Based on the novel by Jules Verne, Le Rayon vert (The Green Ray) is the story of a Parisian woman who copes with her loneliness while on her summer vacation. Directed by Eric Rohmer and screenplay by Rohmer and Marie Riviere, the film is the fifth part in a thematic series entitled Comedies and Proverbs that follows a woman as she copes with her surroundings in this summer vacation. Starring Marie Riviere, Beatrice Romand, Rosette, Carita, Vincent Gauthier, Amira Chemakhi, and Maria Luisa Garcia. Le Rayon vert is a majestic and somber film from Eric Rohmer.
The film follows a woman whose vacation plans with a friend and her boyfriend is cancelled as she struggles to find enjoyment in her vacations as she also deals with loneliness. It’s a film with a loose and simple premise that does use Jules Verne’s novel as a reference but also be mentioned as it relates to a rare phenomenon that is a green ray of light during sunset as it would be a key moment for its protagonist Delphine (Marie Riviere) to want to experience. The film’s script by Eric Rohmer and Marie Riviere doesn’t do much with Verne’s novel in order to explore Delphine’s own doubts and uncertainty as she would go on vacations around various locations in France and then briefly return to Paris as she would be accompanied by a friend to a location and meet different people but feel unfulfilled.
Rohmer’s direction is ravishing in its presentation as it is shot on various locations in France where Paris is featured prominently yet the places that Delphine goes to such as Cherbourg, the French Alps, Biarritz, and Saint-Jean-de-Luz. Rohmer would use wide shots of these locations yet he aims for something more intimate as it relates to Delphine’s own personal journey as the first act mainly takes place in Cherbourg as Delphine is with one of her friends in Francoise (Rosette) as they meet other travelers where despite befriending a few kids. Delphine becomes lost as Rohmer would film these conversations through close-ups and medium shots while knowing when to move the camera as it often gazes into a conversation about ideas that Delphine believes in which would go on for a few minutes. The second act is partially set in Paris and the French Alps where she returns to the former to see tourists and locals enjoy the location but she is unable to find happiness as she is being flirted with a man whom she’s not interested in.
The scene in the French Alps play into this air of un-fulfillment and uncertainty where Rohmer would shoot Delphine on the mountains hiking as she becomes uninterested in her surroundings and then decides to return home. Early in its third act in Biarritz, she would listen to a group of elderly people talking about books including the book that the film is partially based on. It is a moment that has Delphine trying to find some meaning in her life as she would meet a Swedish tourist in Lena (Carita) that would lead to some major revelations about herself and the world she’s in. Even as the people who are her friends are with someone or are attached with Delphine struggling to understand what women will do to have someone in their life. The film’s ending relates to that green ray of light as it’s something Delphine would want to see but it would be in the most unexpected ways. Overall, Rohmer crafts a touching yet enchanting film about a woman’s summer vacation that leads to a journey of identity.
Cinematographer Sophie Maintigneux does brilliant work with the film’s 16mm cinematography with its grainy look for some of the interiors as well as maintaining its usage of natural lighting for many of the film’s locations. Editor Maria Luisa Garcia does excellent work with the editing as it is largely straightforward with a few rhythmic cuts to play into the drama and conversations. Sound mixer Dominique Hennequin and sound recordist Claudine Nougaret do terrific work with the sound in capturing the atmosphere of the locations as well the overlapping conversations between people in some scenes. The film’s music by Jean-Louis Valero is superb for its plaintive and low-key string-based score that play into Delphine’s melancholic mood as it appears sparingly throughout the film.
The film’s wonderful cast feature some notable small roles from Beatrice Romand as a friend of Delphine living in Paris, Amira Chemakhi as a woman Delphine meets in Paris, Maria Luisa Garcia as Delphine’s friend Manuella who offers Delphine to go to Ireland, Carita as the Swedish tourist in Lena, Rosette as Delphine’s friend Francoise, and Vincent Gauthier as a man named Jacques that Delphine would meet late in the film. Finally, there’s Marie Riviere in an incredible performance as Delphine as a woman whose plans for a vacation with her boyfriend and a friend is cancelled prompting her to go on a vacation on her own where she travels to various places in France as she deals with her loneliness where Riviere displays a restraint and melancholia to a woman who deals with trying to enjoy herself and connect with others as it play into expectations she can’t live up to.
Le Rayon vert is a phenomenal film from Eric Rohmer that features a spectacular performance from Marie Riviere. With its low-key yet simple premise, exploration of loneliness in a vacation setting, and the gorgeous locations in France, it’s a film that explores a woman coming to terms with who she is through an unconventional summer vacation as well as to experience a rare event in the world. In the end, Le Rayon vert is a sensational film from Eric Rohmer.
