Social director André Cayatte analyses the life of a young couple (Marie-Josée Nat and Jacques Charrier) in two segments telling the story by the husband (Jean-Marc) and another story by the woman (Françoise). I precise both stories are rather different though with few similar situations. Both movie begins with a flashback, husband and wife telling the conclusion of their relation. By checking on official french movie web, "Jean-Marc" is the first segment and "Françoise" is the second. In the few similar situations, Marie-Josée Nat is joyful and drunken in the first segment, sad and desperate in the second segment, like in the rifle scene. I really prefer the first segment, much closer to reality and with more details : Jean-Marc was a serial seducer falling in love with Marie-Josée Nat, a very shy virgin. And he becomes totally serious and devoted to his career and family whereas Françoise begins to enjoy sexual freedom while boozing all around. And that's what she admits in the beginning of the second segment. The second segment, "Françoise", has less spontaneity, Marie-Josée Nat is faded as in the first segment, she is so sparkling, and that's how I prefer her, but that's my own opinion.
3 Reviews
The hubby's standpoint.
dbdumonteil19 March 2006
The first pictures show Jean-Marc (Jacques Charrier) getting out of the coach and walking across the country.The second part of "la Vie Conjugale" is treated as a flashback,which makes sense, since it begins after the separation.
The screenplay is roughly the same as "La Vie Conjugale:Françoise" but this time ,the lady does not come off best.If her husband used to leave her alone at home,it's because his work was a calling.Day and night ,you said it! he used to care for juvenile delinquents ,going as far as to take them home when the missus went to society parties.And when she took a job,she used to cheat on him with the first one to come.
In its spirit,the two-part movie was revolutionary.But the results do not really rise to the occasion.In "Citizen Kane" for instance,we had different pointS of view in ONE movie and we discovered that we actually did not know anything about the late hero at the end of Welles' masterpiece ."La Vie Conjugale" ,although interesting ,is pretty low-brow.
Here we're left with two broken hearts ,one of them with a girl who finds it hard not seeing her father anymore and another who comes back to his dear juvenile offenders.
The screenplay is roughly the same as "La Vie Conjugale:Françoise" but this time ,the lady does not come off best.If her husband used to leave her alone at home,it's because his work was a calling.Day and night ,you said it! he used to care for juvenile delinquents ,going as far as to take them home when the missus went to society parties.And when she took a job,she used to cheat on him with the first one to come.
In its spirit,the two-part movie was revolutionary.But the results do not really rise to the occasion.In "Citizen Kane" for instance,we had different pointS of view in ONE movie and we discovered that we actually did not know anything about the late hero at the end of Welles' masterpiece ."La Vie Conjugale" ,although interesting ,is pretty low-brow.
Here we're left with two broken hearts ,one of them with a girl who finds it hard not seeing her father anymore and another who comes back to his dear juvenile offenders.
A movie with a companion.
Jack28M23 November 2001
This is the analysis of a marriage. I wrote a comment a couple of years ago about the companion movie, i.e., vie conjugale (Francoise), but said, by mistake, that it was from the husband's point of view. Actually, this one is from his, and the other one is from hers. At the moment I am trying to find this movie in order to see it again. I have thought about it many times during the past 35 years which means it must have had an impact. Go to the companion for further comments.
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