Toute une vie

Lelouch, the master of finding the humour and tragic desperation within human relationships has crafted a signature piece of romance for all us romantics. One annoying flaw is repetitiveness that could have been better edited, but the grand perspective is well worth the extra half hour. The film misses greatness but is well worth watching.

I loved this film when it first appeared in 1974 and I had waited a long time to see it again. It was just as wonderful as the first time with a big caveat. Reviewers here mention the fact that the version of this film now distributed on DVD in the US contains content that was not part of the film's original release in the US in the 1970's. Someone at IMDb who knows a lot more about this than I do -- should clearly explain this in the capsule summary on the film's front page. To be precise, the ending of the film in the "unedited" or better, "re-edited" version includes a ghastly ending sequence that ruins the ending. The version shown in the US in the 1970's showed a view through the airplane's window that was perfectly timed with the beginning of the credits rolling. That view through the plane window was both under-stated, elegant, and wonderful enough that it was my most stirring memory of this film and I was sadly disappointed to find it gone!

This is a complex, gimmicky, manipulative and insanely romantic film, and it's my all-time favorite movie, bar none. And I prefer the U.S. version, which was truncated somewhat from Lelouche's original, because it punctuates the essence of the film -- that we are all somehow destined to our fate, even going several generations back, but we must cooperate by following our hearts and souls. I've seen this movie more than 20 times and it still fascinates me.

This is my lifetime favorite movie too, replacing its predecessor of early years, IF. I don't know how many times I've seen it, more than 20. I like the music, the evolution of film portrayed in the techniques used, the love at first sight but you need to know the history to understand why it happens theme, the fact that the movie he's making in the movie is the movie you're seeing, the intricacy, the detail, the irreverence. The last scene through the airplane window when he notices she takes the mythical extra lump of sugar always makes me cry. I rarely see this film around in video stores anymore. I want to see it again. Haven't seen it in maybe a decade.

Loved it when it came in 1974, at 15 the fateful romance theme was intoxicating. Seeing it for the second time a few decades later, there was a slow stirring of emotions until the last 20 embarrassing minutes of which i had no recollection. Was relieved to read other user's reviews on this site, which explained the CD showed the unedited version. Now i know that i don't have Alzheimmer's. Heavy on the Schmaltz and platitudes, this time around i enjoyed rediscovering the songs of Gilbert Becaud. The lyrics of "Et maintenant" somehow sum up the movie and my relationship to it: the cherish memory of it has departed. At one point Sarah, (the main character) observes that one should not see again the people we have loved , and the same might apply to this movie.