Eric Rohmer Films: (The Sign of Leo) – The Bakery Girl of Monceau - Suzanne's Career - (Paris vu par-Place de l‘Etoile) – La collectionneuse - My Night at Maud's - Claire's Knee - Love in the Afternoon (1972 film) - (L’enfance d’une ville) - (The Marquis of O) - (Perceval le Gallois) - (Catherine de Heilbronn) - (The Aviator’s Wife) - (Le Beau Mariage) – Pauline at the Beach - (Full Moon of Paris) - (Four Adventures of Reinette and Mirabelle) - (Boyfriends and Girlfriends) - (Les Jeux de societe) - (A Tale of Springtime) - (A Tale of Winter) - (L’Arbre, le maire et la mediatheque) - (Le trio en mi bemol) - (Les Rendez-vous de Paris) - (Summer’s Tale) - (Autumn Tale) - (The Lady and the Duke) - (Triple Agent) - (Romance of Astrea and Celadon)
© thevoid99 2019
Written and directed by Eric Rohmer, L’Amour l’apres-midi (Love in the Afternoon (or in its U.S. title, Chloe in the Afternoon)) is the story of a married man whose life and marriage is threatened by the appearance of a former flame where he thinks about having an affair. The sixth and final film of Rohmer’s Six Moral Tales, the film plays into the idea of temptation as well as life outside of marriage. Starring Bernard Verley, Francoise Verley, Zouzou, and Daniel Ceccaldi. L’Amour l’apres-midi is an evocative and witty film from Eric Rohmer.
The film follows a married businessman who has it all fantasizes about the idea of being with other women as that fantasy starts to come reality by the appearance of an old flame who has returned to his life. It’s a film that plays into a man who is thinking about having an affair yet is dealing with a lot in his life as well as the fact that he and his wife are about to have another child. Eric Rohmer’s screenplay has a simple structure where its prologue is about Frederic (Bernard Verley) and his life being married to Helene (Francoise Verley) while running a business that is doing modestly well that can afford him two attractive secretaries whom he doesn’t flirt with.
Still, Frederic thinks about being with other women as it’s just a fantasy that leads to the first part with the arrival of his former flame Chloe (Zouzou) who has returned to Paris and is looking for a new place to live. She and Frederic would resume their friendship with the latter learning about the former’s relationships in the past as he is thinking about engaging an affair with her. The film’s second part which is its third act is about the aftermath of the birth of his son as he becomes conflicted about his relationship with both Helene and Chloe with the latter wanting the things he has believing a child would fulfill her. It adds to Frederic’s own conflict about his infatuation towards Chloe as he’s already have a family with Helene whom he still cares for.
Rohmer’s direction doesn’t bear a lot of style for much of the film in favor of its simple approach to showcasing a man’s family life and his temptation to commit adultery. Shot on location in Paris, Rohmer doesn’t go for a lot of wide shots in the film as it’s more about the exchanges and interaction between characters and the settings they’re in whether it’s a mall, an office, a small apartment, or at a café. Even in the usage of close-ups and medium shots that play into some of the emotional moments of the film that include these exchanges between Frederic and Chloe. During the film’s prologue section, Rohmer would create this sequence that does play into fantasy where Frederic would meet characters from previous entries of the Six Moral Tales to play into this idea of control as if Frederic could get any woman he wanted.
Once Chloe enters the film, it does bear bits of humor yet Rohmer maintains that simplicity into their interactions and scenes together. Most notably a scene in the mall where Frederic is shopping with Helene and their daughter where they bump into Chloe as it’s the only time Helene and Chloe meet. Helene wouldn’t know anything about Frederic’s time with Chloe only thinking it’s innocent yet the film’s third act play into these ideas of adultery as well as what Chloe wants. Rohmer doesn’t make things easy in his compositions into the conflict that Frederic faces as it does raise a lot of moral questions into what he could gain but also what could he lose. Overall, Rohmer crafts an intoxicating and captivating film about a man thinking about having an affair with a former flame.
Cinematographers Nestor Almendros, Jean-Claude Riviere, and Philippe Rousselot do brilliant work with the film’s cinematography with its low-key yet naturalistic approach to lighting with much of the work done by Almendros who would use available light for some of the film’s interiors. Editors Cecile Decugis and Martine Kaflon do excellent work with the editing as it is largely straightforward with a few montages that includes the dream sequence. Set decorator Nicole Rachline does terrific work with the look of Frederic’s office as well as his home and the small apartment that Chloe would live in.
