The Lovers (The Criterion Collection) [DVD]

I'm trying to learn French so I bought this. It's a very well made film.

Truly a wonderful movie....Ms .Moreau was in top form...I ordered it to have in my collection along with others that Ms Moreau acted in over the course of her career.

Spoiler alert: plot elements revealed.Jeanne Moreau is a kind of Emma Bovary type who lives in Dijon with her boring husband Henri, the manager of a newspaper. She goes to Paris often, ostensibly to visit with her school friend Maggy, and there she has entered into an affair with Raoul, an unctuous playboy who plays polo and drives a Jaguar.Eventually Jeanne’s (her name in the film as well) husband Henri grows jealous and demands that she invite her friends to their home in Dijon for a weekend. As she is driving back from Paris for the dreaded weekend, her car breaks down. She hails a Deux Chevaux driven by Bernard, who turns out to have a tenuous connection with some of Jeanne’s society friends, though he declares that he has no interest in the doings of the Paris social elite. Jeanne prevails on Bernard to drive her to Dijon. When they arrive at her estate, Henri insists that Bernard stay for the weekend along with guests Raoul and Maggy.At first Jeanne is dismissive towards Bernard and he treats her with a mixture of indifference and condescension. But after the weekend is underway, they take a walk together and suddenly: C’est le coup de foudre! Lightning strikes. The two of them enter into a passionate affair. When the rest of the company go fishing with Henri, Jeanne and Bernard stay behind There is a lot of sophomoric swooning and declaring ‘je t’aime’. At one point Bernard climbs into the baththub with Jeanne and they both giggle with delight. She is so smitten she decides to leave her husband and strike out with Bernard to create a new life, with no particular plan or destination.The film ends with them driving off together in the Deux Chevaux, leaving behind friends, Jeanne’s husband, as well as a daughter who we have learned about almost as an afterthought (Emma Bovary’s child comes to mind).This is a film for people who loved Bridges of Madison County, people whose belief in true love at first sight is unassailable. Whereas Madame Bovary ends in tragedy, Emma’s illusions shattered, Les Amants leaves us to guess the outcome of this relationship. “Although Jeanne had doubts,” a voice-over informs us, “she regretted nothing.” (Like Edith Piaf?)To be fair, Les Amants is beautifully photographed in black and white, with some memorable scenes of the French countryside, and Jeanne Moreau delivers a powerful performance given the shortcomings of the part. This may have been one of Louis Malle’s most popular films as the promotional copy claims, but it isn’t one of his best. Louis Malle is a great director in my opinion, and I would hate to think that his talent might be judged on the basis of this mediocrity. Check out his other films in either French (Au Revoir les Enfants, Murmurs of the Heart, or English (Atlantic City, Pretty Baby, or his masterpiece IMO, Vanya on 42nd Street).

Question to the young Malle who made this; Why mess up engaging, creative work which is both romantic and clique-busting by interjecting the character of a young daughter as a needless afterthought. Also the last sequences are unintentionally funny. Watch it for the mostly fresh, rewarding first 99% of it.

Great movie. Loved it

I GOT AN EMPTY BOX ... Then silence.

great French film

wonderful

Excelente película clásica francesa. PERO los subtítulos solamente en francés sí no se conoce bien el idioma dificulta mucho seguir el ritmo. La entrega y calidad del producto excelente .

Wndeful mvie - and my copy appears to be in excellent condition

Fondamentale film neoromantico di Louis Malle del 1958 i con grande interpretazione di Jeanne Moreau . Una signora borghese annoiata e malmaritata scopre all’improvviso l’amour fou grazie a un giovane incontrato per caso in viaggio. Bellissima la scena notturna della passeggiata al chiaro di luna dei due amanti.François Truffaut, a torto o a ragione, sosteneva che in questo film Malle avesse osato un’impresa mai tentata prima, rappresentare al cinema un’intera notte d’amore. Per esprimere la piena di sentimenti nel corso della lunga scena, mentre i due amanti vivono il loro idillio nell’incantevole campagna illuminata dal chiaro di luna, il regista scelse come colonna sonora l’“Andante ma moderato” del Sestetto in si bemolle op. 18 di Brahms. Malle aveva intuito che lì vi era depositato un grumo di sentimenti erotici e sentimentali inesprimibili a parole, e la musica sola sottolinea l'atmosfera fortemente erotica.

Le film de Malle qui fit scandale à l'époque, et que Truffaut dit c'est la première nuit d'amour du cinema francais, est un tres grand film, une jeune femme s'ennuie aupres de son mari qui s'occupe d'un journal, elle va rencontrer un homme jeune, et Malle nous offre une fin d'une grande richesse poetique dans leur sortie nocturne sur une magnifique musique de Brahms, un tres grand Malle.

Todo fue excelente. Muchas gracias.No hay nada mas que agregar, es suficiente con lo dicho como Excelente, Satisfecho, etcétera.