La veuve Couderc

Wow: Delon, Signoret, Simenon - and it's an almost total dud. Virtually not a single thing happens for the first 75 minutes of the movie. No, scratch that: Delon sports a terrible moustache in the first half, but he later shaves it off; that IS an important moment. Even the title is uninviting. * out of 4.

"La Veuve Couderc" comes on a disc that also includes one of Alain Delon's very best films, "Diaboliquement Vôtre"-- truly terrific suspense film. While "Le Veuve Couderc" is not nearly as good, as long as you're watching one of the films, you may as well watch the other. However, just be forewarned that "Le Veuve Couderc" is MUCH slower and may be too slow for some audiences.

The film begins with a middle-aged woman (Simon Signoret) being assisted by a traveler (Alain Delon) to carry her new incubator back to the farm. He asks if she has more work and she hires him without knowing more about the man. The widow turns out to be a rather sad character with a sad past--though she doesn't dwell on this. She also has some in-laws that give her no end of trouble. What about Delon? See the film and find out more about the stranger.

As I mentioned above, the film is pretty slow. It's well acted BUT perhaps the acting is, at times, a bit too muted. I would have loved some more energy in the film. This doesn't mean you shouldn't watch. It also didn't help that you didn't feel much connection with the characters.

By the way, although you probably won't care, the history teacher in me was a bit annoyed because Félicie's hairstyle is NOT period--she looked to be from much later. It's a little thing but I am surprised they didn't catch this.

Simenon adaptation, it is remarkable for the lead actors performance. for the images from a France who seems be lost today. for the force of message. and, sure, for the silence slices. a beautiful film, splendid artistic duel between Simone Signoret and Alain Delon, bitter, cold, fragile, delicate, demonstration of high talent and wise discover of story nuances. a young man, a middle age widow and few days. a love story in different form , not just as forbidden one but as image of a fundamental change. one of films who can seduce the viewer not for story or for acting but for something who defines the frame of details. a reflection support. and one of really good acting demonstrations.

At the time ,French cinema was updating the rural thriller ,a genre which had begun in the late thirties/forties with such works as "Goupi Mains Rouges" "l'Assassinat du Père Noël" or "la Ferme aux Loups".The early seventies began with Granier-Deferre's "La Horse " (Gabin) and continued with another Granier-Deferre (this one) as well as with "L'Affaire Dominici" (Gabin) and "Les GRanges Brulées" (Signoret and Delon teaming up again).

These movies from the seventies were more realistic ,more "precise in their depictions of rural life than those released earlier."La Veuve Couderc",like one of his precedent movies ("Le Chat" also feat Signoret) was first a novel by Georges Simenon.In France ,people were amazed to see Delon playing opposite Signoret ,but most of the actresses Delon played with in the seventies ,with the exception of Romy Schneider or Jeanne Moreau,were starlets.There was really a special chemistry between them which was not as effective in their later effort "les Granges Brûlées" .Both are well cast,Signoret as a strong middle -age peasant woman and Delon as the fugitive .

Granier-Deferre helped pave a way to a new "Cinema de Qualité" which made us forget the pretensions of the new wavelet.

The person who wrote that she (?) thought that, perhaps, no one in America had seen this film is wrong! I saw it in Los Angeles when it first came out, in the early '70s. Granted, it did not leave a great impression upon me. What left a great impression upon me was, bien sur, the wonderful Alain Delon. Sigh. Sorry! Can't help it! I will remember everything he was in until the day I die! After seeing this film, I remember afterwards, recollecting the scenes with him and the younger gal with whom he was dallying, and thinking, "That actress should PAY to play that role!" Again, sorry! Of course, Signoret was fantastic, as she always was.