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Credits
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Summary
Jean-Louis is a devout Catholic who discovers his ideal partner, the attractive blonde
student, Françoise, during a mass at his Church, although he lacks the courage
to approach her. He meets up with an old friend, Vidal, who, shortly after, takes
him back to the apartment of his current girlfriend, Maud. After passing the evening
together, discussing philosophy and religion, Vidal returns home, leaving Jean-Louis and
Maud together...
Review
The third in Eric Rohmer’s series of six “contes moraux” (morality tales) explores the
issue of freewill and the ability of one human being to choose his destiny in spite of
competing external influences. This was Rohmer’s first truly successful film and
established his international reputation as a director.
The film is almost the complete antithesis of the conventional love story of the time in that its central character (Jean-Louis) adheres to his pre-conceived notion of morality and achieves true love when something apparently better (namely the ravishing Maud) is easily within his reach. Jean-Louis’s notion of morality appears to be based on Pascal notions of probability, namely that betting a small amount on an unlikely outcome is worth doing if it offers a significant return. He applies the same logic to his Christian beliefs and also to chancing his luck with Françoise, the girl he desires but has yet to approach. In both cases, Jean-Louis believes that by rejecting instant gratification today he will reap a far more satisfying outcome tomorrow. With his characteristically witty and engaging dialogue, Rohmer creates a story which is both intelligent and captivating. Jean-Louis Trintignant and Françoise Fabian have just the right sexual chemistry to create the effect Rohmer is after, and the famous night-time scene where the two discuss their philosophies has a tense, electric air about it. In addition to Rohmer's sublime scripting and some fine acting, it is also worth mentioning Nestor Almendros’ mesmerising photography, which makes the best use of the snowy Clermont-Ferrand location. The sharpness of the photography and lack of a musical score gives the film a realistic feel which curiously emphasises the artificiality of the philosophical game of chance which is the film’s principal subject. © James Travers 2000 Write a review for this film... |
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