Rating: Not Rated
Movie Release Date: February 19, 1964 (France) / December 16, 1964 (USA)
DVD Release Date: October 28, 1997
Movie Release Date: February 19, 1964 (France) / December 16, 1964 (USA)
DVD Release Date: October 28, 1997
Plot 411: Young lovers are separated for two years and are confronted with real life and the consequences of their choices.
Review: Alright, this is the second time I'm doing this because I lost the first one somehow. Genevieve (Catherine Deneuve), 17, and Guy (Nino Castelnuovo), 20, are madly in love and, in youthful exuberance, want to get married. This, of course, is not approved of by Genevieve's mother (Anne Vernon), and when Guy receives his notice to serve in the French army they must put their wedding plans on hold. This destroys them, but they both vow to wait for each other. Shortly after Guy leaves, Genevieve discovers she's pregnant. She also meets a sophisticated, older man named Roland. Unlike Guy, Roland can offer a much better future for her and has the full support of her mother, but can Genevieve forget Guy so easily? This was a unique musical that was at times too operatic for my tastes. The continuous singing was a bit much, especially since I had to read the subtitles. Perhaps in it's native language, the singing would not be as distracting. But from a foreign standpoint, it seemed terribly melodramatic. Despite this, I still enjoyed this film a lot because while it was romantic, it wasn't sentimental. It portrayed real life and real life decisions were made. The characters lived with the consequences, and there were no knights on white horses to save the day. There was no Hollywood ending. This, in itself, was refreshing. The brightly colored costumes and set also created a unique feeling within the film. I don't know if this is a purely '60s thing, if it has something to do with musicals of that generation or if it's just plain French, but all the colors were wonderful. The wallpaper within Genevieve's house alone could chase the clouds away. The wardrobe colors were also unique because the characters all seemed to match each other. The color pallete was definitely something you don't see everyday.
Watch It: For the paradox of a realistic plot set in the fantasy of a musical.
Skip It: If a sweeping melodrama and romance set to song makes you grind your teeth in resistance.
2 comments:
Thanks for the review, sounds like something I would enjoy. I put it in my queue. You may be interested in "Dancers in the Dark" which has that same paradox of a realistic plot set in the fantasy of a musical as you describe. It stars that quirky Icelandic singer Bork and also Catherine Deneuve in a supporting role...a deja vu moment, oui? Actually a pretty good drama/musical, Bork was great. Some of the musical sequences were really odd but enjoyed it nonetheless...hemajang
I'll definitely check it out. Sounds like a good one.
Post a Comment