A Tale of Winter was the second chapter in the ‘Tales of the Four Seasons’ series by Eric Rohmer, one of the most accessible and enduring of all Nouvelle Vague filmmakers. A loving ode to and yet a fine departure from the kind of romantic comedies most people are accustomed to, the movie has in its content most of the tropes this genre is associated with – love at first sight, heartbreak and serendipitous reunion. This is the tale of Felicie (Charlotte Very), a beautiful young lady who had a brief yet passionate affair with a guy named Charles while on vacation; unfortunately, when they parted ways, she erroneously gave him a wrong address as regards to her home and neither did she take his contact details. Consequently, five years later, though she is in and out of relationships, they are mostly non-committal from her side, while raising her daughter whose father she is eternally waiting for and forever hoping to meet someday. The camerawork and dialogues of the film are such that one gets a feel of both realistic portrayal of the day-to-day lives of the protagonist and her various acquaintances, and the kind of longing, undiminishing hope and romanticism that are essential in endearing a work belonging to this particular genre. Felicie’s character too is an interesting creation – though a born romantic at heart, she’s also an exceedingly fickle-natured person who fails to appreciate the love coming her way; hence, even if and when she meets her long-lost love, one can never be sure as to how long she’ll manage to stay with him as well. Though seemingly detached at places, the inherent poignancy and subtle observations made this a thoroughly engaging movie.
Director: Eric Rohmer
Genre: Drama/Romance
Language: French
Country: France
No comments:
Post a Comment