The temptation is called Jenny
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| German title | The temptation is called Jenny |
| Original title | Los pianos mecánicos |
| Country of production | Spain , Italy , France |
| original language | Spanish , French |
| Publishing year | 1964 |
| length | 96 minutes |
| Age rating | FSK 18 |
| Rod | |
| Director | Juan Antonio Bardem |
| script | Juan Antonio Bardem Henri-François Rey |
| production |
Raymond Borderie Raymond Froment |
| music | Georges Delerue |
| camera | Gábor Pogány |
| cut |
Margarita de Ochoa Paul Cayatte |
| occupation | |
| |
The Temptation is called Jenny is a Spanish-Italian-French melodrama with Melina Mercouri in the title role and Hardy Krüger and James Mason in the two male lead roles. Directed by Juan Antonio Bardem . The story of a love triangle is loosely based on the novel "Les Pianos mécaniques" (1962) by Henri-François Rey (1919–1987), who was also involved in the script.
action
August 1964. The Paris art critic Vincent Brenner rented his holiday home in Caldeya on the Costa Brava in Spain from a homosexual friend and business partner, the British gallery owner Reginald, in order to recover from his neuroses. On the way to where he wants to do rock painting, he picks up the somewhat retarded Tom Dixon at the roadside, who wants to be taken to his hometown. Vincent met the aging writer Pascal Regnier and his eleven-year-old son Daniel. Pascal only has two great passions, both of which caused nothing but problems for him in the long run: whiskey and women. When Vincent arrives in the village, Pascal is just about to throw out his last love affair. Pascal introduces Vincent Jenny, a middle-aged woman who runs the “Estrella” (Stern) bar on site. The central feature of this pint is the creaking, rumbling, mechanical piano, which gave the film the original title. Reginald previously asked Jenny to take care of Vincent a little. Vincent and Jenny get closer while trying to help Jenny stop her friend Nora from committing suicide. Jenny fails to pair Vincent with Nora. She shows Vincent Bryant's art collection during a party on the property of the wealthy Elvis Bryant, a former lover of Jenny. Then both go swimming in the ocean and finally sleep together.
In Caldeya there are also a few bored young people up to mischief. Serge and some of his buddies make fun of breaking into one or the other beach villa unnoticed. Serge takes his pretty, brunette friend Nadine into a house, where they both get on a bed and kiss. When they heard noises from the residents returning home downstairs, they flee unnoticed. Later on, Serge and Daniel, who are good friends, “borrow” a dinghy to fish for sea urchins in the sea . When Serge returns to land to check on Nadine, who is sunbathing, Daniel puts the sea urchins back in the water. All three are sailing back ashore. Here Serge Daniel reports that he and Nadine want to leave together, but that they are short of 30,000 francs. Daniel says this is not a problem because his father always stashed a lot of money at home. Meanwhile, the old man is in the process of making out a new girl in the “Estrella” whom he calls “Orange” because Pascal thinks she is as beautiful as a fruit. When a fight co-initiated by Pascal soon ensues , the Guardia Civil unceremoniously closes Jenny's bar for three days. Jenny wants to use the time and goes on a trip to Barcelona with Vincent. This is where Vincent Jenny's past becomes clear, which means that his lover has sometimes sold herself to men for perks. This is how she got to her bar in Caldeya, for example: a "gift of love" from her ex Elvis. Vincent is disgusted.
Another truth becomes even more shocking for Vincent: Apparently she has been Reginald's friend for some time, and he was only sent to Caldeya by him to take care of Jenny so that she does not return to her old paths. She in turn makes it clear to Vincent, who is increasingly disgusted by Jenny's past, that he really needs Reginald and is not into women. Meanwhile, Pascal has more and more problems with Daniel, who no longer wants to look at his father's aimless wear and tear of women. Daniel is looking for a father and a home, not an aging Don Juan chasing young girls. In addition, Filius wants to get out of Caldeya before winter, because the popular seaside resort will be a deserted town by next summer. Daniel stole the money he had promised his friends Serge and Nadine from his father and runs to them. However, he has the impression that Nadine doesn't really want to venture into the unknown. Remorseful, Daniel returns home and dares to have a serious argument with his father for the first time. Daniel contemptuously calls his latest conquest "Orange" a "stupid bitch". Meanwhile, there is obviously a conflict between Nadine and Serge, because Serge looks devastated. A little later he kindles a fire at the point where he wanted to meet Nadine to escape, but it gets out of control and burns him alive. Daniel is shocked to see the charred corpse. Now finally father and son Regnier begin to get closer to each other.
Vincent said goodbye to his new acquaintances and friends in Caldeya. The first heavy autumn rain has started. Jenny receives a message from Nora stating that she has left the village and accepted a job offer from the United States. "Orange" is annoyed by the bad weather. Pascal tries to comfort her about this, while son Daniel sees a good opportunity to get rid of "Orange". In Pascal's absence, he packs her bag, gives her some money and puts her on a bus. He tells her to go south for the sun or to go to hell for his sake. At Jenny's bar, Daniel claims that he and his father are looking for a house to stay in Caldeya permanently. When he suggests that the three of them could live together, his father shows up and asks if anyone has seen "Orange". Daniel admits to pissing her off. When Pascal Toms wanted to look at completed rock art designs, he fell down, broke his leg and destroyed the painted canvas. Pascal is accommodated with Jenny in order to recover there. Now that Vincent has left, the two kiss. They are observed by Daniel, who has hopes that his life and that of his father will now take a regular course. The teenage boy leaves the two of them alone, goes outside and looks optimistically from the rock over the sea and into the future.
Production notes
The Temptation is called Jenny was created in the summer of 1964 in Cadaqués and Barcelona (both Catalonia ) and was shown at the Cannes International Film Festival in 1965 . On June 17, 1965, the strip was launched in producing Spain, the German premiere was on July 29, 1966.
criticism
The lexicon of international films judges: “A questionable study of decadence: more resigned than critical and more feeble than committed, the film fails to make the political and social implications of the story clear. The staging rarely exceeds the limits of the tourist postcard perspective and the upscale colportage. "
The Movie & Video Guide wrote: “Good cast cannot save confused drama”.
Individual evidence
- ↑ The temptation is called Jenny. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed March 5, 2020 .
- ^ Leonard Maltin : Movie & Video Guide, 1996 edition, p. 1395
Web links
- The Uninhibited in the Internet Movie Database (English)