sequences, and I thought the mysterious, ambiguous ending was superb and almost made up for the lack of anything particularly special during the first 90 minutes. Almost. Bunuel's a bit too repetitive, he covers this same ground elsewhere. Skewering the bourgeois, exploring sexual perversity, man's subjugation of woman -- been there, done that.
Rated 09 Feb 2007
yiannosYiannos
Rated 12 Nov 2017
83
95th
Belle De Jour is surely one of best films ever made about the complex relationship between class and desire that is not just a satire of bourgeois mores but also a kind of investigation into the psycho-social character of sexuality as a messy manifestation of performance and impulse. Deneuve is extraordinary as Severine, an upper class woman torn between conflicting lifestyles (of the respectable bourgeois wife and the 'whore') and Bunuel uses her delicate porcelain features to iconic effect.
Rated 12 Nov 2017
staryarabbistaryarabbi
Rated 18 Aug 2015
70
56th
Marcel as a Count Dracula and the fat guy from Asia are loved by Belle because they represent the evil spirit which can awake the sexuality in her, which was suppressed by the bourgeois ethics according to which she lived. The brothel is like the unconscious whereas her home is her conciousness but at the end they get intertwined and Belle's marriage is rescued. Bunuel tells that it is a pathologic life if you always suppress the evil artificially which is against the human nature.
Rated 18 Aug 2015
hamstercanhamstercan
Rated 23 Aug 2013
83
93rd
flawless
Rated 23 Aug 2013
nathan_sNathan S
Rated 20 Apr 2012
3
45th
Good, but rather conventional and unremarkable.
Rated 20 Apr 2012
derdudeDerDude
Rated 20 Feb 2012
10
93rd
Bunuel reveals the inner struggle of a woman unable to be sexually intimate with her husband and beautifully weaves her desires and fantasies into a maze of dreaming and reality.
Rated 20 Feb 2012
rufamRufam
Rated 14 Jul 2011
65
42nd
Probably feels a lot milder now than when first realesed, but some of the power of the themes in "Belle de jour" remains untamed. The dream sequences are intriguing, as is the examination of sexual esapicm, although I often felt that Buñuel could have gone farther in exploring it. Very interesting, but not all that remarkable.
Rated 14 Jul 2011
pickpocketPickpocket
Rated 07 Dec 2010
9
93rd
95% dream, 5% reality.
Rated 07 Dec 2010
bownBown
Rated 11 Aug 2009
85
75th
I liked this a lot when I was younger; it was one of the first non-mainstream films I watched and so kind of opened me up a bit. Not sure whether I'd like it as much now, but the score stands.
Rated 11 Aug 2009
adrianavbadrianavb
Rated 29 Jan 2009
78
88th
Excelent performance by Catherine Deneuve, she's an amazing actor. The editing and the rythm are great.
Rated 29 Jan 2009
peaceanarchyPeaceAnarchy
Rated 10 Dec 2007
77
51st
An interesting exploration of a bourgois woman's fantasies through the eyes of Buñuel. It's good, but while it has some unique Buñuel touches it lacks the visual flair of some of his other films and the tone is a little too serious.
Rated 10 Dec 2007
saucyjacksaucyjack
Rated 04 Jun 2007
89
86th
Hallucinogenic and arousing film with an absolutely stunning Deneuve. However, Bunuel's reliance on fantasies/dreams can become trying at times. I prefer his cinematic ventures with Dali and especially his film "The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie".
Rated 04 Jun 2007
willofgaiawillofgaia
Rated 04 May 2007
70
22nd
As with every other Bunuel movie I've seen, and the first thought the crossed my mind was "So?"
Rated 04 May 2007
myfavchordsmyfavchords
Rated 09 Dec 2024
78
72nd
Catherine Deneuve is great in the lead role in this film. Her performance clearly carries this story. The script has some surprises and is not as simple as it first appears. Overall I would recommend this film.
Rated 09 Dec 2024
indieroxIndieRox
Rated 06 Feb 2024
97
94th
A classic Buñuel film, with a young Catherine Deneuve that is perfect for the role and a French icon of this era.
Rated 06 Feb 2024
rushshirtrushshirt
Rated 04 Sep 2023
6
31st
Buñuel finally has the social buy-in to produce a no-holds-barred exploration of sexuality and possession, replete with dramatic overtones. The result is a peculiarly unsettling work with very little titillation but plenty of surfacing dread, and something darker still.
