A simple story
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| German title | A simple story |
| Original title | Une histoire simple |
| Country of production |
France Germany |
| original language | French |
| Publishing year | 1978 |
| length | 107 minutes |
| Age rating | FSK 16; 12 (short version) |
| Rod | |
| Director | Claude Sautet |
| script |
Jean-Loup Dabadie Claude Sautet |
| production |
Horst Wendlandt , Claude Berri |
| music | Philippe Sarde |
| camera | Jean Boffety |
| cut |
Gisela Bestian , Jacqueline Thiédot |
| occupation | |
| |
A simple story (original title Une histoire simple ) is a French feature film by Claude Sautet from 1978. As in Sautet's drama César and Rosalie , Romy Schneider embodies as protagonist Marie an emancipating woman and mother in the middle of life. Bruno Cremer plays Marie's ex-husband and Claude Brasseur plays her partner. In 1980 A Simple Story was nominated for an Oscar in the category "Best Foreign Language Film".
action
The 39-year-old fashion illustrator Marie has a 16-year-old son, Martin, from her first and only marriage, with whom she has an open, trusting relationship. Inwardly, she has moved away from her partner Serge, who started his own business in the fashion industry. After careful consideration and without his knowledge, she decides to abort the child she expects from him and at the same time to separate from him and live alone. Your mother disapproves of this; among her four closest friends (all of whom are also work colleagues) there is only one who vehemently defends the marital bond.
Jérôme, the husband of one of these friends, tries to commit suicide because he is about to be released, but is saved by the resolute intervention of Marie and his wife Gabrielle. To help him, Marie made an appointment (again for the first time in five years) with her ex-husband Georges, who was an influential partner in the rationalization associated with the merger of several fashion companies. Back from the meeting late at night, Serge awaits her, who sees his suspicion confirmed that she left him because of "someone else". Drunk and jealous, he even gets violent. After he calmed down, he confessed to her that he had dogged himself into the work because he believed that this was the only way to survive in front of her.
Georges, in turn, who now knows that Marie lives alone, accepts her offer to arrange a new rendezvous. They spend a night of love in which they also deal with unresolved issues from their marriage. From then on they meet more often without wanting to question his current relationship with the much younger Laurence.
When Jérôme's restart fails and his second suicide attempt succeeds, Marie and Gabrielle get even closer and make the decision to move in together - knowing that Marie is pregnant again, this time from Georges. At one last meeting with him for the time being, Marie feels confirmed in her belief that she obviously cannot have husband and child at the same time , because Georges informs her that he will be leaving the company and Paris - with his girlfriend, who does everything for him stand and let lie . So Marie hides her pregnancy from him. When one of the friends reproached that the growing up child would only have her , Gabrielle replied confidently: You and me.
production
Emergence
Romy Schneider gave birth to her daughter Sarah on July 21, 1977 and worked only a little until the summer of 1978, i.e. until the shooting of A Simple Story , her last collaboration with Claude Sautet, began. For her fortieth birthday, the filmmaker wants to write a role for Romy and is taking on the challenge that she had recently posed to him with a comment: “I would like you to write a woman's story because I'm fed up with it the eternal men's stories . ” A simple story shows the emotional fluctuations of the protagonist Marie, who loves two men […]. With this film, Sautet wants to capture the essence of the actress Romy Schneider, the constant tightrope walk of an internally strong and unstable woman, in order to illustrate in concrete terms what he understands by modern female sensitivity. Although Romy still fascinates him unconditionally and he still regards her as the “synthesis of all women”, the director is critical of her, doesn't let her get away with anything, checks every attitude, every smile, every facial expression, her annoyance - a whole range of tiny ones Details that he does not miss due to the close relationship with her. The film A Simple Story received unanimous praise at its theatrical release and was a real box-office hit. For this role Romy Schneider receives her second César, the highest award in the French cinema industry, and is at the peak of her career. ”(Olivier Bombarda)
Production notes
It is a German-French co-production by Rialto Film (Berlin), Renn Productions - Sara Films FR3 (Paris) in collaboration with Société Francaise de Production et de Création Audiovisuelles.
reception
publication
The film premiered in France on November 22, 1978. It was first seen in the Federal Republic of Germany on January 19, 1979. In the same year it was also published in Belgium (Gent), Denmark, the Netherlands, Portugal, the USA and Spain. In March 1982 it started in Hungary and in July 1991 in Japan. He received further publications in Argentina, Bulgaria, Brazil, Greece, Italy and Poland.
The film was released on December 10, 2010 with a German soundtrack by Universum Film GmbH on DVD.
criticism
"Claude Sautet's quiet, excellently played drama revolves around the difficulties of private happiness - and also mirrors the life of his leading actress in a congenial way."
“As in previous films, Claude Sautet describes changing fates, ties and crises among middle-aged men and women. The question of the meaning of their actions remains rhetorical and is covered by mood painting. "
Awards
Romy Schneider received a César for best leading actress of the year for her performance in 1979 . Claude Sautet was also nominated for the César in the categories of “Best Film” and “Best Director”, Claude Brasseur in the category “Best Actor”, Arlette Bonnard and Éva Darlan in the category “Best Supporting Actress”, Jean-Loup Dabadie and Claude Sautet in the “Best Screenplay” category, Philippe Sarde in the “Best Music” category, Jean Boffety in the “Best Cinematography” category and Pierre Lenoir in the “Best Sound” category.
Romy Schneider was also awarded the Special David at the David di Donatello Awards in 1979 for her acting skills.
The film was also nominated in 1980 for an Oscar in the category “Best Foreign Language Film”. However, the award went to the German contribution Die Blechtrommel .
Web links
- A simple story in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- A simple story in the German dubbing file
- A simple story full movie at dailymotion.com
Individual evidence
- ^ Certificate of Release for A Simple Story . Voluntary self-regulation of the film industry , October 2010 (PDF; short version).
- ↑ Olivier Bombarda: Romy Schneider - Claude Sautet. Arte TV, September 22, 2008, archived from the original on January 28, 2016 ; accessed on June 17, 2019 (original website no longer available).
- ↑ A simple story Fig. DVD case
- ↑ A simple story sS choices.de, accessed on September 17, 2018.
- ↑ A simple story , filmdienst.de
