UN COEUR EN HIVER
(A HEART IN WINTER)
A film review by James Berardinelli
Copyright 1993 James Berardinelli
Rating: 9.5 out of 10 (A+, **** out of ****)
Date Released: varies Running Length: 1:45 Rated: NR (Mature themes)
Starring: Daniel Auteuil, Emmanuelle Beart, Andre Dussollier, Elisabeth Bourgine Director: Claude Sautet Producers: Jean-Louis Livi and Philippe Carcassonne Screenplay: Yves Ulmann, Jacques Fieschi, and Jerome Tonnere Music: Maurice Ravel Released by October Films French with English Subtitles
Stephane (Daniel Auteuil) and Maxime (Andre Dussollier) share a friendship the closeness of which is unusual between employee and employer. Stephane works for Maxime at an exclusive Paris violin repair shop. One evening, when the two are at dinner, Maxime announces that he has fallen in love with a new client, Camille Kessler (Emmanuelle Beart). The affair is so serious that Maxime has left his wife and intends to move in with Camille. Upon meeting his friend's new lover, Stephane is immediately intrigued, and the reaction is certainly mutual. It doesn't take long for the feelings between the two to grow, and their contact, while infrequent, becomes increasingly intimate. Yet even as Stephane fights to maintain his own emotional equilibrium, for the first time in her life, Camille loses hers, and her simple attraction to Stephane becomes an obsession.
Often foreign films, and French films in particular, are thought of by the average movie-goer as being exceptionally (and some would say "overly") intellectual. This could not be more true than for UN COEUR EN HIVER, yet it is not merely the mind that this film touches. The rich musical score (Ravel) is a feast for the ears, and the exceptional performances of the principals leads to several emotionally-potent moments. UN COEUR EN HIVER is one of those rare films that can be described as completely satisfying.
Distilled to its basic essence, the movie is a story that the French do so well: the romantic triangle. Beyond the premise, however, there is nothing ordinary about UN COEUR EN HIVER. From the point where Stephane and Camille meet, much of what happens goes contrary to expectations. Theirs is definitely not a typical tale of clandestine love. Rather, it is an examination of the prices of emotional honesty and emotional isolation.
Oddly enough, it's Stephane, the character with the most screen time (and the man whose heart is "in winter") who remains much the enigma to the audience. Even though we come to identify with him, and understand some of what he does, the depth of his emotions often remains unclear. The last scene of the movie explicitly reveals part of the truth, but for much about Stephane, the viewer must reach his or her own conclusions.
Daniel Auteuil plays his role with ability. His is a difficult performance to make succeed, given the ambiguity surrounding Stephane, but Auteuil has found the perfect balance. At times it becomes difficult to determine whether Stephane should be pitied or vilified, and it is to Auteuil's credit that he manages to maintain this uncertainty.
Camille is no less a complicated character, but her feelings are simpler to read. She hides nothing, and when she recognizes that she loves Stephane, there is no doubt in her mind--or ours--of the truth. Especially noteworthy is the way that Camille's sudden, intense passion for Stephane intertwines, and at times conflicts with her lifelong love of music.
Emmanuelle Beart gives an astonishing, unaffected performance. Emotion is often displayed in the most subtle and easy-to-miss gestures, expressions, and vocal inflections. Before beginning production of UN COEUR EN HIVER, Beart had never played the violin. After the film's release in France, director Claude Sautet claimed that she "fooled everyone" with her "perfect motions" (violinist Jean-Jacques Kantorow does the actual playing). Not only are her hand movements accomplished, but the look of rapture on her face as she loses herself in the music of Ravel is a clear example of how fully Ms. Beart allowed the personae of Camille to enfold her.
Beart explained the importance of coming to understand music as integral to defining Camille: "[Director] Claude [Sautet] told me from the beginning, 'I will only ask one thing of you; play the violin. The day you can play the violin, you will be Camille. There is nothing more I can tell you about the character.'" Indeed, it is the importance of music to Camille that puts every other emotion in the film, whether displayed by her or by others, into perspective.
UN COEUR EN HIVER is yet another case of real-life chemistry translating well to the screen. Beart and Auteuil are companions away from their acting, and the spark of this intensity, even unfulfilled as it is here, is too obvious to miss.
With the exceptions of MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING and SOMMERSBY, there have been no 1993 releases to equal the power of UN COEUR EN HIVER. Strong characters, intelligent writing, and exquisite performances combine to draw the audience into the movie. Mental and emotional participation are demanded. This is a movie with deep, churning currents. Those who are attracted only to Hollywood's shallow waters may find UN COEUR EN HIVER too intimidating, but anyone who enjoys a more complex cinematic experience will find as much as they could hope for in this picture.
- James Berardinelli (blake7@cc.bellcore.com)
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