Controversy aside, the film is pretty standard fare.
I´m ambivalent about her performance in "The Lovers" in which, for the most part, she plays the very standard character of the haughty bourgeois wife, spoiled rotten but also bored and desperate for a more exciting life. However, she pulls off a spectacular 180 degree turn (along with the film) when Bernard flips her switch and all her iciness melts away in a cloud of steam. She gives herself fully to passion, and the transformation is quite shocking.
As a satire of hypocritical button-down bourgeois values, "The Lovers" is on target but hardly groundbreaking. Everyone in Jeanne´s social circle is living a frivolous lie, and only the honest, earthy outsider can free her from her prison. What is groundbreaking, as mentioned before, is the film´s complete lack of judgment of Jeanne´s actions. It´s not only Americans who seek "the pursuit of happiness," and Jeanne seizes the brass ring while she has the chance. It´s unlikely they´ll live happily ever after, but we don´t need to concern ourselves with that because there isn´t going to be a sequel.
Video
The film is presented in its original 2.35:1 widescreen aspect ratio. The digitally restored anamorphic transfer is superb, as you no doubt expect from Criterion. The image is sharp, and the black/white contrast is exceptional.
Audio
The DVD is presented in Dolby Digital Mono. Optional English subtitles support the French audio.
Extras
The disc features several interviews:
Two with Louis Malle: a 1963 interview filmed for the TV show "Cinépanorama" (10 min) and a 1994 interview (one year before his death) conducted by journalist Angelika Wittlich in Malle´s Paris office (20 min.) The latter interview is particularly substantive.
Two with Jeanne Moreau, a 1958 interview for the news program "Le journal televise" (3 min) and a 1972 interview for "Tête d´affiche" (6 min.) Neither is all that compelling.
There are also single interviews with actor José Luis de Villalonga (1958, 5 min) and writer Louise de Vilmorin (1965, 4 min.) Vilmorin worked on the script and dialogue for "The Lovers" but Malle, who takes sole screenwriting credit, significantly rewrote her material.
There is also a brief Gallery which explains some the details of the film´s censorship in the U.S. along with some promotional material which capitalized on the scandal.
The insert booklet includes a length essay by Ginette Vincendeau.
Film Value
It may be difficult to believe that "The Lovers" could have created such a scandal in its day, but it´s still a challenging take on female liberation. It´s also the role that cemented Jeanne Moreau´s status as a French film icon. In very short order she found herself in demand by great directors such as Orson Welles, François Truffaut, and Luis Buñuel. "The Lovers" is not one of my favorite Louis Malle films, but it´s still an intriguing work and a must-watch for Moreau fans.
As a satire of hypocritical button-down bourgeois values, "The Lovers" is on target but hardly groundbreaking. Everyone in Jeanne´s social circle is living a frivolous lie, and only the honest, earthy outsider can free her from her prison. What is groundbreaking, as mentioned before, is the film´s complete lack of judgment of Jeanne´s actions. It´s not only Americans who seek "the pursuit of happiness," and Jeanne seizes the brass ring while she has the chance. It´s unlikely they´ll live happily ever after, but we don´t need to concern ourselves with that because there isn´t going to be a sequel.
Video
The film is presented in its original 2.35:1 widescreen aspect ratio. The digitally restored anamorphic transfer is superb, as you no doubt expect from Criterion. The image is sharp, and the black/white contrast is exceptional.
Audio
The DVD is presented in Dolby Digital Mono. Optional English subtitles support the French audio.
Extras
The disc features several interviews:
Two with Louis Malle: a 1963 interview filmed for the TV show "Cinépanorama" (10 min) and a 1994 interview (one year before his death) conducted by journalist Angelika Wittlich in Malle´s Paris office (20 min.) The latter interview is particularly substantive.
Two with Jeanne Moreau, a 1958 interview for the news program "Le journal televise" (3 min) and a 1972 interview for "Tête d´affiche" (6 min.) Neither is all that compelling.
There are also single interviews with actor José Luis de Villalonga (1958, 5 min) and writer Louise de Vilmorin (1965, 4 min.) Vilmorin worked on the script and dialogue for "The Lovers" but Malle, who takes sole screenwriting credit, significantly rewrote her material.
There is also a brief Gallery which explains some the details of the film´s censorship in the U.S. along with some promotional material which capitalized on the scandal.
The insert booklet includes a length essay by Ginette Vincendeau.
Film Value
It may be difficult to believe that "The Lovers" could have created such a scandal in its day, but it´s still a challenging take on female liberation. It´s also the role that cemented Jeanne Moreau´s status as a French film icon. In very short order she found herself in demand by great directors such as Orson Welles, François Truffaut, and Luis Buñuel. "The Lovers" is not one of my favorite Louis Malle films, but it´s still an intriguing work and a must-watch for Moreau fans.
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[release]23780[/release]