The film revolves around a love triangle between a man and two women where it plays into post-1960s ideals as well as the rise of the feminist movement in the early 1970s. It is a film that explores the dynamic of a threesome where a man tries to find his ideal partner in two different women. Jean Eustache’s screenplay does not have a conventional plot as the narrative is driven by monologues and dialogues as it relates to its three central characters in the unemployed intellectual Alexandre (Jean-Pierre Leaud), his girlfriend in Marie (Bernadette Lafont) who works a dress shop, and a sexually-liberated nurse in Veronika (Francoise Lebrun). The script plays into Alexandre going through his own issues with Marie while his attempts to reunite with his former girlfriend Gilberte (Isabelle Weingarten) were futile. While walking through the city, he notices Veronika at a café drinking as he would meet her where they would keep their affair a secret from Marie though she is suspicious that Alexandre has met someone. She would eventually meet Veronika as she is initially not fond of her but eventually realizes her worth in the film’s third function as it plays into some of the freedoms she has as a woman.
Eustache’s direction is entrancing for its minimalist approach where there are not a lot of wide shots in favor of intimacy through its medium shots, close-ups, and static shots. Shot on location in Paris, Eustache creates a film that plays into the ideas of relationships between a man and two women as there are a lot of dialogues and monologues that occur. Notably as it would go on for several minutes during the film as the camera would often remain still. Eustache’s direction would rarely have movements in the camera unless the characters are walking in the streets or to go from one room to another. The approach to long shots and a minimalist presentation with a 218-minute running time would make scenes ponderous at times since Eustache wanted to create something that feels confessional. Especially given the subject matter and the many contradictions of these characters where Alexandre is pretentious in his views on art and sex, yet he is also someone that is also traditional. He is also a manipulative person in his attempts to women where it would frustrate Marie who can see through his bullshit even though she is just as bad as him.
Editing with co-editor Denise de Casabianca, Eustache would create a presentation that is the antithesis of the editing and filmmaking style of the French New Wave for a style that is akin to realism. It is a style that also sort of plays like a documentary even though it is fiction, yet Eustache does play into the sexual politics between men and women in how they view each other. Eustache also maintains a sense of ambiguity in its finale as it relates to Alexandre and his view on women where he still has a lot to learn about love, commitment, and understanding. Even though both Marie and Veronika are also flawed in their own views about sex and love, they manage it better than Alexandre who is full of contradictions. Overall, Eustache creates a compelling and unsettling film about a love triangle that becomes toxic.
Cinematographer Pierre Lhomme does brilliant work with the film’s black-and-white photography with its emphasis on realism in shooting on available light for some of the exterior scenes set at night as well as the way some of the daytime interior/exterior scenes are presented. Costume designer Catherine Garnier does excellent work with the costumes from the stylish clothing that Marie and Veronika wear to contrast their personalities with the latter often wearing all black. The sound work of Jean-Pierre Ruh, Paul Laine, and Nara Kollery do amazing work with the sound as it captures everything presented on location including the music that is played on film. Among the music that is played on the film ranging from classical music, pop, and rock from acts like Zarah Leander, Damia, Jacques Offenbach, Edith Piaf, Frehel, Marlene Dietrich, and Deep Purple with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
The film’s marvelous ensemble cast feature some notable small and appearances from Jean Eustache as a man at a supermarket/Gilberte’s husband, Andre Techine and Jean-Claude Biette as a couple of men at a restaurant wanting to talk with Veronika, Genevieve Mnich as a friend of Veronika, Jean-Noel Picq as a fan of the composer Offenbach that Alexandre meets, Jacques Renard as a friend of Alexandre who shares the same intellectual views as Alexandre, and Isabelle Weingarten as a former girlfriend of Alexandre in Gilberte who is upset over Alexandre’s lack of commitment in their relationship. Francoise Lebrun is great as Veronika as a French-Polish nurse who is also sexually-open in her ideas of sex to cope with avoiding commitment until her affair with Alexandre has her thinking about wanting a relationship with him and Marie until she sees the many faults from Alexandre’s views on love.
Bernadette Lafont is phenomenal as Marie as a dress shop worker who allows Alexandre to live with her as she has a cynical view on relationships though she loves Alexandre while later becoming fond of Veronika in her openness in realizing Alexandre’s own faults. Finally, there’s Jean-Pierre Leaud in a tremendous performance as Alexandre as an unemployed intellectual who is in love with two different women where he is hoping to win them over with his own views only to be filled with contradictions about everything to the point that his attempts to manipulate his lovers become futile.
Le maman et la putain is an incredible film by Jean Eustache that features a trio of great performances from Jean-Pierre Leaud, Bernadette Lafont, and Francoise Lebrun. Along with its visuals, realistic and minimalistic presentation, and its study of sexual politics and desires in early 1970s France. The film is not an easy watch due to a presentation that requires patience as well as the fact that it goes into uncomfortable subject matters about sex and love. In the end, Le maman et la putain is a remarkable film by Jean Eustache.
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