Rated 04 Sep 2023
glumpy99glumpy_99
Rated 03 Feb 2023
87
79th
Fascinating, remarkably linear (and straightforward) effort from Buñuel serves as glossy tribute to Deneuve, as well as an excuse for Buñuel’s usual pot-shots at the “bourgeoisie”, especially their sexual mores and conservatism (personified in wily Piccoli’s brilliant support work). That it is so straightforward and accessible makes it a more satisfying film, though it arguably sacrifices the mystique of Buñuel’s more surreal efforts; beautifully framed and photographed.
Rated 03 Feb 2023
panzerwolfpanzerwolf
Rated 22 Dec 2022
72
64th
A very multifaceted story that is completely lead, stolen and occupied by the beautiful and talented Catherine Deneuve. The way she reflects innocence, desire and confusion over what it is that she wants is magical and she carries the entire movie. The story itself is not bad, either. I liked how there was a mixture between fantasy and reality. The movie has some beautiful shots and a subdued but effective sound design. Not my usual type of movie, but I liked it.
Rated 22 Dec 2022
shockularSHOCKULAR
Rated 27 Oct 2022
77
64th
A very solid film about a lot of things that I liked more than I usually like Bunuel. There's some surrealism, but it's more accessible than a lot of his stuff, and Cathering Deneuve is amazing. Mostly it seems to be about sexual repression and buried desires. Very well paced--I was never bored, though I couldn't shake the feeling that it could have potentially been even better.
Rated 27 Oct 2022
mike365365mike365365
Rated 27 Aug 2021
54
21st
Maybe it was not boring in 1967.
Rated 27 Aug 2021
larsvontrierLarsVonTrier
Rated 08 Feb 2021
4
93rd
Brilliant.
Rated 08 Feb 2021
jpfergusonJPFerguson
Rated 30 Dec 2020
70
75th
It's easy to see why this is Buñuel's most accessible and thus well know film, it looks spectacular, in particular Deneuve who looks amazing in every single shot. It imprints directly on one's brain, optic nerves abuzz! Sexual desire of the bourgeois-kind when combined with Catholic guilt can only lead to moral torment for the afflicted. But even so, Severine cannot resist, for she must have what she should not/cannot have in order to be truly satisfied. Those greedy bourgeoisie!
Rated 30 Dec 2020
fra_paolofra paolo
Rated 25 Oct 2020
93
94th
More tragic and less religious than my favourite Buñuels, and perhaps a little undervalued by me as a consequence.
Rated 25 Oct 2020
doyler29doyler29
Rated 25 Feb 2020
100
96th
One of a long string on utter masterpieces from Bunuel's late career .... it deals with the deeply irrational side of humanity, and the futility and tragedy of attempting to suppress and deny it.
Rated 25 Feb 2020
ecitizeneCitizen
Rated 24 Dec 2019
50
49th
The basic premise is great. But the weirdness is perplexing. So much of it was strange and confusing. Overall I liked it, but some of it was insane and the ending was really a non sequitur.
Rated 24 Dec 2019
hadleyreisHadleyreis
Rated 04 Nov 2019
80
76th
His wife cost him an arm and two legs
Rated 04 Nov 2019
balseirosbalseiros
Rated 08 Oct 2019
70
40th
Buñuel as always exposing the deep entrails of the bourgeoisie but this time in a movie that very much seems to get lost on its tracks. The exploration of Séverine's psyche and sexuality goes by a remarkable path but takes a questionable turn when we are introduced to Marcel. It's understandable that he is the personification of her desires but his role in the bringing of the end of the movie feels very disconnected with what was being worked on. Neither feminist nor misogynistic but both.
Rated 08 Oct 2019
nathanbatesNathanBates
Rated 29 Sep 2019
60
36th
It would be pretty easy to call this artistic porn, but it's really something else: a surrealistic merging of sexual fantasy and a frigid reality. Most of the characters are basic tropes, while Belle is the only complex character. Of course, Bunuel gets to take shots at the upper class (and gets in a little religion too). It's an uncomfortable film, making viewers wonder if they belong with the boring life that just plods along, or with those who view life a different way.
