The Lovers - Criterion Collection (1958)

Louis Malle unveiled the natural beauty of Jeanne Moreau in his breakthrough, Elevator to the Gallows. With his follow-up, the scandalous smash The Lovers> (Les amants), he made her a star once and for all. A deeply felt and luxuriously filmed fairy tale for grown-ups, perched on the edge between classical and New Wave cinemas, The Lovers presents Moreau as a restless bourgeois wife whose eye wanders from both her husband and her lover to an attractive passing stranger (Jean-Marc Bory). Thanks to its frank sexuality, The Lovers caused quite a stir, being censored and attacked for obscenity around the world. If today its shock has worn off, its glistening sensuality and seductive storytelling haven't aged a day.

Special Features

* - New, restored high-definition digital transfer of the complete, uncensored version
* - Selection of archival interviews with Louis Malle, actors Jeanne Moreau and José Luis de Villalonga, and writer Louise de Vilmorin
* - Gallery of promotional material from the U.S. theatrical release
* - New and improved English subtitle translation
* - PLUS: A new essay by film historian Ginette Vincendeau Product Description

Malle's "love" letter to Moreau

After working with Jeanne Moreau in ELEVATOR TO THE GALLOWS, Louis Malle decided to showcase her in his next film, THE LOVERS. Showcase her he did, because she is in practically every frame of the movie. THE LOVERS created quite a storm when it came out in 1959 for it's frank sexuality which would be quite tame by today's standards. It might be the first depiction of a woman having an orgasm on screen. Moreau's stardom was launched by THE LOVERS, and she gained a certain measure of notoriety in the process. She was labeled the new Bardot, but Moreau was anything but a sex kitten. Her characters exuded sensuality more than sexuality, a sensuality tinged with intelligence and a fair share of danger.

THE LOVERS is about a woman, living in Dijon, married to a successful but overbearing and inattentive magazine publisher. Feeling bored and unfulfilled in her married life she goes on frequent jaunts to Paris to see her friend and hook up with her playboy lover. The suspicious husband asks her to invite both over for a weekend stay at their estate. On the way back, her car breaks down and she is given a lift by an attractive young archaeologist who looks down on her friends and lifestyle. He is invited to stay over, and on a fateful night, meets Jeanne outside the mansion. A love affair commences that will cause Jeanne to make a life altering decision.

THE LOVERS is a very personal and egocentrically themed movie. The Self and it's emotional enrichment as well as sexual fulfillment has primacy over interpersonal relationships, even the basic mother/child relationship. Jeanne makes her fateful decision and for better or worse will have to live with the consequences. November 27, 2008

Woman's sexual freedom = scandal!

It is amazing to see the film made in late 50s and realize that this film has caused a stir all over the world, US included. In the Midwest, this film was considered obscene and it is the Supreme Court that granted this movie not be equaled with pornography. Made in black and white, this Malle's film is even more artistic in today's era. Story is about a upper middle class married woman who lives in provinces (Dijon) with her newspaper editor husband. She lives seemingly comfortable life in a large house, with full time nanny and servants. Her husbands pays her very little or no attention, he is cold and emotionally unavailable. They sleep in separate bedrooms. To find some amusement, young wife Jeanne goes to Paris to visit her married childhood friend who mingles in high society. It is there that she finds a lover, well-to-do polo player who she sees regularly until one day her husband decides to put a stop to her trips to Paris and have his wife's "friends" come a visit for the weekend. He is determined to re-establish his dominion over his household and of course, his wife. It is in preparation of this weekend, that Jeanne's car breaks down on the road and she gets a ride from the handsome, young stranger to her home. As a token of gratitude, young man is invited for a supper and to spend a night in the house before he takes off to his destination the next day. Frustrated that she cannot be with her lover, and outraged by her husband's possesive behavior, Jeanne wonders outside her bedroom at night, in the garden, where she and her mysterious savior find each other. Before long, they realize strong attraction between them and make love in the garden and her bedroom. Jeanne is sure she has found her soulmate and decides to leave everything behind: her young daughter Catherine, the big house, jewelry, clothes, everything. In the dawn of the new day, as house guests are getting ready for the fishing trip, Jeanne and her lover leave house never to return again. I do not believe that it is lovemaking scenes alone that made this film scandalous at the time. This woman is almost like D.H. Lawrence's wife, who left her comfortable upper-middle class life of a wife and a mother for the big unknown with a much younger man. All she is certain of is that she wants to be with a man she has met and there is no price to it. She will sacrifice everything for her own happiness no matter how short, or long that happiness will last. I have enjoyed watching interviews from a film director, actors and screenwriter and find film utterly beautiful and powerful, 50 years after it was made. It is a film that celebrates woman's sexuality and her power to make her own choices. August 4, 2008