Costume designer Daniel Hechter-Vog does nice work with the costumes as it is largely casual with a few stylish bits including a shirt that Frederic is convinced to buy. The sound work of Jean-Pierre Ruh and Michel Laurent, along with mixing by Jacques Carrere, do superb work with the sound to capture the atmosphere of the locations as well as edit some of Frederic’s narration into what he’s dealing with. The film’s music by Arie Dzierlatka is wonderful for its low-key yet playful orchestral score that help play into the humor along with some somber pieces for the drama.
The film’s amazing cast feature some notable small roles from Suze Randall as an English nanny, Irene Skobline as a saleswoman who convinces Frederic to buy a shirt, Sylvaine Charlet as Chloe’s landlady, Malvina Penne and Babette Ferrier in their respective roles as Frederic and Gerard’s secretaries in Fabienne and Martine, and Daniel Ceccaldi in a terrific performance as Frederic’s business partner Gerard who is fascinated by Chloe though he prefers the company of his secretaries though the relationship is more platonic than romantic. From the previous films of the Six Moral Tales series, there’s Haydee Politoff as Haydee from La Collectionneuse, Francoise Fabian as Maud and Marie-Christine Barrault as Francoise from My Night at Maud’s, and the quartet of Laurence de Monaghan as Claire, Gerard Falconetti as Gilles, Aurora Cornu as Aurora, and Beatrice Romand as Laura from Claire’s Knee as they all appear in cameo appearances from the film’s dream sequence.
Zouzou is brilliant as Chloe as a former flame of Frederic who is trying to find some stability in her life as she finds solace in Frederic yet realizes she wants so much more which adds to Frederic’s internal conflict. Francoise Verley is excellent as Helene as Frederic’s wife as a schoolteacher who is content with her life yet is aware that something isn’t going right with Frederic as well as the chaos of family life. Finally, there’s Bernard Verley in an incredible performance as Frederic as a businessman who has it all yet feels unfulfilled where he fantasizes about having affairs with other women where it would become a reality once Chloe returns to his life as he deals with wanting to stray from the life he has in favor of something more exciting but also with a lot of baggage as well.
L’Amour l’apres-midi is a phenomenal film from Eric Rohmer that features great performances from Bernard Verley, Francoise Verley, and Zouzou. Along with its themes of adultery and fantasy as well as its gorgeous look and setting, music, and its connection to past films from the Six Moral Tales series. It’s definitely a film that play into the idea of infidelity and the need of emotional fulfillment and stability. In the end, L’Amour l’apres-midi is a sensational film from Eric Rohmer.
Related: (I Think I Love My Wife)
Eric Rohmer Films: (The Sign of Leo) – The Bakery Girl of Monceau - Suzanne's Career - (Paris vu par-Place de l‘Etoile) – La collectionneuse - My Night at Maud's - Claire's Knee - (L’enfance d’une ville) - (The Marquis of O) - (Perceval le Gallois) - (Catherine de Heilbronn) - (The Aviator’s Wife) - (Le Beau Mariage) - Pauline at the Beach - (Full Moon of Paris) - The Green Ray - (Four Adventures of Reinette and Mirabelle) - (Boyfriends and Girlfriends) - (Les Jeux de societe) - (A Tale of Springtime) - (A Tale of Winter) - (L’Arbre, le maire et la mediatheque) - (Le trio en mi bemol) - (Les Rendez-vous de Paris) - (Summer’s Tale) - (Autumn Tale) - (The Lady and the Duke) - (Triple Agent) - (Romance of Astrea and Celadon)
© thevoid99 2019
Written and directed by Eric Rohmer, Le Genou de Claire (Claire’s Knee) is the story of a diplomat who meets a young girl whose stepsister has him falling for her a month before his upcoming wedding. The fifth film in Rohmer’s Six Moral Tales, the film is an exploration of temptation and longing where a man pines for a young woman while observing her relationship with a young man who treats her terribly. Starring Jean-Claude Brialy, Aurora Cornu, Beatrice Romand, and Laurence de Monaghan. Le Genou de Claire is a ravishing film from Eric Rohmer.
Set in Lake Annecy for the month of July, the film revolves around an engaged diplomat who meets an old friend where he later befriends a young girl whose stepsister has caught his eye. It’s a film that plays into a man going on a vacation as he’s about to get married where he is trying to observe those around him as well as raise questions about his upcoming nuptials. Eric Rohmer’s screenplay has a unique structure where the first half of the film is about Jerome Montcharvin (Jean-Claude Brialy) spending his time at Lake Annecy where he meets his old friend in the novelist Aurora (Aurora Cornu) who is surprised by the news of his engagement.