Rated 29 Sep 2019
napolenbradynapolenbrady
Rated 21 Feb 2019
90
77th
89.50
Rated 21 Feb 2019
p_u_l_pP u l p
Rated 01 Feb 2019
86
95th
The indiscreet life/mind of a bored bourgeois housewife.
Rated 01 Feb 2019
ceekay19Ceekay19
Rated 09 Dec 2018
70
54th
Madame Anais: "I have an idea. Would you like to be called "Belle de Jour"?"
Rated 09 Dec 2018
moraesfelipemoraesfelipe
Rated 10 Feb 2018
80
85th
Buñuel's often bizarre, mundane and daring take on a woman's everyday life dealing with her body, her crazy dreams of torture and the relationship with hideous men -- one of them hires her to pose dead-like in a coffin while he cries, other is a criminal who falls for her and eventually tries to kill her husband, leaving him blind and paralised on a wheelchair (that he saw earlier in the same day on the streets). Imagination is always our best shelter.
Rated 10 Feb 2018
thereeldealthereeldeal
Rated 22 Jul 2017
65
37th
I continue to like the idea of Buñuel more than his actual films. His humiliation of the bourgeois continues in Belle de jour, but there's an additional element I'd not seen before: an actual sympathy towards sexual deviants as people repressed by the expectations of society. Deneuve is turned into a victim herself as the film goes on. I would've liked to see more of this angle and surrealism. Great final act, but I wonder if old films about sex lose their profundity with their provocation.
Rated 22 Jul 2017
cinegeekdecinegeek.de
Rated 21 Apr 2016
93
94th
(...)Luis Bunuel ist einer der grössten Filmemacher aller Zeiten. Ein Surrealist als junger Mann, der die menschliche Natur mit tiefem Zynismus betrachtet - nicht zornig, sondern amüsiert. Er war fasziniert davon, dass unsere Obsessionen eine stärkere Wirkung haben als der freie Wille. In vielen seiner Filme erleben wir, wie die Figuren scheinbar frei handeln - in Wahrheit jedoch nicht.(...)
Rated 21 Apr 2016
caimancaiman
Rated 07 Dec 2015
79
59th
The most "normal" Buñuel film I've seen up to this point. It's kinda like if someone watched Lynch's The Straight Story after having only seen Eraserhead and Mullholand Dr. I was expecting a level of absurd surrealism that never came, and admittedly, that disappointed me just a little. But that's my own fault, of course. Plus the movie did have some ambiguous fantasy sequences. It also had a pretty great story and wonderful acting from Deneuve. Misguided expectations aside, I enjoyed it.
Rated 07 Dec 2015
seydakesenseydakesen
Rated 05 Nov 2015
50
7th
iih. yok. olduramadim.
Rated 05 Nov 2015
judo_koalaJudo Koala
Rated 22 Sep 2015
84
87th
The ease with which Buñuel oscillates between reality and dream lends itself to becoming one of the more indelible atmospheres in surrealistic cinema, one that is often unnerving but never less than dazzling. Buñuel's typical skewering of the social elite remains steadfast here, now told through the filter of of psychosexual erotica while touching upon ideas of fetishism, perversity/complacency, and escapism. Deneuve pushes herself to the edge of comfort in one of her most daring performances.
Rated 22 Sep 2015
neonmanNeonman
Rated 30 Aug 2014
70
38th
I felt some distance with this film, as writing sympathetic upper class characters can be difficult, and this film just about succeeds (though some of the initial characterisation felt underdone). This was certainly an interesting watch without expanding too much on what I know or understand about sexual sadomasochism (and I know and understand a lot about that) and some of the more subtler quirks (the bells?) intrigued me in the right way, though the general surrealism didn't work for me.
Rated 30 Aug 2014
miawallcemiawallce
Rated 20 Mar 2013
97
98th
catherine denevue!
Rated 20 Mar 2013
orchardbluesorchardblues
Rated 17 Mar 2013
100
89th
One of my all-time favorite films, a seductive, erotic, surreal, psycho-sexual masterpiece. Marcel is still one of the most crazy sexy characters ever.
Rated 17 Mar 2013
yesistastyyesistasty
Rated 15 Mar 2013
83
46th
A few images that stood out, perhaps only in the dream sequences. I didn't feel like the characters had much depth. Maybe this is a case of a movie being hindered because it is the well spring of so many cliches
Rated 15 Mar 2013
amadeusAmadeus
Rated 07 Dec 2012
74
77th
second part sux.
