Tristesse et beauté

Nominally based on a novel by the Japanese Nobel Prize winner Yasunari Kawabata, this limp soft-porn melodrama might - more convincingly - have been scribbled on an off day by the writers of Emmanuelle 6. A glamorous but unhappy lesbian artist (Charlotte Rampling) manipulates her young protegee (Myriem Roussel) to seduce and destroy a man (Andrzej Zulawski) who jilted her years before.

It hurts to remember that Zulawski, in real life, is one of the world's great film-makers. Had he been hired to direct - in place of no-talent Joy Fleury - he might almost have turned this slop into a watchable film. As an actor, he skulks about looking vaguely ashamed of himself. Boy oh boy, do we know how he feels...

Rampling, at least, seems able to hide her embarrassment. She looks radiant throughout, and her two lengthy nude scenes (a soft-focus dream sequence in front of a mirror; a Sapphic frolic in the bathtub with Roussel) are the only reason for anyone to watch this tripe.

Sorry, but Sadness and Beauty is one of those dismal Euro flicks that go beyond 'So-Bad-It's-Good'...into a warped parallel dimension called 'So-Bad-It's-Just-Bloody-Awful.'

Having read the novel in Japanese and watched the film, I'd like to correct a mistake of David Melville's comment. Lea(played by Charlotte Rampling)is NOT manipulating her young pupil/lover Prudence. Prudence is jealous and angry after discovering the past of Lea, then attempts the revenge against Lea's will. This kind of story is really hard to make into a film. In the novel, we learn Hugo's character, but in the film we hardly acknowledge anything, just a selfish horrible man who dumped his lover. As a result of poor characterisation of Hugo and unnessesary exploitation element, it became just another silly revenge flick.

Incidentally,I had a chance to ask a question to Ms Rampling in 2001. She commented that Zulawski was impossible as an actor, but agreed to take part in because of the friendship of the director.

I saw this films 3 decades ago when I was a student in Paris and it made little to no lasting impression except for one, the music. The original score featuring a plaintive yet searing solo saxophone is unforgettable and alas, impossible to find. I have an old audio cassette that is tragically almost worn out. If anyone is looking to discover (and release anew) a truly exceptional dramatic score then "Tristesse et beaute" is more than worthy of your consideration. I am rating this film a 5 and all 5 points are for its soundtrack!