Friends - a love story

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Movie
German title Friends - a love story
Original title Friends
Country of production Great Britain
original language English
Publishing year 1971
length 100 minutes
Rod
Director Lewis Gilbert
script Vernon Harris ,
Jack Russell
production Lewis Gilbert
music Elton John ,
Paul Buckmaster
camera Andréas Winding
cut Anne V. Coates
occupation
synchronization

Friends - A love story (original title Friends , reference title Die Junge Liebenden ) is a British love story by Lewis Gilbert , which was released on October 29, 1971 in the Federal Republic of Germany and mainly because of the music by Elton John and Paul Buckmaster (texts by Bernie Taupin ) got known. Elton John released his fourth album, Friends , on March 10, 1971 based on the film's soundtrack . It was nominated for a Grammy in the category of Best Original Film Score in 1972 and was awarded a gold record by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

action

15-year-old Paul Harrison lives in Paris with his wealthy British father , but feels lonely and abandoned. He meets 14-year-old French orphan Michelle Latour, who has just come to town to live with her cousin. He owns an apartment on Montmartre , where Michelle feels anything but comfortable. The two lovers therefore decide to leave their unpleasant circumstances behind and flee to the country. They travel to the idyllic Camargue , where Michelle owns a small holiday home that belonged to her father, who has just passed away. He had worked as an artist in nearby Arles and used the property as a summer residence. Paul and Michelle feel at home here, fall in love, have a child and practice growing up. In doing so, they have to overcome many obstacles. Eventually they are discovered by the police, who were alerted by a missing person report from Paul's father. The couple is forcibly separated and the child is handed over to care.

Reviews

The film hit the zeitgeist of the early 1970s and was hugely successful with young audiences worldwide. Sex scenes that were revealing for the time, a teenage pregnancy, childbirth outside the hospital, the self-determined life outside of civic conventions, all of this was considered "controversial" and rebellious. The film review, on the other hand, reacted very reserved. The Motion Picture Guide spoke of a “terrible teenage drama”, TimeOut Film gleefully referred to it as “lyrical slow motion”. Neither the camera work, which worked with soft focus effects in the style of David Hamilton , nor the landscape shots from the Camargue convinced the trade press.

The lexicon of international films judges the film as a "unrealistic, implausibly idealized love story of a very young couple that offers only undemanding entertainment."

Quote

“It is incredible that a film on such a small budget that Anicée and I were wonderfully fortunate to make so many years ago is still getting attention. Thanks for all the comments. I can assure you that making The Young Lovers was a lot of fun and it was an honor to work with Lewis Gilbert, who later made some great films. I will always remember his words after the preview: 'Sean', he said as he shook my hand, 'there is nothing to be ashamed of ...' I let out a sigh of relief. Then he added: '... but nothing to be proud of either.' "

- Sean Bury

Sequel to Paul and Michelle (1974)

A sequel was released in 1974 under the title Paul and Michelle , also directed by Lewis Gilbert, in which the young family is reunited three years later. Paul wants to start studying at the Sorbonne and goes looking for Michelle. He can finally travel from England to France after having his own passport and no longer needing his father's approval. Paul finally meets Michelle on a zebra crossing in Nice , while the two of them embrace, traffic chaos ensues. It turns out that Michelle and her little daughter Sylvie are now living with Garry, an employee of an American airline. Nevertheless, Michelle leaves her husband and takes refuge with Paul again in the Camargue. There they are tracked down by Garry, Paul returns to Paris, Michelle later follows him with the child. But they are not happy: Paul has to earn his living in a gloomy meat processing company, in the gray working world, romantic love is neglected. Composer Michel Colombier contributed a jazz soundtrack.

Awards

The Young Lovers was nominated for a Golden Globe in 1972 in the category of Best English-Language Foreign Film .

Soundtrack album Friends

The album, originally released on Paramounts Records , was recorded in September 1970 at Trident Studios in London . The producer was Gus Dudgeon . With four exceptions (with Paul Buckmaster), all titles are by Elton John (composition) and Bernie Taupin (text). The rights are now with the Universal Music Group . With the title song Friends Elton John came in 1971 at number 34 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. In Canada, a single reached number 13th. The length of the original release on vinyl LP and the Rare Masters collection, digitally distributed in 1992, are given in brackets .

A side

  1. Friends - 2:20 (2:23)
  2. Honey Roll - 3:00 (3:07)
  3. Variations on 'Friends' "(John, Taupin, Paul Buckmaster) - 1:45 (1:43)
  4. Theme (The First Kiss) / Seasons - 3:52 (3:56)
  5. Variations on Michelle's Song (A Day in the Country) (John, Taupin, Buckmaster) - 2:44 (2:47)
  6. Can I Put You On - 5:52 (5:57)

B side

  1. Michelle's Song - 4:16 (4:20)
  2. I Meant to Do My Work Today (A Day in the Country) (John, Taupin, Buckmaster) - 1:33 (1:36)
  3. Four Moods (Buckmaster) - 10:56 (11:01)
  4. Seasons Reprise - 1:33 (1:39)

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. [1]
  2. [2]
  3. Friends - A love story. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed March 1, 2018 .Template: LdiF / Maintenance / Access used 
  4. [3]