NOTE: While there are no actual spoilers in this review, certain elements of the
plot of Les choses de la vie have to be discussed in order to make sense of the film, and that discussion borders on spoilers.
On
one level, Les choses de la vie is a fairly standard story of that staple of French film, and life in general, the ménage
à trois, although the film is rather deceptive about this particular
element. The film opens with allusions to a catastrophic event, before finding a couple, Pierre Berard (Michel Piccoli) and Hélène Haltig (Romy
Schneider), in bed. As the film progresses, it's implied that they are married, and perhaps married for quite a while, although there
is definitely still passion in their relationship. Only later is it revealed that Hélène is not Pierre's
wife, but rather his mistress, although given the state of Pierre's marriage to Catherine (Lea Massari), Hélène may be Pierre's more constant companion.
On the structural level, Les choses de
la vie is an intriguing viewing experience, since it uses the element of a devastating car crash to avoid using linear time. There are brief seconds inserted into the film that depict Pierre driving at high speed through
the French countryside on the way to a meeting in Rennes, 350km southwest of
Paris, and we get the distinct impression that his journey will not end well. Director Claude Sautet uses these interruptions in the narrative to offer several vignettes that show us the dysfunction in the two relationships, leaving us with the question of whether Pierre will go back to Catherine, or divorce her and marry Hélène. In fact, this question is uppermost in Pierre's mind as he journeys toward Rennes and, at one point, he even pens a letter to Hélène, the contents of which we cannot know, except indirectly by listening to Pierre. The
ultimate outcome of the horrifying auto accident is left until the film's closing
moments, although the sort segments shown earlier in the film leave us with little doubt.
While
this film is often cited as
being Sautet's first film to really connect with both audiences and critics, it's just one of three films often cited as a comeback for Romy Schneider, along with La piscine (The Swimming Pool, 1969) and Cesar et Rosalie (1972) in a tribute to her successful career. Schneider, Piccoli and
Massari all give perfectly fine, natural, believable performances. Some critics have identified elements of the film that are superfluous, such as the family flashbacks on the Île de Ré, or the couple with the overheated vehicle that Pierre picks up. However I found them necessary to the film. The idyllic scenes of the Berard family, Pierre, Catherine and their two children, sailing in the Atlantic offshore of the Île de Ré, show that Pierre could have had a perfectly serene, uncomplicated life had he not been a driven architect-engineer, continually dissatisfied with his situation. And the couple with the overheated car are later shown in a taxi, driving by the scene of the wreck and being silently grateful that they were not in the car.
Personally, it’s hard for me to watch films that I know are going to end
in tragedy, as Les choses de la vie
does. Also, there are subtleties of language in a film like this about
relationships that probably do not translate well, so reading the subtitles I
am sure I missed something important. The film itself has not aged
especially well. Most of the characters smoke cigarettes, and Pierre is a chain smoker.
Also, Michel Piccoli (1925-2020) was 44 and Romy Schneider (1938-1982) was 31 when the film was shot in the summer of 1969,
so the two are thirteen years apart, although Piccoli looks like he is at least
twenty years older than Schneider. This caused me to wonder what she could
possibly see in him, which made it hard for me to believe in them as a romantic
couple.
Music
in films is important to me, and one of the most beautiful things about this
film is the haunting melody La Chanson
d'Hélène, music by Philippe Sarde,
lyrics by Jean-Loup Dabadie and sung
by Romy Schneider. Here is the link to the song on YouTube, as part of the
soundtrack. LINK
And,
finally, Les choses de la vie was
remade in 1994 as Intersection, with
Richard Gere, Sharon Stone and Lolita Davidovich. The general consensus is that
it is not as good as the original. IMDb link
IMDb 76/100
RottenTomatoes Averages (critics=TBD, viewers=86)
Blu-ray
Blu-ray review
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