Jerome would meet a young girl named Laura (Beatrice Romand) who lives near Aurora who is also a friend of mother as Laura is learning about love where she would have a crush on Jerome. When Laura’s older step-sister Claire (Laurence de Monaghan) arrives for the film’s second half, Jerome is intrigued by her. Most notably her knees as it would be an obsession while he would turn to Aurora about his fascination towards Claire as well as his disapproval in her relationship with a young man in Gilles (Gerard Falconetti) whom he feels doesn’t treat her well.
Rohmer’s direction is definitely simplistic in its presentation where it is shot largely in Lake Annecy where it is this world between France and the Swiss Alps near Lake Geneva. While there are wide shots of the location including its mountains and nearby town, much of Rohmer’s direction is relied on intimacy and exchanges between the characters. Notably in the first half where it’s about Jerome and Laura where the latter would learn about the ideas of love as she would ask Jerome why he’s getting married. The usage of close-ups and medium shots add to the conversations where Rohmer emphasizes on the latter and some precise compositions for the characters to interact as well as observe some of the action that is happening. Most notably in the film’s second half when Claire is properly introduced where she is seen reading and in her bikini where Jerome asks her where is Aurora and Laura. The relationship between Jerome and Claire doesn’t begin right away until Jerome helps Claire and Gilles get some fruit where he takes notice of her knees.
There is a conflict that Jerome would endure as he would converse with Aurora about pursuing Claire but also deal with the moral implications that include telling her about Gilles. Even as he also thinks about Laura who is already having her own first idea of love with a boy her age as the film’s climax that revolves around Jerome and Claire is an indication of what Jerome knows and what he’s thinking about. It is followed by an aftermath that is shown from Aurora’s perspective of what happened where one character does learn something but another still has lots to learn about love. Overall, Rohmer crafts a riveting yet compelling film about an engaged diplomat’s attraction towards a young woman.
Cinematographers Nestor Almendros, Jean-Claude Riviere, and Philippe Rousselot do amazing work with the film’s cinematography with Almendros leading the charge with its naturalistic photography of many of the film’s locations as well as a few of the scenes set at night. Editors Cecile Decugis and Martine Kalfon do excellent work with the editing as it is largely straightforward with a few jump-cuts for some of the dramatic moments of the film. The sound work of Jean-Pierre Ruh and Michel Laurent do terrific work with the sound as it is largely straightforward with the way it captures many of the sounds on location.
The film’s superb cast include a few notable small roles from Fabrice Luchini as a young man named Vincent that Laura would spend time with during the film’s second half, Michele Montel as Laura’s mother, and Gerard Falconetti as Claire’s selfish boyfriend Gilles. Laurence de Monaghan is fantastic as Claire as a young woman who is in a relationship with a young man who doesn’t treat her well as she is fascinated by Jerome but doesn’t initially find him interesting. Beatrice Romand is excellent as Laura as a teenage girl who would have a crush on Jerome as she is learning about the ideas of love while having many questions about adulthood as it’s a reserved yet mature performance from Romand.
Aurora Cornu is brilliant as Aurora as a novelist friend of Jerome who is the film’s conscience of sorts as a woman whom Jerome turns to as she also observant of everything else around her. Finally, there’s Jean-Claude Brialy in an amazing performance as Jerome Montcharvin as a diplomat set to be married where he deals with the presence of Claire but also Laura’s crush as he turns to Aurora for advice but also reveal a lot about what goes into being in love as he observes Claire’s relationship with Gilles from afar and with disdain towards Gilles in her treatment of Claire.
Le Genou de Claire is a tremendous film from Eric Rohmer. Featuring a great cast, gorgeous locations, beautiful cinematography, and a touching theme of love and longing from afar as well as young love. The film is definitely one of Rohmer’s finest as well as a film that explore the morality of young love. In the end, Le Genou de Claire is a spectacular film from Eric Rohmer.
Eric Rohmer Films: (The Sign of Leo) – The Bakery Girl of Monceau - Suzanne's Career - (Paris vu par-Place de l‘Etoile) – La collectionneuse - My Night at Maud's - Love in the Afternoon (1972 film) - (L’enfance d’une ville) - (The Marquis of O) - (Perceval le Gallois) - (Catherine de Heilbronn) - (The Aviator’s Wife) - (Le Beau Mariage) - Pauline at the Beach - (Full Moon of Paris) - The Green Ray - (Four Adventures of Reinette and Mirabelle) - (Boyfriends and Girlfriends) - (Les Jeux de societe) - (A Tale of Springtime) - (A Tale of Winter) - (L’Arbre, le maire et la mediatheque) - (Le trio en mi bemol) - (Les Rendez-vous de Paris) - (Summer’s Tale) - (Autumn Tale) - (The Lady and the Duke) - (Triple Agent) - (Romance of Astrea and Celadon)
© thevoid99 2019
