DVD/150: BONJOUR TRISTESSE (Otto Preminger, 1958)

After SAINT JOAN's failure, Otto Preminger chose the best-selling BONJOUR TRISTESSE, written by Francoise Sagan when she was 18, as a second vehicle for his discovery Jean Seberg, still only 20 years-old.

As with SAINT JOAN, Preminger bullied Seberg during filming and the film's American failure resulted in him ending their three-picture contract.

The film is told in flashback: Cecile is 18, indifferent to her glamourous Parisian life with Raymond, her rich playboy father with his parade of new girlfriends but inside she is tormented by events from the previous summer when they vacationed on the Riviera.

Joined by Raymond's latest mistress, the scatter-brained Elsa, they are suddenly visited by Anne, best friend of Cecile's late mother. Fashion designer Anne has a refined poise which attracts Raymond.

When they announce their engagement, Cecile slowly realises Anne will disrupt her relationship with Raymond and decides to act...

Shelf or charity shop?  Sunbathing on the shelf!  While not perfect - the clashing of English, American, French and Italian accents strains the ears - BONJOUR TRISTESSE rewards repeat viewings.  Jean Seberg has an excellent screen relationship with David Niven but she really impresses when Cecile is faced with Anne's kill-joy personality and becomes a wilful, vengeful teenager.  Deborah Kerr is effective as Anne and also enjoys a good partnership with Niven who gives a nicely nuanced performance. Preminger made a good choice to have the 'present-day' Paris scenes shot in cool black & white and the Riviera scenes in lush colour.  An odd supporting cast include two nice turns from British actresses Martita Hunt and Jean Kent as two Riviera denizens and a haunting appearance by Juliette Greco.  Although Jean's performance was dismissed in English-language reviews, both Francois Truffaut and Jean-Luc Godard both praised her; Godard saying that her performance as Cecile easily lead into her role as Patricia in his iconic A BOUT DE SOUFFLE (BREATHLESS).

 

DVD/150: THE BROWNING VERSION (Anthony Asquith, 1951)

Of the ten films made by director Anthony Asquith and writer Terence Rattigan, the most resonant remains THE BROWNING VERSION, released three years after Rattigan's one-act play opened.

 

Rattigan deservedly won the Best Screenplay Award at the Cannes Film Festival for his adaptation.

Michael Redgrave won the Cannes Best Actor Award while also giving one of the great screen performances as Andrew Crocker-Harris, a classics master who, after 18 years teaching in a boys school, has atrophied into a pedantic, remote man.  When it's announced that Crocker-Harris is leaving the next day due to ill health, he is made aware of the dislike of pupils and colleagues.

His wife Millie is also openly contemptuous, barely hiding an affair with science teacher Frank, but when she learns Andrew has been refused an expected school pension, she goes on the attack.

But a pupil's unexpected goodbye present changes everything...

Shelf or charity shop?  Currently living in my plastic storage box, THE BROWNING VERSION is a film that delivers a quietly devastating emotional punch.  Beautifully directed by Asquith, his film allows you to slowly side against the malign forces facing Crocker-Harris both professionally and personally.  As I said, Michael Redgrave delivers not only his best screen performance but one of the truly great screen performances; staying within the strict parameters of the character but by through the smallest, precise timing of gesture and voice, you will be totally on his side by the end of the film.  There is excellent support from Jean Kent as the vindictive Millie, Nigel Patrick as her lover Frank who makes amends for their deception and Wilfred Hyde White as the smoothly unfeeling headmaster.  A special mention for Brian Smith as young Taplow whose unexpected farewell present to Crocker-Harris starts a chain reaction.  This scene where his small act of kindness causes Crocker-Harris to finally break down in halting sobs is the film's devastating core.