Bonjour Tristesse (1958)

Cecile, decadent young girl who lives with her rich playboy father Raymond. When Anne, Raymond's old love interest, comes to Raymond's villa, Cecile is afraid for her way of life.

Director:

Otto Preminger

Writers:

Arthur Laurents (screenplay), Françoise Sagan (based on the novel by) (as Francoise Sagan)

Stars:

Jean Seberg, David Niven, Deborah Kerr

Nominated for 1 BAFTA Film Award. Another 1 nomination.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Deborah Kerr	...	Anne Larson
David Niven	...	Raymond
Jean Seberg	...	Cecile
Mylène Demongeot	...	Elsa
Geoffrey Horne	...	Philippe
Juliette Gréco	...	Herself
Walter Chiari	...	Pablo
Martita Hunt	...	Philippe's Mother
Roland Culver	...	Mr. Lombard
Jean Kent	...	Mrs. Helen Lombard
David Oxley	...	Jacques
Elga Andersen	...	Denise
Jeremy Burnham	...	Hubert
Eveline Eyfel	...	Maid

Storyline

Cecile, decadent young girl who lives with her rich playboy father Raymond. When Anne, Raymond's old love interest, comes to Raymond's villa, Cecile is afraid for her way of life.

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Plot Keywords:

playboy | french riviera | french literature | foreign language adaptation | based on novel | 

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

USA UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

February 1958 (USA)

Also Known As:

Bonjour Tristesse

Filming Locations:

Côte d'Azur, France

Company Credits

Production Co:

Wheel Productions

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

According to Mylène Demongeot, Otto Preminger choose her for the film because she was a daring girl who was not afraid to talk very frankly and abruptly to him.

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Goofs

We hear the Band at c.6'50" and we see a clarinet-player performing, but the music has no clarinet part whatsoever included at that point in the soundtrack. Later, when the clarinet does eventually join the soundtrack, the fingering of the player bears absolutely no relation to the music actually being heard.

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Quotes

Cecile: Albertine! I mean Léontine! Slight maid problem. Some weird sisters rotate working for us.
Anne Larson: Weird? How?
Cecile: Every week one or the other is suddenly stricken with some odd malady. Maybe it's us.
Maid: Yes, Mademoiselle?
Cecile: Oh! Léontine...
Maid: Léontine has a bad liver. I am her sister, Claudine.

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Connections

Featured in From the Journals of Jean Seberg (1995)

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Soundtracks

Bonjour Tristesse
Music by Georges Auric
English lyrics by Arthur Laurents
Sung by Juliette Gréco

User Reviews

Sagan soaper

David Niven and Jean Seberg say "Bonjour Tristesse" in this 1958 film directed by Otto Preminger and also starring Deborah Kerr and Mylène Demongeot. Niven and Seberg are Raymond and Cecile, a father and daughter vacationing on the Riviera and having a superficial blast for themselves. Raymond has his current girlfriend Elsa (Demongeot) living with them as well. When a good friend of Raymond's late wife, Anne (Kerr) comes to visit, things change - at first for the better, as the four of them continue the party atmosphere. Later, when Anne becomes Raymond's fiancée and begins to discipline Cecile, the fun stops. Cecile decides that Anne will have to go.

The film is told in flashback, black and white representing the present and glorious color used to tell the story, which is narrated by Seberg.

There's lots about this movie that is fascinating, and some of it just sort of falls flat. The idea that a deep-thinking, responsible career woman comes into the lives of two bon vivants is an interesting one, and you couldn't ask for a better cast. The beginning of the film, and even Cecile's plan to get rid of Anne that she brings Elsa and her own boyfriend Phillipe in on has a lighthearted feel to it. What Raymond and Cecile never considered is that there are ramifications for actions, Cecile due to her immaturity and Raymond because he's Raymond.

David Niven is terrific as the dashing Raymond, who loves a party, and Deborah Kerr gives a warm performance as Anne, who truly loves him and wants to ground both him and his daughter. The curiosity here is Seberg. She is as always the perfect gamine. Any time she's in a scene, you can't take your eyes off of her. She's so darn beautiful. Yet I don't think I've ever heard her say one line that I believed. And she's one actress where it just doesn't seem to matter. We hear a lot about "it" - well, she really had it.

Gorgeous scenery - you want to leave for the Riviera immediately. And, truth to tell, spending some time with Raymond, Cecile and Elsa before the arrival of Anne wouldn't be bad either.