Set in a mysterious world apparently populated only by women and obsessed by moths, Peter Strickland’s third film homaged 1970s European erotica.

The references were there in the beautiful soft focus photography, the rambling country house set, the expert foley capturing every rustle of silk lingerie and Cat’s Eyes evocative swelling soundtrack.

String and woodwind players, a masked four-strong choir and three mannequins joined Rachel Zeffira and Faris Badwan on stage to perform the score – proving unobtrusive as with any good live soundtrack experience.

Composer Zeffira had taken inspiration from the likes of Nicolas Roeg’s Don’t Look Now for the warm sounds, with flute, dreamy vocals and organs coming to the fore in the sizzling scenes.

The cues were complemented by experimental blasts of sound when things took a more surreal turn, apparently instigated by Horrors frontman Badwan, whose profile could be seen silhouetted against the screen.

The Duke Of Burgundy was by no means a mainstream film – the examination of changing relationships within a sado-masochistic love affair was unlikely to reach your local Odeon.

But it never took itself too seriously – from the opening credit to the perfume suppliers onwards it was shot through with self-referential black humour.

And what was already an engrossing film experience was only heightened by the live music.

Four stars