“Swimming Pool” is a sensual, mind-boggling film directed by Francois Ozon released in 2003. It depicts the story of an English writer who is uninspired and jaded after completing a series of successful novels. Thereafter, she was offered by her publisher a nice country house in France for peace and relaxation. Once she was immune to the peacefulness of the house, her publisher’s daughter, Julie invades this privacy. At first, she was annoyed by Julie’s countless one-night-stands with various men, but later on gives up and makes Julie the main character of her next novel. The very “Julie” that is within her, all along.

I think, what Ozon wanted to portray is that, every one of us have different kinds of urge, and if we do not put much importance to it, it will just come out unexpectedly and unconsciously making it more uncontrollable. In the film, Julie is the symbolism of this urge. She was Sarah’s “urge”, her other half whom she wasn’t paying much attention to, the evil part of her. Her other half – careless, sexual, happy-go-lucky, stubborn girl – that has done all the stupidest things in the world. At first, Sarah is annoyed by Julie’s behavior but then she somehow accepted it and tries to live with IT. And when Julie killed Frank one night, all Sarah can do is to help this other half of hers, since she is still HER. And she has now accepted this evil-other-half of her.

Some of the symbolisms of the story were: the reflection, it would only appear when she was with Julie. The crucifix, in which she would hide it when she would do something unpleasant since she would feel guilty that her “other-half” has over-shadowed her. The swimming pool, which is the world of Julie, where she would only exist. And the dress was the representation of the changes in her; that she has accepted this “other-half” of her – which she has become liberated and open to her sexual urge.

Also, the sex was also appropriate in the movie since this is what this movie was all about. It was about the urge that is IN US somewhere, and that we must also put importance to, but not in a bad way though. So putting sex in the film was necessary to put more emphasis on what the director wanted to portray.

Over all, the film was mind-boggling; you will have to watch it over and over again to be able to understand it better. But it was a wonderful film though, portraying the other other-side of us that we must attend to. The director did a pretty good job of letting his message portrayed, and analyzing everything for him to be able to put this thoughts better into film. Four stars for this one. :D