La principessa di Cleves

...but it is not easy to discover that. the respect for the novel of Madame La Fayete, the feeling to be in a wax museum, the rhythm and the style, the dialogues and the performances are obstacles for clearly see the special beauty of a film who use in inspired manner a seductive text. it is a great love story, not very comfortable / coherent for our time but great for its delicate flavor. sure, it is not difficult to discover it only as a film with Marina Vlady and Jean Marais. but it is unfair. because the grace of performances, the admirable costumes and atmosphere are true virtues of a film who explores the ways of a classic genre. and the mark of Cocteau is one of its basic virtue.

Magnificent recreation of the supra-romantic novel of 1678 set in the French royal court around 1559. Supra-romantic because the love of a man and a woman is not fulfilled in marriage, or in adultery, but in death. As has been pointed out however, the film was alien to the mood of most French cinemagoers in 1961 who, the grim years of Occupation and its aftermath long over, had lost the taste for such rich and elevated fare.

Sixty years later, surely we can appreciate its many merits? Splendid camera work on magnificent sets and locations (Chambord!!), stately score, glorious costumes, strong principals play against talented newcomers, a brilliant script with every syllable and every nuance put over. The whole production breathes solid old-world quality, deserving respect and admiration but also offering different levels of pleasure according to one's taste and discernment.

Watching this amazing film only confirms my belief that Jean Delannoy is one of the finest and unjustly underrated directors in French cinema. Directors are like racehorses in so far as their form is 'in' and 'out' and is not limitless. Delannoy kept his form for longer than most and here the form is decidedly 'in'.

The tempo is 'lento' which might test the attention span of some but Delannoy has captured wonderfully the rhythm, rituals, constraints and formalities of sixteenth century court life where even ones intimates are addressed as 'vous' and not 'tu'. Rival factions and court politics are quickly established in the marvellous opening scene.

It is ravishingly shot by Henri Alekan with art direction by Renee Renoux and one of Georges Auric's finest scores.

As for the cast Marina Vlady is wondrous in the title role and Jean Marais as the Prince has never been better in my opinion. Strong support here from Annie Ducaux as Diane de Poitiers who expresses her isolation and loss of influence after the King's death with the devastating 'C'est fini'. Lea Padovani is magnificent as Catherine de Medicis and there is a very effective performance by Renee Marie-Potet who strongly resembles the portrait of Mary by Francois Clouet. Mary had the misfortune to return to Scotland whilst Renee had the misfortune to die in a car crash the year after she filmed this role. Pieral played the poisonous dwarf to great effect in Delannoy's L'Eternel Retour' and here does the same as Le Bouffon.

Beautifully adapted by Jean Cocteau from the novel by Marie-Madeleine, Comtesse de Lafayette, the power of this piece lies in its contrast between strong emotions and courtly restraint.

"La Princesse de Cleves" was released at the wrong time.The reasons are obvious:

1. It was the heyday of the nouvelle vague and Jean Delannoy was a laughing stock for all these directors."He does not live his movies" was what M.Godard used to say.I'm not sure M.Godard used to live His.

2.The mainstream audience mistook the movie for a swashbuckler entertaining yarn , a genre which was very popular in France at the time .It was after all a costume movie and Jean Marais was par excellence the sword hero.

So nobody was satisfied and the film died commercial and artistic death.It should be restored to favor now,because ,simply, it's really a beautiful movie which has stood the test of time quite well,as well as ,say, Jacques Rivette's "la religieuse" .

There's a contrast ,in "la princesse de Clèves" between the brightness and the beauty of the cinematography -several sequences are stunning:the first one,the magnificent ball ,one of the most entrancing openin scene ever filmed and the last one,when the duc de Nemours comes to the lodge in a misty morning ,is awesome- and the screenplay,which is very austere,and might put off some viewers .Madame de la Fayette 's novel tells a story of passion,but a passion which struggles with reason and duty.Some people said that Marina Vlady's performance was remote and that her feelings could not reach us:that's partly true.But It 's a woman from the sixteenth century depicted by another woman from the seventeenth!Jean Cocteau's adaptation,if he wanted to be faithful to De la Fayette's work had to invent another psychology ,another language (the dialogue is very precious and literary).

Jean Delannoy 's directing,icily impersonal,is very effective here.The cast and credits,at the beginning , fit the movie like a glove.We see the characters as some Madame Tussaud statues.Cocteau's favorite actor,Jean Marais gives a wonderful performance:his prince de Clèves is oozing with suffering and longing to be loved.His commitment to his role is extraordinary.This was the great thespian's farewell to youth as well as his last great part,with the eventual exception of Jacques Demy's "peau d'âne"(1970).

The ending slightly differs from the novel-Madame de La Fayette simply says that Madame De Clèves 's life was rather short-but Cocteau found an adequate equivalent.

In 2008, when the husband of the Italian-French pop singer Carla BRUNI was still French President, the historical novel by Marie-Madeleine de La Fayette hit the political headlines in France. There was heated debate as to whether the novel, published anonymously in 1678, could still be used as an exam topic in the Baccalaureate. And even at the time the film was being made, there were already heated controversies between the auteurs and the established filmmakers at the studios in Billancourt. Jean DELANNOY's films were vehemently rejected by TRUFFAUT, GODARD and the like. When was the last time there was such a vehement debate about a literary work from the 17th century in German-speaking countries? Tu felix Francia...

All the controversies mentioned should only make you curious about a wonderful film that can now finally - thanks to ARTE - be properly appreciated in German-speaking countries.

Of course, arranged marriages occurred all too often at the French court of Henry II. This is also the case with the Prince (Jean MARAIS) and the Princess of Cleves (Marina VLADY). Although she is a lot younger than her husband, the couple are very fond of each other. But as is sometimes the case, love comes into play in the form of a young man. The princess and the handsome Duke of Nemours (Jean-Francois PORON) suddenly fall in love with each other. But the princess is not prepared to betray her principles and be unfaithful to her husband.

Marital fidelity is not very important to the Königs either. Although Henry II fathers one child after the other with his wife Caterina de Medici (including Marguerite / Margarete, whom we know in the form of Isabelle ADJANI as LA REINE MARGOT from BARTHOLOMEW'S NIGHT), he spends most of his time with his mistress, the 20 years older than Diane von Poitiers, who we know in the form of Lana TURNER as DIANE - COURTESAN OF THE KING.

But back to the Princess of Cleves! Even really nasty intrigues cannot soften the principled princess. She does not live out her great love and remains loyal to her husband even after his death.

A remarkable film! Beautiful pictures, wonderful castles (e.g. Chambord), but also a control of emotions that is second to none. This is probably how one had to act at court in order not to be mercilessly beaten into the oven. This fantastic film shows what that can mean in a magnificent way.

Raymond GEROME can be seen as King Henry II, Lea PADOVANI plays Caterina de Medici and Annie DUCAUX shines as the dazzling mistress Diane de Poitiers. Maybe you should start reading Madame de La Fayette's novels. THE PRINCESS OF MONTPESIER is also from her...