Summary
Berthe is a lowly washerwoman in a small provincial French town, but she is having an
affair with Hector, the son of the wealthy owner of a local factory. Hector’s parents
are determined to put an end to the relationship even if it means bribing Berthe.
Over the years, the fortunes of the factory owners decline whilst that of Berthe improve...
Review
Téchiné’s second film is a curious mix of black comedy, romantic drama and
nostalgia, told in an unsettling inconsistent style. The film begins as what appears
to be a straightforward provincial romance in 1940s France and from there rapidly evolves
into something quite different. By tracing the lives of its characters through the
period of Nazi occupation to the present day, it becomes a somewhat tongue-in-cheek view
of societal changes in France, charting the demise of the self-made Bourgeoisie to the
rise of the Trades Union shop steward.
The lives of the characters in the film quickly become the film’s least important aspect
– or they are seen simply as mere stepping stones between times past and present.
The focus of the film is the family-owned factory. We see its birth, its maturing,
and its decline, as if it were a living thing. Around it, times change, the people
change, social attitudes and hair-styles change, but the factory remains there, immutable
and indifferent.
This is also quite a good film for legendary French actress Jeanne Moreau.
Despite the fact that her character in the film scarcely seems to age over a 30 year period,
she appears perfectly at ease with this style of drama and shows a surprising comic flair
in some scenes.
© James Travers 2000
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