Some movie nostalgia on this Monday morning. I can still remember what I was wearing the evening I saw A man and a woman/Un homme et une femme (1966 directed by Claude Lelouch)with my older cousins at a Johannesburg cinema in 1966. A pink coatdress a la Twiggy style, pale pink lipstick, lots of black mascara and tan baby doll shoes!
I suppose this was the most adult movie I (a romantic 15 year old) had seen to date. I still think the simple story of love - old love rememembered, new love emerging and the tug between the two - ranks as the most delicious love story on celluloid. Anouk Aimee (as the widow, Anne) was irresistible as she continually flicked her thick brown hair out of her eyes, cupped her chin in her hands or laughed shyly; Jean-Louis Trignant (as the widowed racing driver, Jean-Louis) was charming, sensitive and manly. The theme music is one that gets stuck in your head for days.
The story (in case you haven't seen this Award winning movie) is about a young widow and a young widower who meet at their children's boarding school in Deauville on the French coast. They begin to fall in love but they are both held back by the poignant recollections of their former loves: her dead husband; his dead wife. Memories of their past are interspersed with shots of the present. Then Anne leaves Jean-Louis unable to break with her past. Now what is a man to do under such circumstances? Take part in the Le Mans race, of course! Jean-Louis goes on to win Le Mans. Exhausted after his victory, throwing his racing helmet aside and suddenly convinced of his love, he leaps into his coupe and races back through a rainy night to Paris to meet Anne's train as it pulls into station. A knight dressed in armour, pennants flying, on a white charger could not have been more romantic than Jean-Louis behind the wheel riding to win his Lady Love.
I know what I'll be doing this evening: it's pizza, Un homme et une femme from my local specialist video rental and a Do Not Disturb message on my phone. Why don't you join me - wherever you are!
9 comments:
Sounds like my kind of movie.......I'll check for it on Netflix!
Now THAT sounds like a marvellous idea! Enjoy!
You romantic, you!
I never looked anything like Twiggy--even at age 15.
Well, Eleanor, I've just discovered another thing we have in common: we remember what we wore on specific occasions! Does that make us superficial, I wonder?
I have not seen this movie, but it sounds really good. I love the French films -so, so...Francais!
As for the pizza part, it doesn't take any persuasion at all to get my husband to go for that!
Kat
P.S. You realize from now on I'll be calling you, "Twiggy".
This sounds like a wonderful film, Eleanor! Just the sort of thing Maureen and I would enjoy - we'll have to see if we can get it on our new viewing box! Pizza? Definitely!
Adding this one to my Netflix queue. We have the same taste in film and I always love when you post on one I haven't seen! Loved "Blue", by the way.
Re: Willow's comment on "Blue". Can you believe it? I have "Red, White and Blue" on video and have never watched them? I have a trunk full of foreign films that have yet to be viewed. It's kind of a magic trunk in that way - stored up with delights yet to be discovered.
Do you like French farce, Eleanor? You really must watch "The Dinner Game" or "The Closet".
Kat
Oh, have you seen "Lucie Aubrac"?
Oops - I forgot to call you "Twiggy".
Kat
Pizza and an old romantic movie sounds like my cup of tea. I will have to look this one up again.
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