2010-12-17

La femme de l'aviateur (1981)

La femme de l'aviateur (Eric Rohmer, 1981)

A minimalist film from Eric Rohmer, La femme de l'aviateur, tells the story of François (Philippe Marlaud) and Anne (Marie Rivière) a couple that has very common problems. He works by night, she works all day, Anne wants to live alone and is very independant. She also recently ended an affair with an aviator. François is insecure and he wants to have a normal relationship with Anne.

This simple but beautiful film by Rohmer sums Mies Van Der Rohe most infamous line: Less is more! With so few scenes the film has something particular about it. It's simple and beautiful as life itself.

But beware it's a very talky film and the few scenes are only rythmed by the long dialogues. Eric Rohmer's films depicts intellectuals with common lives. His movies are for initiates and Woody Allen fans can have some interest in his films too. I would be surprised to see one day one of his films on the Top 250 of IMDb. But his fans are dedicated to his films. I must say that I am becoming one.

2 comments:

  1. One of my favorites of Rohmer's films. There's something really magical about this one, as indicated by the iris-in on a sleeping François to suggest that everything to come — ie the entire long park sequence at the center of the film — is a kind of dream or fantasy. It's such a charming film, thanks in large part to the wonderful performance of Anne-Laure Meury as the girl who François spends his day with at the park.

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  2. You are right Ed, this is one of Rohmer's most charming films. We kinda have the feeling we spend our day in the park with them too. I think the iris-in was some hommage to Murnau's Faust, a film Rohmer loved and even wrote a whole book in its use of space.

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