Jules et Jim ***** (1962, Jeanne Moreau, Oskar Werner, Henri Serre) – Classic Movie Review 290

It takes three to tango, apparently. For his brilliant third feature, filmed in 1961 and first shown in Paris in 1962, director Francois Truffaut turns to the lyrical look at love that he was to mine so successfully throughout his career. It’s a rather bold, highly emotional story of an evolving love triangle and basically a kind of emotional ménage a trois.

Centre of all attention as the impulsive heroine, the 33-year-old Jeanne Moreau makes a dazzling siren, luring men to their… Well, what exactly? At any rate, Moreau is the perfect embodiment of the irresistible life force.

Its story is of two close male buddies, central European Jules (Oscar Werner) and Frenchman Jim (Henri Serre), and an impetuous, attractive woman Catherine (Jeanne Moreau) sharing the difficulties of life and love over two decades around the Great War of 1914-18. In Paris, before WWI,  Jules and Jim both fall in love with Catherine. It turns out that then she loves and marries Jules. But, after the war, when they meet again in Germany, Catherine starts to love Jim…

This pre-Swinging Sixties theme was still relatively shocking to audiences back in 1962. But Truffaut taps into the pure, tasteful, emotional and spiritual side of Henri-Pierre Roché’s 1953 semi-autobiographical novel about his real-life relationship with the writer Franz Hessel and his wife, Helen Grund.

In the story, it teasingly emerges that love does not affect the evolving friendship of the three characters. Are the two men in love as well? That’s never quite clear in Truffaut’s film. You could call it subtle, understated or just coy.

Director Truffaut delivers a film motoring on infectious, youthful joie de vivre. Truffaut and his actors are on inspired form, bringing out all the most subtle nuances of the novel and its themes. Moreau especially gives one of her most memorable, iconic performances, which helped turned her into an icon of the French New Wave cinema.

The quieter playing of the male stars is highly effective too, especially in contrast to Moreau’s vivacious, exuberant one. Georges Delerue’s score is a delightful ear-pleaser and Raoul Coutard’s widescreen black and white cinematography is an immaculate eye-catcher. Both return from their triumphs on Truffaut’s previous feature, Shoot the Pianist.

Catherine: ‘Men only think of one thing.’ Jules: ‘And you encourage us.’

Jules et Jim was remade as Willie and Phil in America in 1980. Truffaut adapted another Henri-Pierre Roché novel in Anne and Muriel.

Legendary French cinematographer Raoul Coutard, who worked with Jean-Luc Godard on Breathless (1960) and Contempt (1963), François Truffaut, Jacques Demy and Costa-Gavras on Z (1969), died on 8 November 2016, aged 92.

RIP beloved Jeanne Moreau, screen goddess, French New Wave icon and muse and a unique talent and personality.

© Derek Winnert 2013 Classic Movie Review 290

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