Cinematheque Ontario presents - Eric Rohmer

Cinematheque Ontario presents the 6 moral tales (6 Contes Moraux) of Eric Rohmer.

With the passing on of nouvelle vague director Eric Rohmer this year, cinema will be missed by many of films characterized by lots and lots of talking with events affected by coincidence or fate (however one wants to look at it).  Rohmer’s talk is most interesting, as he reveals the inner beings of his characters and the raison d’etre of their behavior.

His early series entitled SIX MORAL TALES will be screened from Thursday July the 29th.  Hopefully, his later other series TALES OF 4 SEASONS will get its retrospective as well.

Rohmer’s first two of the series of SEX MORAL TALES are seldom screened. So this will be a great opportunity (if the only opportunity) to catch them.

The complete list of Rohmer films screened:

L’AMOUR L’APRÈS-MIDI
LA CARRIÈRE DE SUZANNE
LA BOULANGÈRE DE MONCEAU
LA COLLECTIONNEUSE
LE GENOU DE CLAIRE
MA NUIT CHEZ MAUD

For complete list of show times, venue, programme and ticket pricing, check the Cinematheque website at:
http://www.cinemathequeontario.ca

4 of the above films are capsuled reviewed below:

LA BOULANGERE DE MONCEAU (France 1962) ****
Directed by Eric Rohmer

The first of Eric Rohmer’s 6 moral tales, this 23 minute short THE GIRL AT THE MONCEAU BAKERY packs quite the punch.  Within the short time span, Rohmer deals out what can be established as his style, purpose and connection of his later 5 films in the series.  The story revolves around a university undergraduate (director Barbet Schroeder in an acting role) who has decided that a girl he passes by on the street is the girl for him.  After stalking her for what must have been ages, he finally sums up the courage to speak to her.  But fate or coincidence (as in all of Rohmer’s films) plays a part and she (Michele Giradon) has an injury that prevents her from walking.  The young man distracts himself with pastries that lead him to meet the girl at the Monceau bakery (Claudine Soubrier).  Rohmer’s film contains lots of voiceover to explain the emotions of his characters but the device works ending in an utterly delightful romantic (moral?) comedy.
(Screening July 29th, 845pm with film below)

LA CARRIERE DE SUZANNE (France 1963) ***
Directed by Eric Rohmer

The second of Rohmer’s moral tales is centred on 2 best friends, the protagonist Bertrand (Philippe Beuzen) and his best friend and manipulative seducer Guillaume (Christian Charriere).  Voiceover narration tells of how Bertrand thinks of Guillaume and Sophie (Diane Wilkinson) who they both have the hots for.  But Guillaume is dating the easier Suzanne (Catherine See) who flirts with Bertrand at the same time.  Lot of talking again in this Rohmer flick, but his characters are interesting and more importantly, interesting to follow as they change attitudes as much as the girls they like.  Suzanne is despised by both as she is too easy to take advantage of, but Rohmer brings his tale to a happy and believable ending. 
(Screening July 29th, 845pm with film above)

LE GENOU DE CLAIRE (France 1970) ****
Directed by Eric Rohmer

Voted as the best French film (National Society of Film Critics) of that year, CLAIRE’S KNEE shows Rohmer at his most planned and also establishes his motif for the majority of his films. In this 5th tale, for example, he declares that it is fate (and not coincidence) that brings his characters together or apart.  As one of his characters here, a writer says: “I do not invent characters, I discover them!” The character discovered here is a self assured Don Juan, a bearded Jean-Claude Brially playing a diplomat, about to be wed, but spends the summer around younger girls in France’s Lake District.  The film has some magnificent shots of this part of France, seldom seen.  The diplomat’s obscure object of desire is a teen, Claire’s knee.  Rohmer illustrates how the knee could be such a desirable object as he shows it in various angles, one with the knee pulsing like a voluptuous breast.  When he finally caresses the knee, much to the disgust to the audience, he triumphantly boasts of his conquests to his friend, Aurore, stating that he had done Calire a good deed in the process.  But Rohmer brings this tale again to a happy ending that proves the proud diplomat wrong in his theorizing. 
Screenings on Aug 5th at 7pm and Aug 8th at 4 pm)

MA NUIT CHEZ MAUD (France 1968) ***1/2
Directed by Eric Rohmer

In all his films dealing with coincidence and fate, this is the only one that brings in the concept of probability.  In a chance meeting after 14 years of the two men, Jean-Louis (Jean-Louis Trintignant) theorizes that he can calculate the probability the two will meet again in two years if he is given enough information.  This all begins when he drives in his car following a blonde on a bicycle he had noticed in church prior.  Losing her, out of chance, he turns into a book of probability distributions.  Rohmer brings in lots of discussions on Pascal, the French mathematician tying in religion and a little politics.  Hence, he clearly brings in the raison d’etre of Jean-Louis attending a recital, that there is a remote chance of him seeing the blonde again – though this is never specifically mentioned, but can be safely deduced from the proceedings.  The probability of meeting her is small but the pleasure resulting is infinite, thus one goes with the option.  MA NUIT CHEZ MAUD was shot in one of the ugliest places in France – Clermont-Ferrand.  (The only pretty sight is at the film’s start when Jean-Louis stares at the volcano).  (I know as I have been there and the guide books say that this place in Central France is ugly.) But, Rohmer’s film is intriguing, not because most of his films are shot in areas around beaches, the sea or lakes, but for the reason that he can tie his story and characters around any location or situation.
(Screenings: July 30th and Aug 7th at 7 pm)