The Lover (1992)
"L'amant" (original title)

In 1929 French Indochina, a French teenage girl embarks on a reckless and forbidden romance with a wealthy, older Chinese man, each knowing that knowledge of their affair will bring drastic consequences to each other.

Director:

Jean-Jacques Annaud

Writers:

Jean-Jacques Annaud, Gérard Brach,

Stars:

Jane March, Tony Leung Ka Fai, Frédérique Meininger

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 3 wins & 6 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jane March	...	The Young Girl
Tony Leung Ka Fai	...	The Chinaman
Frédérique Meininger	...	The Mother
Arnaud Giovaninetti	...	The Elder Brother
Melvil Poupaud	...	The Younger Brother
Lisa Faulkner	...	Helene Lagonelle
Xiem Mang	...	The Chinaman's Father
Philippe Le Dem	...	The French Teacher
Ann Schaufuss	...	Anne-Marie Stretter
Quach Van An	...	The Driver
Tania Torrens	...	The Principal
Raymonde Heudeline	...	The Writer (end)
Yvonne Wingerter	...	The Writer (beginning)
Do Minh Vien	...	The Young Boy
Hélène Patarot	...	The Assistant Mistress

Storyline

It is French Colonial Vietnam in 1929. A young French girl from a family that is having some monetary difficulties is returning to boarding school. She is alone on public transportation when she catches the eye of a wealthy Chinese businessman. He offers her a ride into town in the back of his chauffeured sedan, and sparks fly. Can the torrid affair that ensues between them overcome the class restrictions and social mores of that time? Based on the semi-autobiographical novel by Maugerite Duras.

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Plot Keywords:

chinese | vietnam | indochina | forbidden romance | record player | 

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Taglines:

She gave her innocence, her passion, her body. The one thing she couldn't give was her love.

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R on appeal for graphic and explicit sexuality

Details

Country:

France UK Vietnam

Language:

English

Release Date:

30 October 1992 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Lover

Filming Locations:

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Box Office

Gross:

$4,899,194 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Films A2, Grai Phang Film Studio, Renn Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

115 min 103 min (R-rated) 115 min (unrated) 111 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby LC-Concept Digital Sound

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Jane March denied that she and 'Tony Leung Ka Fai' actually made love. (March: "I never had sex with Tony on or off the set. It's as simple as that.") All the sex scenes were done with careful choreography and body doubles. Director Jean-Jacques Annaud falsely implied the sex was real to boost publicity for the film, thus the sex-crazed English tabloid press trumpeted the rumor on its front pages for days, making life so miserable for March and her family that she got physically sick and had a nervous breakdown. March then fled to the Seychelles to escape. Annaud later stated the sex was not real, "At first I was flattered people believed [the sex]. But after that... I stopped doing press in Britain. Of course they didn't have sex."

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Quotes

[first lines]
Narrator: Very early in my life, it was too late. At eighteen it was already too late. At eighteen I aged. This aging was brutal. This aging, I saw it spread over my features, one by one. Instead of being frightened by it, I saw this aging of my face with the same sort of interest I might have taken for example in the reading of a book. That new face I kept it. It's kept the same contours, but its matter is destroyed. I have a destroyed face. Let me tell you again: I'm fifteen and a half. ...

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Connections

Featured in Melon Harvest (2009)

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Soundtracks

"Waltz in B minor Opus 69 No. 2"
Written by Frédéric Chopin (as Chopin)
Performed by Howard Shelley

User Reviews

Wonderfully evocative, refreshingly original, intriguing cinematography.

My wife and I were enraptured and thoroughly enjoyed this gem. Deeply evocative and so real that we nearly felt the rain and hot humidity, we were swept along on this unique journey. The external and newsgroup reviews did not ring true for us. Well OK, the characters were very sad and March delivered stilted lines at times, but there was so much magic to see and hear! She sizzled. He struggled. They both yearned for what could not be.

Those harbour and river scenes were no Hollywood set or computer graphics, but just had to be the real thing: Vietnam! The reviews said 'not erotic' and 'like Penthouse'...?!? Just look beneath the surface: even though both characters are trapped in cultural barriers and subsequently repress so many emotions (especially the girl), they escape into the blissfully unreal world of the rented room where emotions run deep albeit confused.

You will not find the usual American 'formula film' composed of glitz, action, intrigue, syrupy sweetness and a predictable ending. Instead here is a film that is complex yet simple, both beautiful and ugly, about separateness and unions, and the sufferings of those who love but cannot love. We were captivated, enchanted. If you are prudish or do not like 'foreign films', then avoid this film. However, if you have ever travelled in Asia, if you love creative cinematography, if you enjoy small subtleties, if you like an insight into the past and a time of strong desires... then see this film! It was refreshing, and we did not want it to end.