Mississippi Mermaid (1969) La sirène du Mississipi (original title)

Popularity:

Up 99% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.

Director:

François Truffaut

Writers:

Cornell Woolrich (based on the novel by)
François Truffaut (adaptation)

Release Date:

18 June 1969 (France)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Romance

Plot:

Louis Mahe is a tobacco planter at Reunion Island. He is waiting for Julie Roussel to marry her. He only knows her by mail...

Plot Keywords:

Island | Reunion Island | Reunion | Antibes | Hotel

Cast

Jean-Paul Belmondo	...	Louis Mahé
Catherine Deneuve	...	Julie Roussel / Marion Vergano
Nelly Borgeaud	...	Berthe
Martine Ferrière	...	Landlady
Marcel Berbert	...	Jardine
Yves Drouhet	...	Detective
Michel Bouquet	...	Comolli
Roland Thénot	...	Richard

Directed by
François Truffaut

Writing credits
Cornell Woolrich		(based on the novel by) (as William Irish)
François Truffaut		(adaptation and dialogue)

Produced by
Marcel Berbert	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Antoine Duhamel

Cinematography by
Denys Clerval

Film Editing by
Agnès Guillemot

Production Design by
Claude Pignot

Set Decoration by
Claude Pignot

Makeup Department
Jean-Pierre Eychenne	....	assistant makeup artist

Production Management
François Menny	....	unit production manager
Claude Miller	....	production manager (as Claude Miler)
Roland Thénot	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jean-José Richer	....	assistant director

Art Department
Jean-Claude Dolbert	....	property master

Sound Department
Guy Chichignoud	....	sound mixer
René Levert	....	sound

Camera and Electrical Department
Louis Balthazard	....	key grip
Jean Chiabaut	....	camera operator
Claude Rouxel	....	chief electrician

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Yves Saint-Laurent	....	dresses: Catherine Deneuve

Other crew
Suzanne Schiffman	....	script girl

Thanks
Jean Renoir	....	dedicatee

Production Companies

• Les Films du Carrosse (co-production: Paris)
• Les Productions Artistes Associés (co-production: Paris)
• Produzioni Associate Delphos (co-production: Rome)

Distributors

• Les Artistes Associés (1969) (France) (theatrical)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2003) (France) (DVD) (16:3 widescreen)
• AmaFilms (2015) (Greece) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Film Desk, The (2009) (USA) (theatrical)
• United Artists Corporation (1970) (UK) (theatrical)
• United Artists (1970) (Japan) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• United Artists (1970) (USA) (theatrical) (English version)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment Japan (2005) (Japan) (DVD) (4:3 letterbox)
• Another World Entertainment (2010) (Denmark) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2004) (Germany) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• MGM/UA Home Video (1991) (UK) (VHS)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2003) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Twilight Time (2015) (USA) (video) (Blu-Ray Disc)

Other Companies

• Yves Saint Laurent  wardrobe: Les robes de Catherine Deneuve sont
• Franay L.T.C. Saint Cloud  laboratory

Also Known As:

"La sirène du Mississipi" - France (original title)

MPAA:

Rated R for some nudity/sexuality (re-rating) (2015)

Runtime:

123 min

Country:

France | Italy

Language:

French

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:M | Canada:PG (video rating) | Finland:K-16 | Netherlands:12 | Netherlands:18 (orginal rating) | Singapore:NC-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:12 | USA:GP (original release) (certificate #22188) | USA:PG (original video rating) | USA:R (re-rating) (2015) | West Germany:12 (re-rating)

Filming Locations:

Aix-en-Provence, Bouches-du-Rhône, France

Company:

Les Films du Carrosse

Trivia:

The original French title is spelled "La Sirène du Mississipi" (one P) in some sources, and "La Sirène du Mississippi" (two Ps) in other sources.

Goofs:

Continuity: When the disc Marion has recorded is run over in the street and shattered, she kneels to retrieve the pieces; at first her right knee is uppermost, but then suddenly her left knee is higher, as she stands.

Quotes:

Julie Roussel:[Having doubts, after Louis has hidden money in their apartment] Do you think the maid looks honest?
Louis Mahé:You see evil everywhere.
Julie Roussel:I don't see evil everywhere. It *is* everywhere.

Movie Connections:

Spoofs Psycho (1960)

Something of an anomaly in romantic thrillers.

On the surface, Francois Truffaut's Mississippi Mermaid is a taut, well- made Hitchcockian thriller that features good looking actors (including the alluring, icy blonde), exciting chases and bizarre circumstances. However, Truffaut gives the story his own twist by focusing on the characteristic of obsession and how it claws at the protagonist and affects his judgment.

Jean-Paul Belmondo puts aside his typical suave and cool demeanor to play a wealthy but lonely and somewhat naive tobacco plantation owner who puts in a request for a mail-order bride, only to discover that she looks like Catherine Deneuve. Naturally, he is taken under her spell and soon discovers she is much more duplicitous than he expected. Many film lovers may know this story better as it was remade in 2001 with Antonio Banderas and Angelina Jolie as Original Sin. Despite having not seen that film, I am confident it cannot be better than this version for two reasons. First of all, Truffaut is a much better director, able to seemingly tie all these various strings together into a coherent and plausible story. Second, there is no way Banderas and Jolie could match the sizzling chemistry between Belmondo and Deneuve. They are capable of being remarkably sexy and sultry without resorting to complete nakedness. This is a sign of true thespian abilities.

While not one of Truffaut's stronger works such as his Antoine Doinel series or Jules and Jim, it is still an entertaining romantic thriller that manages to be both romantic and thrilling. Given the status of many of these types of films recently, there is plenty of reason to revisit this New Wave example.