Mélo (1986)

Director:

Alain Resnais

Writers:

Henri Bernstein (play)
Alain Resnais (adaptation)

Release Date:

3 September 1986 (France)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Plot:

In Paris in the 1920s, a concert violinist meets and falls in love with a stylish young flapper who's the wife of an old friend...

Plot Keywords:

Violinist | Love | 1920s | Concert Violinist | Cousin Cousin Relationship

Awards:

2 wins & 8 nominations

Cast

Sabine Azéma	...	Romaine Belcroix
Fanny Ardant	...	Christiane Levesque
Pierre Arditi	...	Pierre Belcroix
André Dussollier	...	Marcel Blanc
Jacques Dacqmine	...	Dr. Remy
Hubert Gignoux	...	Le Prêtre
Catherine Arditi	...	Yvonne

Directed by
Alain Resnais

Writing credits
Henri Bernstein		(play)
Alain Resnais		(adaptation)

Produced by
Marin Karmitz	....	producer
Catherine Lapoujade	....	executive producer

Original Music by
M. Philippe-Gérard

Cinematography by
Charles Van Damme		(as Charlie Van Damme)

Film Editing by
Albert Jurgenson

Production Design by
Jacques Saulnier

Costume Design by
Catherine Leterrier

Makeup Department
Christophe Carita	....	hair stylist: Azema
Dominique de Vorges	....	makeup artist
Sylvie Mathevet	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Catherine Lapoujade	....	production manager
Dominique Toussaint	....	unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Florence Malraux	....	assistant director
Philippe Worms	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Pierre Galliard	....	property master
Philippe Turlure	....	assistant set decorator

Sound Department
Jocelyne Cartier-Stern	....	post-synchronization (as Jocelyne Cartier)
Daniel Couteau	....	foley artist
Gérard Manneveau	....	foley artist
Jacques Maumont	....	sound mixer
Henri Morelle	....	sound
Olivier Villette	....	boom operator

Camera and Electrical Department
Patrick Biré	....	grip
Gilbert Duhalde	....	camera operator
François Hernandez	....	second assistant camera
Alain Huylebroeck	....	electrician
Eric Kerbiriou	....	grip
Thierry Labille	....	electrician
Bernard Largemain	....	key grip
Jean-Claude Le Bras	....	gaffer (as Jean-Claude LeBras)
Jean-Louis Sonzogni	....	apprentice camera operator
Arthur Cloquet	....	first assistant camera (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Jenny E. Davidson	....	apprentice costumer
Hélène Robin	....	costumer

Editorial Department
Jean-Pierre Besnard	....	associate editor
Thomas Bouffioulx	....	digital intermediate - restoration
Martine Fleury	....	assistant editor

Other crew
Vladimir Barjansky	....	warranty
Sylvette Baudrot	....	script supervisor
Sylvie Chevereau-Marchais	....	production administrator
Marguerite Lemarchand	....	production secretary
Jean-Michel Nicollet	....	stage curtain creator
Jean-Pierre Nossereau	....	location manager
Georges Pansu	....	title designer
Eva Simonet	....	press attache
Caroline Thivel	....	script supervisor trainee

Production Companies

• Centre National de la Cinématographie (CNC)
• Films A2
• MK2 Productions

Distributors

• European Classics (1988) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• MK2 Diffusion (1986) (France) (theatrical)

Other Companies

• Audio 24/25  re-recording
• Ciné Lumières de Paris  electrical equipment
• Publications Willy Fischer  credit's programmes creator
• Pyral  sound film stock
• Studios de Billancourt  auditorium

Also Known As:

Runtime:

112 min

Country:

France

Language:

French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

UK:PG | West Germany:12 | Hong Kong:I | France:U | Italy:T | Portugal:M/16 (Qualidade) | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Studios de Boulogne-Billancourt/SFP - 2 Rue de Silly, Boulogne-Billancourt, Hauts-de-Seine, France

Company:

Centre National de la Cinématographie (CNC)

Movie Connections:

Version of The Dreamy Mouth (1932)

Soundtrack:

Sonate pour violon et piano en sol majeur, Op 78

In A Mellowtone

For someone who made his name as an avant gardist and surfer of the New Wave Alain Resnais seems to be a closet dernier gardist with a penchant for stilted boulevard theater of another age. In his current release, Pas Sur le bouche he preserves almost intact an operetta from a bygone age and here, as long ago as 1986, he ploughs a similar furrow and even uses two actors from his regular repertory - Arditi and Azema - who will re-surface in Pas sur le bouche. Assuming that oiling the wheels of creaky vehicles is worth doing at all then Resnais does it as well as anyone and it would be bordering on the impossible to assemble a cast containing, in addition to Sabine Azema, Pierre Arditi (to say nothing of his sister), Fanny Ardant and Andre Dussolier and not produce a finished product worth watching. It also says a lot for panellists and juries that one of them saw fit to bung Azema a major Best Actress gong for her work here. It's difficult to nominate an audience for this but it would seem to be pitched at something between the semi-precious Gilbert Adair crowd and the popcorn brigade. 7/10