I read somewhere that this is supposed to be a classic, but I reckon that was just a marketing ploy to sell the movie. Age does not make a movie a classic. Having said that, the intrigues and the behind the curtain things that are going on here, might be hard to follow for some and it's not as erotic as some might want it to be (though there are other sources for that if that's your thing).
Having said that, the acting is pretty decent overall, though it all feels dated to say the least and not in a good way. I hadn't seen the first Madame Claude by the way, so I'm not sure if there was any building up to what is happening here. It does feel like it has a closure at the end though, that didn't need a movie before it to explain it all ... Political and a touch of a thriller, but we've seen it before and way better