Rated 07 Dec 2012
gokcanzgokcanz
Rated 26 Oct 2012
66
46th
* Casting, Acting : 8 * Script : 6 * Directing, Aura : 7 * Ease of Viewing : 6 * Naked Eye : 6
Rated 26 Oct 2012
rocapeRocape
Rated 08 Oct 2012
69
16th
Bom, acima de tudo este filme me pareceu estranho, mas não o estranho-incomodativo-legal de Macunaíma, ou de ver um olho sendo cortado por uma gilete, só o estranho mesmo. O legal desse filme é ver o que o prazer e procura dele pode fazer com o ser humano, somos fundamentalmente guiados por isso. Quero ver outros filmes desse Buñuel. O modo com que ele retrata os sonhos são legais, ele tenta "cenalizar" uma sensação, eu acho, achei isso legal, apesar de não captar sempre as sensações.
Rated 08 Oct 2012
noam_razNoam Raz
Rated 06 Oct 2012
83
89th
The attempt to express social criticism clearly fails, but nevertheless, and maybe because of that, I felt relieved. Relived because suddenly everything was clear to me, and the guilt I have felt, rightfully, for the things I have done, the deeds I have executed - was banished. Unfortunately, this somewhat blessed effect wore off rather quickly.
Rated 06 Oct 2012
davidthomsonDavidThomson
Rated 02 Sep 2012
95
86th
Why not? By the mid-sixties, years famous for their fusion of love and radicalism, it was time for the bourgeoisie to have a discreet look at sexuality. We are talking about desire - which is not necessarily the same as love, and certainly not marriage. The deepest, dirtiest questions are being asked in the age of feminism - like what do you desire? Do you need to see your husband crippled by a monster from the gutters? It's whatever you want it to be, and one of the very few great films.
Rated 02 Sep 2012
susie_mauvesusie-mauve
Rated 15 Jul 2012
82
56th
Very calculated, very controlled, very memorable.
Rated 15 Jul 2012
hulothulot
Rated 08 Jul 2012
80
82nd
watched: 2012, 2018
Rated 08 Jul 2012
iyisinekiyisinek
Rated 14 Jun 2012
69
36th
gündüz güzeli, fuhus, kendi istegiyle orospu olan kadin, kocasini aldatmak, genelev, fahise, kocasinin basini yemek, fantezi, ruya, at arabasi, cinsel sapkinlik, randevu evi, paris, fransa, doktor koca, Mazohizm, ölüsevicilik, nekrofili
Rated 14 Jun 2012
vauthVauth
Rated 05 May 2012
78
54th
The ambivalences and different perspectives of women sexuality are stylishly presented here; all without hindering the flow of the film too much.
Rated 05 May 2012
wetwillieswetwillies
Rated 06 Mar 2012
90
80th
Really cool film, for its blending of dreams and reality and groundbreaking sexual content, as well as a great lead performance from Catherine Deneuve and a very cool visual palette. This is a film I can't wait to revisit so that I could catch all of the things I missed the first time.
Rated 06 Mar 2012
damildamil
Rated 19 Jan 2012
70
67th
I think I liked it. It was certainly interesting, seeing several different perversions from the men in the film and it was quite risque for the 60s. It also had a fair few surreal scenes which made the narrative slightly confusing to follow.
Rated 19 Jan 2012
theyshoot11theyshoot11
Rated 30 Nov 2011
92
84th
#161
Rated 30 Nov 2011
valenzettiValenzetti
Rated 27 Jul 2011
88
81st
I can't yet say exactly why it seems like such a success to me, but it does. Compared to Bunuel's typical Brechtian fare, it's downright intimate, with Deneuve's quietly shifting performance cutting to the heart of masochism: the desire to become something different. One of the great feminist works.
Rated 27 Jul 2011
shewasSheWas
Rated 17 May 2011
90
94th
Cause i wrote it 10 times or more
Rated 17 May 2011
anomalyAnomaly
Rated 06 Mar 2011
84
83rd
Doesn't fully cohere as a whole but it's a fine time anyway. The plot is interesting, the themes intriguing, and it moves along at a nice pace. Buñuel's direction here is probably the best part, it's top-notch.
