Baisers volés (1968)

Director:

François Truffaut

Writers:

François Truffaut (scenario and dialogue) and
Claude de Givray (scenario and dialogue) ...

Release Date:

February 1969 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance | Comedy

Plot:

Antoine Doinel joined the army but has just been discharged. The film tells his reunion with Christine Darbon...

Plot Keywords:

Pneumatic Tube | Magician | Sequel | Paris France | Detective

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 3 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Jean-Pierre Léaud	...	Antoine Doinel
Delphine Seyrig	...	Fabienne Tabard
Claude Jade	...	Christine Darbon
Michael Lonsdale	...	Georges Tabard (as Michel Lonsdale)
Harry-Max	...	Monsieur Henri
André Falcon	...	Monsieur Blady
Daniel Ceccaldi	...	Monsieur Darbon
Claire Duhamel	...	Madame Darbon
Catherine Lutz	...	Catherine
Martine Ferrière	...	Gérante
Jacques Rispal	...	Monsieur Colin
Serge Rousseau	...	L'inconnu
Paul Pavel	...	Julien
François Darbon	...	Adjudant Picard
Albert Simono	...	Albani (as Simono)

Also Known As:

Stolen Kisses (USA)

Runtime:

90 min

Country:

France

Language:

French

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-12 | Sweden:11 | UK:15 | USA:R | West Germany:12 (re-rating) | Argentina:13

Filming Locations:

Paris, France

Company:

Les Films du Carrosse

Goofs:

Continuity: When Antoine kisses Christine in the basement, he pushes her back against the wall. The walls are dirty and leave black stains across the back of her sweater. When they leave and she reaches the top of the stairs the stains are gone.

Quotes:

Georges Tabard: Do you speak English, Antoine?
Antoine Doinel: I'm learning from records, but it's not easy.
Georges Tabard: Records are a joke. There's only one way to learn: in bed with an English girl. It's time you learned. I learned with an Australian girl while her husband was at work painting houses.
Fabienne Tabard: Like Hitler.
Georges Tabard: Don't ever say Hitler was a housepainter. That's slander. Hitler painted landscapes.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Day for Night: An Appreciation (2003) (V)

Soundtrack:

Que reste t'il de nos amours

Angel Claude Jade

For the role of Christine Darbon, Truffaut cast a nineteen-year-old actress, Claude Jade, who had impressed him in the stage play Enrico IV. Truffaut had been "completely taken by her beauty, her manners, her kindness, and her joie de vivre." Her polite upbringing and charismatic girl-next-door quality, as far as Truffaut was concerned, made Claude Jade perfect for the role of the pure-hearted Christine who would eventually win Antoine's heart.

As Christine, Claude Jade is as cute as a button and her scenes are often the most charming ones in the film. Her introductory scene, stepping out of the Parisian night appearing like an angel to wave shyly at Antoine through a glass wall, is a delight. Later, Christine attempts to guess Antoine's latest job, amusingly tossing out way-off-the-mark guesses like cab driver or water taster. It is a ticklish scene but also hints that Christine, as of yet, doesn't think so highly of Antoine's employable skills. By the film's end, Antoine has become a TV repairman. He has been holding a grudge against Christine, so she wins him back in a fetching manner. She calls his company for service even as she is removing a component from her TV. The company sends Antoine, who is then forced to stay for hours trying to fix an irreparable TV.

The best romantic scene in the film, however, is a quaint breakfast scene one morning in Christine's kitchen. Christine is busy teaching Antoine how to butter toast. Antoine, for his part, wishes to pose a question to her. Too embarrassed to express himself in words, he writes his question on a notepad instead and hands it to her. She immediately writes her reply and hands it back to him. They continue in this manner for a few more exchanges before Antoine withdraws a scissor from a nearby drawer and hangs it on Christine's ring finger. It is a touching and intimate moment between the two young lovers and communicates, without intrusive words, their affection for one another.