Marcel Proust's Time Regained (1999)
"Le temps retrouvé, d'après l'oeuvre de Marcel Proust" (original title)

Marcel Proust (1871-1922) is on his deathbed. Looking at photographs brings memories of his childhood, his youth, his lovers, and the way the Great War put an end to a stratum of society. ... See full summary »

Director:

Raoul Ruiz

Writers:

Marcel Proust (novel), Gilles Taurand (scenario),

Stars:

Catherine Deneuve, Emmanuelle Béart, Vincent Perez

2 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Catherine Deneuve	...	Odette de Crecy
Emmanuelle Béart	...	Gilberte
Vincent Perez	...	Morel
John Malkovich	...	Le Baron de Charlus
Pascal Greggory	...	Saint-Loup
Marcello Mazzarella	...	Marcel Proust
Marie-France Pisier	...	Madame Verdurin
Chiara Mastroianni	...	Albertine
Arielle Dombasle	...	Madame de Farcy
Edith Scob	...	Oriane de Guermantes
Elsa Zylberstein	...	Rachel
Christian Vadim	...	Bloch
Dominique Labourier	...	Madame Cottard
Philippe Morier-Genoud	...	Monsieur Cottard
Melvil Poupaud	...	Le Prince de Foix

Storyline

Marcel Proust (1871-1922) is on his deathbed. Looking at photographs brings memories of his childhood, his youth, his lovers, and the way the Great War put an end to a stratum of society. His memories are in no particular order, they move back and forth in time. Marcel at various ages interacts with Odette, with the beautiful Gilberte and her doomed husband, with the pleasure-seeking Baron de Charlus, with Marcel's lover Albertine, and with others; present also in memory are Marcel's beloved mother and grandmother. It seems as if to live is to remember and to capture memories is to create a work of great art. The memories parallel the final volume of Proust's novel.

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Plot Keywords:

memory | baron | photograph | childhood | deathbed | 

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Genres:

Drama | Romance | War

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Details

Official Sites:

Kino International

Country:

France Italy Portugal

Language:

French

Release Date:

19 May 1999 (France)

Also Known As:

Marcel Proust's Time Regained

Filming Locations:

Paris, France

Box Office

Budget:

FFR 65,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$21,413 (USA) (16 June 2000)

Gross:

$461,493 (USA) (15 December 2000)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Gemini Films, France 2 Cinéma, Les Films du Lendemain

Technical Specs

Runtime:

169 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

Referenced in Ricardo Aronovich, avec mes yeux de dinosaure du cinéma (2011)

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Soundtracks

"Le temps retrouvé (Vocalise)"
Written by Jorge Arriagada
Performed by Natalie Dessay (soprano)

User Reviews

"Romantic, detailed and picturesque..."

Chilean screenwriter, producer, teacher and director Raúl Ruiz' 51st feature film which he co-wrote with French screenwriter Gilles Taurand is an adaptation of the seventh and final volume of the novel "Remembrance of Things Past" by French author, essayist and critic Marcel Proust (1871-1922), which was published between 1913 and 1927. It premiered In competition at the 52nd Cannes Film Festival in 1999, was shot on location in Paris, France and is a France-Italy-Portugal co-production which was produced by Portuguese producer Paulo Branco. It tells the story about an anonymous man who while lying on his deathbed in the home of his friend Gilberte, begins to think about the time when he had just been released from a sanatorium and was a young aspiring writer during the First World War in Paris, France.

Distinctly and precisely directed by filmmaker Raúl Ruiz (1941-2011), this quiet and somewhat surreal period piece which is narrated by French producer, actor and filmmaker Patrice Chéreau, draws a reflective and incisive portrayal of an early 20th century writer's internal odyssey through his memories during the last hours before his death. While notable for it's colorful milieu depictions, the exquisite production design Bruno Beaugé, cinematography by Argentine cinematographer Ricardo Aranovich, costume design by French costume designer Caroline de Vivaise and Italian costume designer Gabriella Pescucci and the fine editing by French film editor Denise de Casabianca, this dialog-driven and at times humorous drama which is seen from multiple viewpoints, depicts an insightful study of character.

This poignantly atmospheric and finely tuned story about an introspective man's relationship to the world that surrounds him, the women he as befriended or had relations with, his memories and time in itself, contains an efficient score by Chilean composer Jorge Arrigada, an array of variegated characters and is impelled and reinforced by it's fragmented narrative structure and the reverent acting performances by Italian actor Marcello Mazzarella, American producer, actor and director John Malkovich, French actress Emmanuelle Béart, French actor Pascal Greggory, French screenwriter, actress and director Marie-France Pisier (1944-2011), Swiss actor Vincent Perez and French actress and singer Chiara Mastroianni. A romantic, detailed and picturesque independent film which gained the award for Best Cinematography Ricardo Aranovich at the Ourense International Independent Film Festival in Spain, 1999.