SÃ©verine Serizy (Catherine Deneuve), a young and beautiful housewife, is unable to share physical intimacy with her husband, Dr. Pierre Serizy (Jean Sorel), despite their love for each other. Her sexual life is restricted to elaborate fantasies involving domination, sadomasochism, and bondage. Although frustrated by his wife's frigidity toward him, he respects her wishes.
While visiting a ski resort, they meet two friends, Henri Husson (Michel Piccoli) and RenÃ©e (Macha MÃ©ril). SÃ©verine does not like Husson's manner and the way he looks at her. Back in Paris, SÃ©verine meets up with RenÃ©e and learns that a mutual friend, Henriette, now works at a brothel. At her home, SÃ©verine receives roses from Husson and is unsettled by the gesture. At the tennis courts, she meets Husson and they discuss Henriette and houses of pleasure. Husson mentions a high-class brothel to SÃ©verine at 11 CitÃ© Jean de Saumur. He also confesses his desire for her, but SÃ©verine rejects his advances.
Haunted by childhood memories, including one involving a man who appears to touch her inappropriately, SÃ©verine goes to the high-class brothel, which is run by Madame AnaÃ¯s (GeneviÃ¨ve Page). That afternoon SÃ©verine services her first client. Reluctant at first, she responds to the "firm hand" of Madame AnaÃ¯s, who names her "Belle de Jour," and has sex with the stranger. After staying away for a week, SÃ©verine returns to the brothel and begins working from two to five o'clock each day, returning to her unsuspecting husband in the evenings. One day Husson comes to visit her at home, but SÃ©verine refuses to see him. Still she fantasizes about having sex with him in her husband's presence. Ironically, SÃ©verine's physical relationship with her husband is improving and she begins having sex with him.
SÃ©verine becomes involved with a young gangster, Marcel (Pierre ClÃ©menti), who offers her the kind of thrills and excitement of her fantasies. When Marcel becomes increasingly jealous and demanding, SÃ©verine decides to leave the brothel, with Madame AnaÃ¯s' agreement. SÃ©verine is also concerned about Husson, who has discovered her secret life at the brothel. After one of Marcel's gangster associates follows SÃ©verine to her home, Marcel visits her and threatens to reveal her secret to her husband. SÃ©verine pleads with him to leave, which he does, referring to her husband as "the obstacle."
Marcel waits downstairs for Pierre to return home and shoots him three times. Marcel then flees, but is shot dead by police. SÃ©verine's husband survives, but is left in a coma. The police are unable to find a motive for the attempted murder. Sometime later SÃ©verine is at home taking care of Pierre, who is now completely paralyzed and in a wheelchair. Husson visits Pierre to tell him the truth about his wife's secret life; she does not try to stop him. Afterwards, in an ambiguous ending, SÃ©verine sees her husband as healthy again, and they are happy.
Who was Severine involved with?
Marcel