That Most Important Thing: Love (1975)
"L'important c'est d'aimer" (original title)

Servais Mont, a photographer, meets Nadine Chevalier who earns her money starring in cheap soft-core movies. Trying to help her, he borrows the money from the loan sharks to finance the ... See full summary »

Director:

Andrzej Zulawski

Writers:

Christopher Frank (novel), Christopher Frank (adaptation),

Stars:

Romy Schneider, Fabio Testi, Jacques Dutronc

2 wins & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Romy Schneider	...	Nadine Chevalier
Fabio Testi	...	Servais Mont
Jacques Dutronc	...	Jacques Chevalier
Claude Dauphin	...	Mazelli
Roger Blin	...	Le père de Servais / Servais's father
Gabrielle Doulcet	...	Madame Mazelli
Michel Robin	...	Raymond Lapade
Guy Mairesse	...	Laurent Messala
Katia Tchenko	...	Myriam, la putain
Nicoletta Machiavelli	...	Luce, la femme de Lapade
Klaus Kinski	...	Karl-Heinz Zimmer
Paul Bisciglia	...	L'assistant-metteur en scène
Henri Coutet	...	Le père de Jacques (scenes deleted)
Sylvain Levignac	...	Le premier homme dans la brasserie (as Sylvain)
Andrée Tainsy	...	La mère de Jacques (scenes deleted)

Storyline

Servais Mont, a photographer, meets Nadine Chevalier who earns her money starring in cheap soft-core movies. Trying to help her, he borrows the money from the loan sharks to finance the theatrical production of 'Richard III' and gives Nadine a part. Nadine is torn apart between Servais, for whom she is falling in love, and her husband Jacques, to whom she has moral obligations.

---

Plot Keywords:

loan | photographer | love | psychodrama | stage actress | 

---

Genres:

Drama | Romance

---

Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

France Italy West Germany

Language:

French

Release Date:

April 1977 (USA)

Also Known As:

That Most Important Thing: Love

Filming Locations:

Paris, France

Company Credits

Production Co:

Albina Productions S.a.r.l., Rizzoli Film, TIT Filmproduktion GmbH

Technical Specs

Runtime:

109 min 105 min (cut)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

'Romy Schneider' considered this movie her best work.

---

Quotes

Jacques Chevalier: J'ai rêvé de toi. Tu me versais du Coca-Cola dans l'oreille... Une vilaine mort, croyez-moi !

---

Connections

References The Long, Hot Summer (1958)

User Reviews

Love isn't all that is there

This film is a little more complex than the title suggests. Love is only one of the elements of the picture.

In fact, I would say most of the movie is spent on producing "art" that you are not proud of. This theme is throughout the movie. You get the impression that it is being bolted into your nerves like a physical trauma bolts in disdain.

We also deal with the end of youth and how we cope with it. The film is indeed extremely raw. The scenes are meant to be honest and to the point. We get very little sidestepping when it comes to the point of scenes. Perhaps the actors will discuss things in a roundabout way, but the theme slices through each scene like a scimitar.

On the subject of love. This is very important to the movie as well. Even though there are virtually no signs of it til the very end, there is a longing for it. And that is what most good romances are about. Sydney Pollock once said something to the effect of, the interesting part of a Romance Film is the longing for the connection between the characters. You can have a couple of slow motion scenes of them waltzing through the park and feeding each other fruits, but that isn't what drives the story and the film. Perhaps that is why this film is so good.