La Maison des Bories (1970) - film review

The Durras family lives in the House of the Bories, an isolated country villa in Haute-Provence.  Julien Durras, a geologist, dedicates himself to his research, and is strict with both his children and his wife Marie.  The Durras household is greatly affected by the arrival of young German scholar, Carl-Stéphane Kursdedt, whom Julien invited to his house to translate his papers.  The children take an instant liking to the friendly young German, who plays with them and offers them presents.   However, Carl-Stéphane’s main interest is Marie, the unhappy young housewife who clearly deserves better than the severe man she is married to...

La Maison des Bories is a beautifully filmed study in loneliness and temptation from Jacques Doniol-Valcroze, one of the lesser known figures of the French New Wave.  The Provençal setting and narrative simplicity make this a moving visual poem, offering a powerful evocation of human desire and the need for love.

Some may consider the film to be a little dated, perhaps veering towards sentimentality in places (thanks mainly to the slight over-use of music by Mozart), but it is a charming piece with one or two moments of exquisite brilliance – for example, the nocturnal bedroom sequence which brings together Marie and her young houseguest whilst keeping them apart.

The film’s abrupt ending is a disappointment and doesn’t quite ring true (probably because we have been forced us to view the characters from a distance).  Overall, however, Doniol-Valcroze’s approach is immensely gratifying and his film – with its haunting, poetic narrative style – leaves a lasting impression.

© FilmsDeFrance.com 2003

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J’ai adoré ce film grâce à la beauté des lieux, acteurs et aussi au concerto de Mozart.  Merveilleux acteurs d’une grande simplicité et vérité, quelle belle époque, sensualité volupté.  Le rêve d’être chaque acteur à la fois.  Nostalgie, enfin du temps qui passe inexorablement.  Bravo.  Je ne trouve pas ce film démodé et je serais heureux de le revoir si cela était possible mais je ne trouve pas d’enregistrement.
Le jeune Fred (Saint Brieuc, France) 

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