Hiroshima Mon Amour (1959)

A French actress filming an anti-war film in Hiroshima has an affair with a married Japanese architect as they share their differing perspectives on war.

Director:

Alain Resnais

Writer:

Marguerite Duras

Stars:

Emmanuelle Riva, Eiji Okada, Stella Dassas

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 6 wins & 5 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Emmanuelle Riva	...	Elle (as Emmanuele Riva)
Eiji Okada	...	Lui
Stella Dassas	...	Mother
Pierre Barbaud	...	Father
Bernard Fresson	...	German Lover

Storyline

A French woman and a Japanese man have an affair while she is in Japan making a film about peace and the impact of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, The man, an architect, lost his family in the bombing. She recalls her lover during the war, a 23 year-old German soldier who later died. Despite the time they spend together, her attachment appears minimal and they go forward into the future.

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Plot Keywords:

atomic bomb | nuclear bomb | memory | lovers separation | impossible love | 

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Taglines:

When God's silence falls upon men.

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

France Japan

Language:

French Japanese English

Release Date:

16 May 1960 (USA)

Also Known As:

Hiroshima Mon Amour

Filming Locations:

3bis Place de la République, Nevers, Nièvre, France

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$18,494, 17 October 2014, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$88,300, 2 January 2015

Company Credits

Production Co:

Argos Films, Como Films, Daiei Studios

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Included among the "1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die", edited by Steven Schneider.

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Goofs

When Elle leaves the hotel to go the set, she is wearing a nurse's uniform with a headscarf and carrying a black handbag. When Lui meets her on the set, she is now wearing a skirt and blouse and still has the headscarf. When they leave the set, the headscarf is left behind. When they get to Lui's house, she now has a white jacket.

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Quotes

Lui: And then one day, my love, does eternity come to an end?

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Connections

Edited into Pommes d'amour (2001)

User Reviews

If I could make one film, this would be it!

Quite simply the most touching, inspiring and turbulent film I have ever seen. Although not as gripping as an action film, this piece causes the same emotional rollercoaster.

Resnais, with only 2 characters and 90 minutes manages to capture the extremes of life. The delight of first love and the passion of lust is opposed by the pitfalls of human nature - the way we forget even those things we try, so hard, to keep hold of.

I understand how many people may find this film tedious, admittedly the narrative is hardly full of excitement however it reflects humanity so perfectly, and so deeply, that the film almost hurt as I recognised so much of my own life within it.

As said, as good as any action film!