La marchesa Von...

Eric Rohmer, the great filmmaker, tries his hand at the kind of film that is everything that a Rohmer film isn't. Gone is the New Wave Modernism; the natural settings, hand-held cameras and dialogue that captures the quintessential nature of being human. Replaced instead with dowdy costumes, unmoving camera, and formal sets. Perhaps the original German flows with eloquent charm, but the English subtitles seem to have been translated by school children.

Merchant Ivory this isn't, and neither is it Rohmer.

I originally read Heinrich von Kleist's "Die Marquise von O..." in a German class. Renting the movie, I naturally had to wonder whether or not they would stay faithful to the novel. They did. This story of an 18th century marquise (Edith Clever) who inexplicably becomes pregnant has surprises at every corner. In case you don't know the whole story, I won't spoil it for you, but you will be surprised at what happens. Strong performances by Clever and Bruno Ganz as The Count carry the movie, as does the perfect direction from Eric Rohmer.

Oh, and in case you're wondering about that "O...", it's deliberately incomplete, as are some other names in the story.

Not one of Rohmer's best, especially from a writing standpoint. It seems to me that he wasn't particularly interested in this project, or at least he is unable to make the story as interesting as I find most of his other films. However, several points elevate this film far beyond what it could have been. First thing, the cinematography, by Néstor Almendros, is stunning. Rohmer pays particular attention to the composition, something which he isn't generally known for. I think it hurts the film, but one thing can't be denied: it looks as painterly as possible. Also, the performances are generally great. Bruno Ganz kind of disappointed me, but that's mainly because I consider him one of the greatest actors. His performance here is good, but not at the level of the other films in which I've seen him. On the other hand, the star of the film, Edith Clever, is amazing as the titular character. She becomes pregnant even though she has not had relations with a man since her husband died a couple of years earlier. She must face the prejudices of the time (a good story of a woman up against society, though it's been done better before). The Marquise's parents are played by Peter Lühr and Edda Seippel, and they both give excellent performances as well. All in all, a beautiful experience, if not the most exciting.

If the romantic poet and playwright Heinrich von Kleist (who wrote almost at the same time as Goethe) could have imagined the cinema, he would have approved of Rohmer's filming of his novella. What we see here are not 20th century characters in costume, but early 19th century Romantic sensibilities reacting according to their way of looking at the world. It is as strange as time travel, and utterly charming. Rohmer frames them in sets like Caspar Friedrich or Fuseli paintings. This movie is a marvel.

Erich Rohmer's adaptation of a novella by Heinrich von Kleist is visually remarkable. If you can imagine a painting by Jacques Louis David come to life, that is what this film looks like. Clearly a lot of attention was paid to colors and lighting. Aficionados of neoclassicism should not miss it. I believe this was Bruno Ganz's first film and the other players, particularly Edith Clever, are fine as well. The tone is one of social satire tempered by comedy. A number of Netflix viewers have complained that the film requires a lot of patience. I don't agree. It requires an interest in the period, perhaps. Recommended for the discerning.