THE ACCOMPIANIST
A film review by James Berardinelli
Copyright 1994 James Berardinelli
Rating (Linear 0 to 10): 8.2
Date Released: varies Running Length: 1:50 Rated: PG (Mature themes)
Starring: Romane Bohringer, Richard Bohringer, Elena Safonova Director: Claude Miller Producer: Jean-Jose Richer Screenplay: Claude Miller and Luc Beraud Music: various composers, including Mozart, Strauss, and Berlioz Released by Sony Pictures Classics In French with subtitles
French cinema has long been admired for the depth and breadth of the characters brought to the screen through its movies. Hollywood, more concerned with moving a plot along before the attention span of the average viewer is exhausted, rarely permits the opportunity to examine its screen personalities with the incisive insight present in a movie such as THE ACCOMPANIST. A rather unremarkable tale on the surface, this story attains its impact through the complex web of relationships that entwines the three main characters.
It is 1942-43 in German-occupied France. Charles Brice (Richard Bohringer), a French businessman, is regarded as a collaborator because he's making money with the Germans in charge. His wife, singer Irene Brice (Elena Safonova), is beloved by both French nationals and the occupying power. Into this world of wealth and privilege comes a talented young pianist by the name of Sophie Vasseur (Romane Bohringer), who auditions to be Irene's accompanist. Irene, amazed by the young woman's remarkable ability, hires her, but Sophie soon learns that working with the singer demands more sacrifices than she could have dreamed possible.
THE ACCOMPANIST is told in three parts. The first, which takes place in France, focuses on Sophie, exploring her life, feelings, and the love/hate relationship that develops between her and Irene. The second part, the journey from France to England, is more the singer's story, while the third segment, in England, concentrates on Charles and the demons of insecurity and jealousy that haunt him.
Despite the varying emphases of the different portions of THE ACCOMPANIST, the central character is always Sophie, although she is rarely more of an observer. She has given up her own life to follow Irene, and off-stage as well as on, she is always in the background. Nevertheless, even as Sophie is obsessed with a woman whom she both despises and is jealous of, so Irene comes to depend on the young woman who plays the piano for her.
At one crucial juncture during the film, Sophie is tendered an offer of marriage by a French freedom fighter named Benoit (Julien Rassam). The limelight of stardom no longer shines on Irene--she and Charles are exiles--and Benoit represents a chance for Sophie to have a life, and possibly love, apart from the Brices. Her reaction to the proposal says more about the ties that bind her to Irene and Charles than it does about Benoit's persuasiveness.
The third member of the trio is Charles Brice, who at first appears to be a supremely confident, smug man whose business acumen has made him a force to be reckoned with. It isn't until Sophie has begun living under the Brices' roof that she learns how thin that veneer is. Charles is far more dependent upon his wife than Irene is on him, and this forms the backdrop for THE ACCOMPANIST's final scenes.
All three of the principle actors, as well as the members of the supporting cast, give fine performances. Romane Bohringer, who won the 1992 Cesar Award as Most Promising New Actress, is exceptional, bringing a silent expressiveness to the role of Sophie that would be beyond many veterans of the screen. Ms. Bohringer's rapport with her father Richard is evident in their many scenes together.
Those that love rich musical scores, especially those involving pieces by composers such as Mozart, Strauss, and Berlioz, will find this film as pleasing to the ear as to the eye.
Ultimately, THE ACCOMPANIST holds the viewer's attention through the power of its depiction of the bonds that develop between the singer, her husband, and her pianist. The story that conveys this relationship is neither original nor exceptional, but writer/director Claude Miller's presentation of the intricate and conflicting emotions makes this an experience that is always absorbing, and occasionally wrenching.
- James Berardinelli (blake7@cc.bellcore.com)
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