Held off on Brantôme 81 until the technology caught up. Which is to say that the only version of this on the Internet is a shitty DVD rip, and my preferred consumer-grade upscaler of choice, Topaz, couldn’t do a satisfactory job of cleaning it up. That changed recently with the introduction of the Starlight diffusion model, so I decided to spend a considerable amount of time at 0.07 FPS and finally get this shit done. 

It’s still not ideal. The DVD version isn’t in full aspect ratio, so parts of the screen are cut off. But until something better comes along (and this is one of those films where that just ain’t gonna happen), it’s the best we can get for the most recent inductee to the prestigious 20% Club.

Brantôme 81 – Fur Fashion Stats

• Fur Runtime: 34:40 minutes
• Film Runtime: 123 minutes
• On-Screen Ratio: 28.18%

Find-a-Fur: Brantôme 81, 1982

• Sorry, not a bulleted list long enough for this one. The only thing you really need to know is that the last half hour of the film is entirely empty.

Brantôme 81 – The Film

The subtitle: Vie de dames galantes, translates to The Life of Courtesans, and many synopses state it’s about five women who are mistresses of ambitious, powerful men. In reality, the film revolves around people simply walking around. I mean, literally: people walking from point A to point B. From cars to cars, down hallways, in shops, libraries, offices, malls; really, the variety of places people walk is quite impressive, to say the least. Occasionally, they take their clothes off and pretend to have relations, but honestly, there isn’t a lot of that in this so-called “erotic drama.” 

The great news is that many of the people walking around are very attractive women wearing large fur coats. 

Brantôme 81 – The Furs

I’m just going to break this out based on the actresses and characters because there isn’t any plot. In fact, I’m not sure the editor understood what was happening either, since scenes that seem to take place moments later end up an hour further into the runtime, as if days have passed.

I will likely get some of the IDs wrong, so please feel free to leave a comment. I may review your meticulously researched evidence and update accordingly.

Corinne Brodbeck / “Élise”

This one I am 100% sure of, which is ironic because she has a smaller number of scenes and only two furs: a red fox and a coat with a fox collar. She’s the one whose “plotline,” for lack of a better term, seems to take a long break between her meeting the nice lady in the shop, walking (of course) through the mall, and then, hours later, finding herself in the back seat. In between this, she has time to have a completely separate “encounter” wearing the coat with the fox collar.

Valérie Kaprisky / “Viviane”

I’m basing this ID on the one review on the IMDb about Valérie’s “mink coat scene.” I feel it necessary to point out how sad it is that such a terrible-looking fur is generally the only name people know. Anyway, the “mink coat scene” is, in fact, a “tanuki scene.” And, yeah, actually, it’s pretty nice, because “Viv” here is staring at herself in the mirror, doing a little aura farming to get her self-confidence back.

Antonella Interlenghi / “Anne”

This is where we become a bit more uncertain regarding who’s who. As you can see, I’m ruffling a few feathers in the mix, but trust me, it isn’t a significant part of the runtime, and the film remains firmly within the 20% range, even if the feather scenes were deducted. “Anne” wears the most extensive variety of furs.

She even has a scene at a furrier, where the editing again cuts back and forth multiple times, and the aspect ratio cuts off the models wearing fox furs. Amusingly, Anne doesn’t buy any of the modeled furs but rather chooses one that is hanging in the background the entire time: the white fox coat and hat.

I approve.

Barbara Kramer / “Alicia”

This guess is based on the fact that the character in this scene who is wearing the dark fur coat speaks English. And not with a French accent, to be clear. Thus, on the list of options from the cast, do I so choose “Barbara Kramer.”

Almanta Suska / “Hélène”

We’re at “I think I understood the last name spoken in French and matched it to the character name on IMDb” territory now. Whoever she is, she wears a lot of fur in this flick, kicking things off with a red fox cape that she wears for a number of scenes, and, briefly, for the late credit drop, a white fox jacket.

Sadly, her “fox era” ends, and she rounds out the film with two slightly less interesting minks, one dark and one light.

Béatrice Marcillac / “Alicia”

The process of elimination leads us to Alicia and her prominent chevroned fox fur stroller coat. This is the only fur she wears, but she wears it frequently, demonstrating her excellent taste.

… And the Rest!

There are a few other bits scattered throughout the film, worn by lovely ladies, that I’m no longer as motivated to identify the names of. Most of these appearances are brief.