Film Review
The third instalment in Eric Rohmer's
Comédies
et proverbes series is one of the director's most popular and
enjoyable films, a playful yet probing exploration of the complexities
of love and infidelity. The film takes its cue from the wise old
proverb "Qui trop parole, il se mesfait", which translates as "Whoever
talks too much does himself a bad turn", attributed to Chrétien
de Troyes (from his poem
Perceval,
Le Conte du Graal). A loose tongue can be as deadly as a
barrage of poisoned darts, and it is invariably the innocent who come
off worst. In this case the victim is a good-natured teenager
named Pauline whose first experience of love proves to be a bittersweet
affair that will doubtless scar her for life, thanks to the
well-meaning friend who spoke too much, and wrecks his own chances of
marital felicity as a result.
Pauline's first amorous adventure with a cute boy of her own age is
played alongside her cousin Marion's latest romantic fling, a storm of
passion that is destined to prove as short-lived as a super-model's
acting career. Marion is in the process of going through a
painful divorce and has become disillusioned with love. Tired of
wading in tepid waters, she wants her next romance to be an
all-consuming passion that will last a lifetime. Of course she is
deluding herself and so she proves to be easy prey for the serial
philanderer Henri, whose skill at hoovering up anything in a skirt or
bikini makes him look like the human equivalent of a Dyson
super-deluxe. Marion's obvious soul mate is Pierre - he is
clearly what she needs, but because the match is so perfect it will
never come off. Despite her inexperience when it comes to matters
of the heart, Pauline appears wiser than Marion and she is well-served
by Eros, until Pierre's wagging tongue upsets the applecart and not
only ends a promising romance but also puts the kibosh on several
friendships. Still, all's well that ends well, and both Marion
and Pauline emerge wiser and stronger after their seaside seductions -
they know that one of them is completely deluded, but happily they do
not know which.
Pauline à la plage is
one of Rohmer's sunniest and most engaging films, and what makes it a
particular delight are the captivating performances from its extremely
talented cast. Arielle Dombasle has never looked more radiantly
beautiful and, well-served by Rohmer's flawless screenplay, she gives
what is unquestionably her finest screen performance. Equal
praise goes to Pascal Greggory who, early in his career, proves that he
is an actor of exceptional charm and ability - he had previously
appeared with Dombasle in the preceding Rohmer film
Le
Beau mariage (1982). Amanda Langlet is excellent in
the role of Pauline, a portrayal that subtly evokes the vulnerability
and confusion of a teenager experiencing her first taste of love,
whilst Féodor Atkine is well-cast as the film's most complex and
ambiguous character, the charming but devious womaniser Henri.
Making his screen debut as the too-good-to-be-true teenage love Sylvain
is Simon de La Brosse, another gifted young actor (with Mark Hamill
good looks) - tragically, after a promising start to his career on film
and television, he later had difficulty finding work and died by suicide in 1998, aged
32.
Pauline à la plage
perfectly demonstrates both Eric Rohmer's flair for crafting enchanting
slice-of-life comedy-dramas and his extraordinary perceptiveness when it comes
to intimate human relationships. The film was not only a notable
commercial success, it was also highly acclaimed by the critics and won
Rohmer the Best Director award at the 1983 Berlin International Film
Festival. For those who have yet to be acquainted with the
wonderful world of Eric Rohmer, this is probably the best introduction
to his work - a film of exquisite charm, wit and tenderness, with just a soupçon
of acerbic mockery.
© James Travers 2000
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Next Eric Rohmer film:
Les Nuits de la pleine lune (1984)
Film Synopsis
Fifteen year old Pauline and her older cousin Marion decide to spend
their summer holidays together in a resort on the north coast of
France. Here, Marion meets up with an old flame, Pierre,
who is keen to renew their former romance. Still bearing the
scars of a disastrous marriage, Marion has resolved that her next
affair will be one of burning passion, and this is what she gets when
she meets Henri, a passing acquaintance of Pierre. Henri is under
no illusion that this romance will last, so he resumes
an affair with another woman without Marion knowing. Meanwhile,
Pauline has been bitten by the love bug and has embarked on her first
teenage romance with a boy of her own age, Sylvain. When Pierre
sees a strange woman frolicking about naked in Henri's bedroom, he
draws the obvious conclusion, but the quick-thinking Henri arranges
things so that Sylvain is cast as the guilty party. Naturally,
Pierre cannot prevent himself from dropping a few hints to Pauline, to
the effect that her new boyfriend is a nasty two-timing Don
Juan...
© James Travers
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.