Summary
France, at the time of the Second Empire. Zélie Fontain is the post mistress in
a small provincial town. The wife of the town’s prefect has a secret lover in Paris
who is ardent to express his love through his letters. Zélie agrees to receive
the letters, thereby hoping to avoid a scandal. Unfortunately, Zélie proves
not to be the most reliable of confidantes...
Review
The enchanting Odette Joyeux gives arguably her best performance in this delightful piece
of satire. The film allows its director, Claude Autant-Lara, to express a
similar anti-Bourgeois sentiment to that seen in his other works of this period, notably
Douce (1943).
© James Travers 2003
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© James Travers 2003
Write a review for this film...
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Useful links
- Best French films of 2011
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- Best of the French New Wave
- Best of French film comedy
- The best 100 French films
- The most successful French films
- Great French filmmakers
Related links
- The best French comedy-dramas
- Other French films of the 1940s
- The best French films of the 1940s
- Other French comedy-dramas
- Biography and films of Claude Autant-Lara
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Credits
- Director: Claude Autant-Lara
- Script: Jean Aurenche, Maurice Blondeau, based on a novel by Jean Aurenche
- Photo: Philippe Agostini
- Music: Maurice Yvain
- Cast: Odette Joyeux (Zélie Fontaine), François Périer (François de Portal), Julien Carette (Loriquet, le maître à danser), André Alerme (Le marquis de Longevialle), Simone Renant (Hortense de la Jacquerie), Robert Arnoux (Monsieur de la Jacquerie), Jean Parédès (Désiré Ledru), Jean Debucourt (Napoléon III), Jacqueline Champi (Marinette), Henri de Livry (Le ministre de la Justice), Yves Deniaud (Le maire), Jean-Pierre Kérien (Le postillon), Ariane Murator (Charlotte), Georges Pally (Daronne), Gilles Quéant (Le fou de la danse), Martial Rèbe (Le président), Louis Salou (Monsieur de Mortemort)
- Country: France
- Language: French
- Runtime: 110 min; B&W
- Aka: Love Letters
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