Duke of Burgundy: 5 reasons it spanks Fifty Shades

Critics go wild for lesbian S&M film Duke of Burgundy, the 'thinking person's Fifty Shades of Grey'

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(Image credit: Duke of Burgundy)

Hot on the heels of the mega-successful release of the Fifty Shades of Grey movie, comes another S&M tale with a twist, The Duke of Burgundy. Directed by Peter Strickland (Berberian Sound Studio) this wry erotic film, starring Borgen's Sidse Babett Knudsen and the Italian actress Chiara d'Anna, tells the story of a female butterfly professor and her lover who act out a ritual of dominance and submission.

But while Fifty Shades of Grey has been a major box office hit, it has received less than stellar reviews from many critics, with some labelling it a "spanking bore" and "Cinderella porn". Reviewers on the other hand have gone wild for The Duke of Burgundy. So what does this film do better than Fifty Shades?

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