Murmur of the Heart (1971)

MOVIEmeter

SEE RANK

Down 501 this week

View rank on IMDbPro »

118 min - Drama - 17 October 1971 (USA)

7.7

Ratings: 7.7/10 from 3,539 users
Reviews: 32 user | 26 critic

This is a jolly coming-of-age story about a 15-year-old boy named Laurent Chevalier who is growing up in bourgeois surroundings in Dijon... See full summary »

Quick Links:

Create a list »

Related Lists

2012: A MOVIE ODYSSEY

a list of 2,267 titles by Dr-Faustus created 16 May 2011

Great Films (1970-1979)

a list of 214 titles by KasparM created 9 months ago

My life in front of a screen

a list of 3,277 titles by angelwizzard666 created 6 months ago

1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die (3rd ed.)

a list of 1,001 titles by MinaGrentham created 7 months ago

Film-journal

a list of 3,703 titles by edmund-theodor created 7 months ago

See all 249 related lists »

Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 win & 1 nomination See more awards »

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
	Lea Massari	...	Clara Chevalier
	Benoît Ferreux	...	Laurent Chevalier
	Daniel Gélin	...	Charles Chevalier
	Michael Lonsdale	...	Father Henri
	Ave Ninchi	...	Augusta
	Gila von Weitershausen	...	Freda (the prostitute)
	Fabien Ferreux	...	Thomas
	Marc Winocourt	...	Marc
	Micheline Bona	...	Aunt Claudine
	Henri Poirier	...	Uncle Leonce
	Liliane Sorval	...	Fernande
	Corinne Kersten	...	Daphne
	Eric Walter
	François Werner	...	Hubert
	René Bouloc	...	Man at Bastille Day party

Full cast and crew »

Edit

Storyline

This is a jolly coming-of-age story about a 15-year-old boy named Laurent Chevalier who is growing up in bourgeois surroundings in Dijon, France. This is France in the mid-1950s rather than America in the 1990s. Thus, Laurent is unharmed by events which would irreparably shatter the self-esteem of a modern American adolescent: he gets drunk, he smokes, he has sex, he is smothered by his mother, he is ignored by his father, a priest makes a pass at him, he gets rheumatoid fever, etc. There's enough scandalous behavior in this film to make 100 made-for-TV movies, and yet this is a very happy and oddly innocent tale. Written by Tim Horrigan <horrigan@aol.com>

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

Genres:

Drama

Parents Guide:

View content advisory »

Edit

Details

Official Sites:

Arte boutique [France] | Add/edit official sites »

Country:

France | Italy | West Germany

Language:

French

Release Date:

17 October 1971 (USA) See more »

Also Known As:

El soplo al corazón See more »

Filming Locations:

Dijon, Côte-d'Or, France See more »

Box Office

Gross:

$1,160,784 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Nouvelles Éditions de Films (NEF), Marianne Productions, Vides Cinematografica See more »

Show detailed company contact information on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

USA: 118 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

See full technical specs »

Edit

Did You Know?

Trivia

Writer/director Louis Malle based many aspects of the protagonist Laurent's life on his own experiences growing up. This included his love of jazz, curiosity about literature, the "tyranny" of his two older brothers who tried to introduce him to sex, and having a heart murmur. However, Malle grew up in the 1930's and 40's, not the 50's as Laurent does. See more »

Goofs

Continuity: After leaving Daphne, Laurent's belt changes three times. See more »

Connections

Referenced in Spanking the Monkey (1994) See more »

Murmur of the Heart (1971)
Le souffle au coeur (original title)

Director:

Writer:

Stars: