IMDb > L'amant (1992)
L'amant
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L'amant (1992) -- 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.
L'amant (1992) -- Sinematurk - Trailer (Flash)

Overview

User Rating:
6.7/10   5,261 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 3% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Writers:
Jean-Jacques Annaud (writer)
Gérard Brach (writer)
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Contact:
View company contact information for L'amant on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
30 October 1992 (USA) more
Tagline:
She gave her innocence, her passion, her body. The one thing she couldn't give was her love.
Plot:
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. full summary | full synopsis
Awards:
Nominated for Oscar. Another 2 wins & 6 nominations more
User Comments:
Meaning behind the scenes more (80 total)

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
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Additional Details

Also Known As:
The Lover (UK)
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MPAA:
Rated R on appeal for graphic and explicit sexuality.
Runtime:
115 min | USA:103 min (R-rated version) | USA:115 min (unrated version) | Germany:111 min (25 fps)
Country:
France | UK | Vietnam
Language:
English
Color:
Color (Eastmancolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Certification:
Canada:R (Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) | Iceland:16 | Germany:12 | Italy:T | Argentina:16 | Australia:R | Canada:16+ (Quebec) | Finland:K-16 | France:U | Hong Kong:III | Portugal:M/18 | Singapore:R(A) (original rating) | Singapore:R21 (re-rating) | South Korea:18 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:NC-17 (original rating) | USA:R (re-rating on appeal)
Company:
Films A2 more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
The Chopin valse played on the steamer Alexandre Dumas is Valse #10, opus posth. 69 Nr. 2. more
Quotes:
The Young Girl: It's me. I am always a little sad. I'm like my mother. more
Movie Connections:
Featured in "Joe Bob's Drive-In Theater: Aardvark Jubilee" (1995) more

FAQ

Why Use a Half-Asian to Portray a White Girl?
more
54 out of 67 people found the following comment useful.
Meaning behind the scenes, 27 July 2004
Author: HellBoy13 from NYC

I first saw this movie when I was younger, as one of the most graphic "mainstream" movies available. That was before I ever knew what the word "soft-core" meant.

I watched it again, when I was older, and I finally understand it. The quiet sequences and unemotional facade of the female lead are no longer just boring filler between the exciting love scenes. Perhaps it's because I needed a little more life experience to know the unexpressed feelings of the female character and the expressed feelings of the male character. Sure, this movie is about taboo and tasting forbidden fruit. This movie is about sex. But this movie also has very strong depictions of the other emotions involved in the affair. Shame. Guilt. Racial and social prejudice. Love which is explored when both parties know there can be no future. Emotional detachment born out of necessity, as a "defense mechanism". Being ostracized by your peers, and life in an environment rife with vicious rumors. But mostly the shame and guilt. It's made clearer to me what a former lover of mine may have felt.

To live through all that and then to watch this movie makes for a very personal, moving experience. I can't recommend it to everyone, since every movie experience is unique. But I can say that "The Lover" is much, much more than just an excuse for graphic love scenes. It's a story of a reminiscence... a first time... a shameful secret... a hidden love, fostered through hardship and burning into the mind of the narrator an indelible, permanent mark of memory of a first, life-shaping lover...

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for L'amant (1992)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Can someone help me find the Uncut Unrated version?? Lunita121098
Where was this movie filmed? cpolanco27
CRAZY: Why Use a Half-Asian to Portray a White Girl in Film about Race ExterminateTheBrutes
trop triste janweiss
Pornography? tintin-23
Question about love... attitude_070
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