Toute une vie (1974) - film review

The lives and loves of three generations of Parisians are played against the backdrop of historic events of the Twentieth Century.  A Jewish man, David Goldman, meets his future wife in a train transporting internees of a concentration camp back to France at the end of the Second World War.  After his wife dies – whilst giving birth to their daughter, Sarah – Goldman works hard and becomes a successful shoe manufacturer.  Sarah has no interest in wealth and, after the death of her father, is unwilling to take on his business.   Simon is a petty crook who, after several spells in prison, becomes a successful filmmaker.  Despite their good fortune, both Sarah and Simon prove to be unlucky in love.  Will fate bring them together..?

In this loosely structured romantic comedy, director Claude Lelouch pushes his talent for the experimental to the limit and manages to combine over a dozen genres and film styles without – as it were – totally losing the plot.  The film is as much a celebration of the art of cinema as it is a romantic comedy, and it might even be classifiable as a documentary of the Twentieth Century, with some worryingly accurate "future gazing" thrown in for good measure.

Lelouch’s love of cinema is visible throughout – most apparently in his spirited attempts to capture the various episodes of the film in the cinematic style of the époque they represent.  The director’s trademarks – fancy camerawork and a lively musical score – are more than noticeable, making this a lively and dynamic piece of cinema.  Popular singer Gilbert Bécaud makes a substantial contribution to the film, which features a number of his hit recordings.

The downside of Lelouch’s unrestrained inventiveness is a lack of discipline which allows the film to go off in some bizarre directions which add little to the content and risk losing the audience’s concentration.  In a film which is as free-format and wide-ranging as Toute la vie, this is a particular problem and the spectator is often left wondering where on Earth the film is heading as it drifts haphazardly between socio-political commentary, burlesque comedy, romantic drama and historical documentary.  That said, this is a hugely original film whose charms more than make up for its ill-advised indulgences.  Delightful performances from Marthe Keller, Charles Denner and André Dussollier, combined with some stylish editing and an unusual comic slant, make this a fun film, which is made all the more entertaining by its delirious unpredictability.

© James Travers 2003

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