<< Return to previous page

Following the success of The Last Metro, this was Francois Truffaut's second film with Gerard Depardieu - and the first of two with future wife, Fanny Ardant - and stands as the director's most startling and anguished portrait of destructive passion.

Bernard Coudray (Depardieu) is an unassuming father in a loving marriage, but his life is thrown into turmoil when a former lover, Mathilde Bauchard (Ardant), unwittingly rents a neighbouring house with her husband. Still haunted by their unreconciled past, the pair contemplate resuming the relationship before it deteriorates into obsession, irrational jealousy and inevitable tragedy. Only Madame Jouve, a local who was crippled due to a botched suicide over a failed affair, can offer them a way out.

Perfectly executed by a master storyteller in his prime, and featuring outstanding performances from star-crossed lovers Depardieu and Ardant, this is essential Truffaut.

Director:

Francois Truffaut [14],

Starring:

Gerard Depardieu [49], Fanny Ardant [5],

Screen Formats:

Widescreen 1.66:1

Subtitles:

English

Language and Sound:

French Mono

Members get full screen trailers, critic reviews, member reviews and more.

• Sign up for a free trial