Summary
Whilst on a camping holiday in Biarritz with her family, a 14 year old girl, Lili, becomes
obsessed with losing her virginity. She meets a middle-aged playboy, Maurice, and
alternately flaunts with him and taunts him. Although he is strongly attracted towards
her, Lili is disgusted at the idea of losing her virginity to him, but she cannot stand
being a virgin...
Review
Even before she made this film, Catherine Breillat had acquired a reputation in her earlier
novels and films for her frank and explicit portrayal of female sexuality.
Her previous film Tapage nocturne (1979) carried an 18 certificate and proved to
be a commercial disaster. To make her next film, 36 fillette, she was first
obliged to write a novel on which the screenplay could be based. When the film was
released, it was with predictable controversy, many critics lambasting it for its indecent
portrayal of adolescent sexuality.
The film is certainly daring, eye-catching and a worthy effort, but it is not entirely
satisfying. Whilst Breillat’s direction is creditable and technically the film is
quite well made, it has difficulty engaging the audience and weak characterisation robs
the film of conviction and meaning. Part of the problem is that none of the lead
characters is remotely sympathetic: Lili comes across as a confused and vicious brat,
unsure what she wants, whilst Maurice resembles a rather empty, bland stereotype of an
ageing playboy.
There is, however, one moment of magic, when Lili meets and starts to philosophise with
suave concert pianist (played ironically by Jean-Pierre Léaud, who was himself
something of a juvenile delinquent at the age of 14). Unfortunately, that scene
is short-lived and merely serves to reinforce the mixture of ennui and indecency in what
follows.
© James Travers 2001
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