Les époux terribles

Jacqueline Sassard is the willful, spoiled child of a household of women. Her mother and grandmother worry about her and indulge her. So when she tells them she and architect Gabriele Ferzetti are engaged, they believe her and start to discuss her dowry. This impels him to asks her to marry him. They are very happy at first. But the money is tighter than anticipated, and instead of working as an architect, Ferzetti finds himself a glorified interior decorator. Her attempts to make connections for him go awry. Finally she walks out.

Antonio Pietrangeli's movie covers a diverse and diffuse set of problems. It seems less concerned with making its points about any particular set of problems than in examining Miss Sassard's character and the difference between what she imagines the world, marriage, her husband, and herself to be and the reality. She gives a fine performance in a well written part. Perhaps there are conclusions to be drawn, but then, perhaps, like Huckleberry Finn, those attempting to find a moral will be banished.

Antonio Pietrangeli is a very good director. In this film he captures like no other the problems of a couple who, after marriage, arguing for all sorts of reasons, some serious, others trivial. Beautiful Jacqueline Sassard (which looks very much like Rosanna Schiaffino) is very convincing in the role of Francesca. Gabriele Ferzetti is OK. The film is not a comedy, as written on IMDb. It is more a drama, not a serious drama but still a drama.