Rated 06 Mar 2011
slantmagSlantMag
Rated 30 Nov 2010
40
97th
"A radical work that both looks back at the director's own early surrealist cinema and anticipates the work of David Lynch." - Ed Gonzalez
Rated 30 Nov 2010
johnsandwichJohnSandwich
Rated 26 Apr 2010
70
63rd
Strange, sexy and sorta boring - maybe I just wasn't in the mood for an art film of this type, or maybe I'm just not well-versed enough cinematically to enjoy it as much as I should. People I trust to have good taste have warmly recommended this film, so I suspect the latter - but yeah, worth seeing though I didn't really get into it the way I thought I would.
Rated 26 Apr 2010
chemical404chemical404
Rated 21 Apr 2010
70
83rd
Once again Bunuel mixes the worlds of fantasy and reality onto celluloid. Protagonist of the film, acted by Deneuve, is a shy and sexually self-restrained young woman with a wide imagination and many secret desires. Sexuality even though a bit more subtle than in films of Pasolini, is emotionally distanced. It is a very subtle, slow film, over-subtle for my taste. With an introduction of Marcel film picks up some pace, and in the end I found it thought provoking, but not exactly a masterpiece.
Rated 21 Apr 2010
joojooJooJoo
Rated 25 Mar 2010
5
81st
I do not find the subtle surrealism of Buñuel interesting. The issues addressed & actors involved are the saving grace of most of his work, that I've found. Needs more discreet charm.
Rated 25 Mar 2010
theyshoot10theyshoot10
Rated 13 Jan 2010
92
84th
151
Rated 13 Jan 2010
mechatiggerMechatigger
Rated 10 Dec 2009
100
91st
A remarkably beautiful film. Bunuel's familiar obsessions with anticlericism and hypocritical society, and a preoccupation with erotica, are all here. Comments on our sexual fantasies and hang-ups are humorous and perceptive.
Rated 10 Dec 2009
moribunnyMoribunny
Rated 16 Aug 2009
78
88th
I'm not a fan of Buñuel's more thickly symbolistic surreal works, or those that frenziedly stab away at religion and the bourgeoisie, but when he shows restraint he is excellent. Belle de Jour is one of those rare gems of his. A nuanced and thought-provoking look at a woman who finds freedom and independence in what most consider a debauched and devaluing occupation.
Rated 16 Aug 2009
qvtQVT
Rated 11 May 2009
25
35th
Minus 50 for slave morality.
Rated 11 May 2009
vandelay1Vandelay1
Rated 06 May 2009
88
96th
Very Nice Movie
Rated 06 May 2009
theyshoot08theyshoot08
Rated 19 Dec 2008
93
86th
140
Rated 19 Dec 2008
spunkieSpunkie
Rated 28 Oct 2008
93
99th
What a powerful self referential ending.
Rated 28 Oct 2008
bampbamp
Rated 08 Jul 2008
100
88th
i wanna be severine.
Rated 08 Jul 2008
theyshoot07theyshoot07
Rated 01 Mar 2008
94
90th
# 126
Rated 01 Mar 2008
duaneneitzelDuaneNeitzel
Rated 14 Aug 2007
56
27th
Surreal fantasy sequences around the marriage of Séverine Serizy aka Belle de Jour (Catherine Deneuve). As usual, you can interpret Luis Buñuel however you want.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
djrossdjross
Rated 14 Aug 2007
86
96th
Rewatching this 55 years later, it is still a fine film, put together with economy, and depicting sexuality, and especially female sexuality, and the relationship between fantasy and life, in ways that were undoubtedly daring at the time and still significant today. But, for some reason, I also have a slightly strange feeling that I don’t have much to say about this movie that couldn’t be, or hasn’t been, said just as well by others. It may, however, still contain mysteries I’m yet to divine.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
jdmayJD_May
Rated 14 Aug 2007
90
92nd
I've often said, any top-100-all-time list that doesn't include Belle De Jour, preferably in the top 50, isn't worth jack.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
stainStain
Rated 04 Jun 2007
0
8th
I get tired of Bunuel's visual style sooooooooo fast
Rated 04 Jun 2007
heathers09Heather_S09
Rated 06 Apr 2007
85
84th
"Venus in Furs", Bunuel style.
Rated 06 Apr 2007

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