Mouchette (1967)

Mouchette is a young teenager living in the tough country. Her mother is going to die, and her father does not take care of her. Mouchette does not manage to express her rebellion against ... See full summary »

Director:

Robert Bresson

Writers:

Georges Bernanos (novel), Robert Bresson (scenario & adaptation and dialogue)

Stars:

Nadine Nortier, Jean-Claude Guilbert, Marie Cardinal

4 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview:
Nadine Nortier	...	Mouchette
Jean-Claude Guilbert	...	Arsène
Marie Cardinal	...	Mouchette's Mother
Paul Hebert	...	Mouchette's Father
Jean Vimenet	...	Mathieu - gamekeeper
Marie Susini	...	Mathieu's wife
Liliane Princet	...	Schoolteacher
Suzanne Huguenin	...	Undertaker
Marine Trichet	...	Luisa
Raymonde Chabrun	...	Grocery Shop-owner

Storyline

Mouchette is a young teenager living in the tough country. Her mother is going to die, and her father does not take care of her. Mouchette does not manage to express her rebellion against the humiliations she undergoes. One night, in the wood, she meets Arsene. Arsene is the poacher of the village. He thinks he has just killed Mathieu, the rural policeman. He tries to use Mouchette to build an alibi.

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Plot Keywords:

alibi | poacher | woods | policeman | humiliation | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

France

Language:

French

Release Date:

12 March 1970 (USA)

Also Known As:

Amor e Morte

Company Credits

Production Co:

Argos Films, Parc Film

Technical Specs

Runtime:

78 min 90 min (VHS)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

It was rumored for years that the trailer for this film was by Jean-Luc Godard, and he has recently confirmed this by programming it in a self-curated retrospective of his work. The trailer is virtually a miniature essay on (or subversion of) the film, jarringly intercutting excerpts from it with a written commentary that calls it "Christian and sadistic".

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Goofs

(at around 1 min) The canteen changes position after being dropped.

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Connections

Referenced in Au hasard Bresson (1967)

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Soundtracks

"Magnificat"
Written by Claudio Monteverdi
Performed by Les Chanteurs de St. Custache
Conducted by R.P. Émile Martin

User Reviews

A genius at his most beautiful

Never before has cinema been this simple and honest. No one makes films with more emotion than Bresson and no one puts less emotion in their films than he. I could cite so many Bressonian cliches and talk of his uniquely personal style which by 1967 was firmly established, especially since he had abandoned the voice-over he used in the 50s. I will point out his use of sound and approach to acting which remain so distinctive and by now so familiar. There is nothing in Mouchette that is new, especially after Balthazar, what remains is the story of Mouchette, told with the utter grace and passion that makes this film a masterpiece that transcends technique, even cinema itself, and makes most cinema look frivolous in the process.

Finally I must mention the films ending, which I rank with that of Balthazar as the most beautiful I have seen.