This is one great film...plus better as a Criterion.

Moreau in this movie will create a fantasy that you will not forget easily. The movie is one of the best I have ever seen and will only please you every few minutes...over and over again. Everytime you settle into predictability; here comes one more turn and every one is believable.

The version I am speaking of here is the Criterion Collection, so the reproduction is excellent. July 14, 2008

A fine early release by Louis Malle

This review is for the Criterion Collection DVD edition of the film.

The Lovers known in French as Les Amants is Louis Malle's second feature film after Elevator to the Gallows. It also was the first of his films to generate controversey. It was censored upon its release in the US and other countries but A theater owner in Ohio who screened this film was charged with screening an obscene film and in a case that made it all the way to the US Supreme Court, the charges overturned. I think it would get a hard PG-13 or a light R with today's standards.

The film is about a married woman who having an affair and on her way home from a liason with her lover her car breaks down. A man then pulls over and he drives her to a garage. She then begins a relationship with him too.

This film is certainly not obscene as the censors maintained 50 years ago. Some scenes might be considered indecent by some though. I thought it was an interesting story but didn't care too much for the adultery theme.

The special features on the DVD are a slideshow of material for the US release and archival interviews with Louis Malle, writer, Louise de Vilmorin, actress, Jeanne Moreau, and actor José Luis de Villalonga. June 11, 2008

"Viva Moreau and Malle"

Criterion's recent release of Louis Malle's "The Lovers" is a hidden gem; a film that makes viewing many classic art films- in hope of finding a transcendent work- worthwhile I have always thought Jeanne Moreau was one of the finest French actresses of her generation through such noteworthy films such as "Jules and Jim," " Elevator to the Gallows," "Diary of a Chambermaid," and "La Notte" However, this film elevates her to the level of, in my opinion, such later great French actresses as Catherine Deneuve and Isabelle Huppert- and like the other two actresses she is still acting in films today; but the transformation of a "bored "bourgeoisie bitch," who reminded me of a French Bette Davis or Joan Crawford, to a vulnerable, sensually aware, luminescent beautiful woman through a sensual/sexual liaison with a freethinking, and authentic (with a young man who had in bourgeoisie background that he rejected) is hypnotic and spell binding. Prior to this, her life in the French, low cultured, Provences (anywhere but Paris) is so stifling that she is carrying on a relatively open affair with an idle rich, superficial, (but pleasant) Spanish polo player. He, like her workaholic, cynical, domineering, wealthy husband, is almost old enough to be her father, and, as is often the case of men who struggled through the horrors of world war II, is devoid of any real self awareness. Moreover, the Moreau character was certainly what we would call today a "trophy wife."

The last third of the film, involving the transformative sensual encounter, was cinematically and characterlogically mesmerizing. The depictions of nature at night, both human/sensual and scenic, were hauntingly beautiful. Louis Malle' direction was sensitive and exquisite The scenes of sexual intimacy were both erotic and aesthetic without the hint of pornography. This very was avant garde for the pre sexual revolution and pre-feminist 50's- even in France, and the film was banned in the straight laced Eisenhower Administrative of America in the 1950's.

The only things I found problematic was the Moreau character abandoning her child to pursue her romantic proclivities. On the other hand, there was a fairytale quality to the later parts of the movie,and I think Malle was trying to make a point about alienation from nature and, to a lesser extent, reality of the postwar French bourgeoisie. This was a particularly popular theme in French and Italian films of the era. Finally, don't miss the short interviews with Moreau.



June 2, 2008

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