Je t'aime, je t'aime (1968)

After attempting suicide, Claude is recruited for a time travel experiment, but, when the machine goes haywire, he may be trapped hurtling through his memories.

Director:

Alain Resnais

Writer:

Jacques Sternberg

Stars:

Claude Rich, Olga Georges-Picot, Anouk Ferjac

2 wins.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Claude Rich	...	Claude Ridder
Olga Georges-Picot	...	Catrine
Anouk Ferjac	...	Wiana Lust
Alain MacMoy	...	Le technicien qui vient chercher Ridder
Vania Vilers	...	Le technicien-chauffeur
Ray Verhaeghe	...	Le technicien aux souris
Van Doude	...	Jan Rouffer, le chef du centre de recherches de Crespel
Yves Kerboul	...	Le technicien au tableau noir
Dominique Rozan	...	Le médecin de Crespel / Doctor Haesserts
Annie Bertin	...	La jeune femme à la trompette
Jean Michaud	...	Le directeur de la maison de diffusion
Claire Duhamel	...	Jane Swolfs
Bernard Fresson	...	Bernard Hannecart
Sylvain Dhomme	...	L'homme qui invite Ridder à dîner
Irène Tunc	...	Marcelle Hannecart

Storyline

Recovering from an attempted suicide, a man is selected to participate in a time travel experiment that has only been tested on mice. A malfunction in the experiment causes the man to experience moments from his past in a random order.

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Plot Keywords:

time travel | claim in title | nonlinear timeline | man and woman in bed | sexuality | 

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Taglines:

Science Fiction? Thriller? Comedy? A Romantic Love Story

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Genres:

Drama | Sci-Fi

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Details

Country:

France

Language:

French Dutch English

Release Date:

24 April 1968 (France)

Also Known As:

Te amo, te amo

Filming Locations:

Avenue Jules Malou, Etterbeek, Brussels, Brussels-Capital, Belgium

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$7,250, 21 February 2014, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$71,717, 31 December 2014

Company Credits

Production Co:

Les Productions Fox Europa,Parc Film

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

Claude Ridder: Catherine. Catherine... I love you. Do you hear me? I love you. It was the only reason. Long before you die. And now I'm dead. I'm cold. I hear my words. It's the drug... How likely I'll survive? Oh yeah, 100% if I were a rat. Then I'm a rat, because I'm alive. Now see... anyway still have to wait four minutes. And the rat? Where is the rat?

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Soundtracks

Misterioso
by Thelonious Monk

User Reviews

So pretty and so sad

"Je T'aime, Je T'aime (1968, Alan Resnais), a rarely-seen science-fiction cult film, exercises the viewer's mind with superb style. As with the films of Jean Luc Godard, "Je T'aime" has a chaotic narrative which oozes with dystopian gloom. The non-linear structure is a bit fatiguing and frustrating. Still, I like it because of the arresting imagery and magnetic cast.

Claude Ridder (played by Claude Rich), who has held many different office jobs, has recently survived a suicide attempt. When leaving the sanitarium, Claude is approached by creepy members of a secret organization which is conducting time-travel experiments. At the remote facility he is encouraged to allow the scientists to transport him back a year in time for a minute. The scientists tell him that they have successfully conducted this experiment with lab mice and now need him for the first human trial. A few days later, Claude and a mouse (in a small container) enter the Time Machine (which looks like a human brain from the outside). The Time Machine (TM) starts up. Woops—it immediately begins skipping like a dirty CD. While the scientists outside the TM lament their inability to stop it, Claude begins reliving short segments of his past randomly without end. He can exit the TM only after decompressing for four minutes; but the endlessly-looping Time Machine keeps interrupting the closing sequence. The repeated perspective of a large brain in the background with anxious scientists in the foreground worried about the brain's condition comments upon brainwashing.

It takes a while, but Claude's often repetitive flashbacks eventually reveal why he attempted suicide. A year ago Claude was on a Scotland vacation when his comely girlfriend Catrine (Olga Georges-Picot) died. The two were an exceptionally attractive couple. Nevertheless, she had been the one was always seriously depressed (long before Claude was). The two represent different types of depression. Catrina seems to be bipolar; while occasionally happy she invariably finds little about life to make her struggle worthwhile. Claude's state of mind is more connected with Catrina's poor mental health and inevitable death. He harbors feelings of guilt out of the belief he killed her.

The world-weary conversation between the two is usually compelling. Some of us wonder how exceptionally beautiful people can ever be suicidal. Catrina's enervated dialogue is even more heart-breaking when we consider that the stunning Olga Georges-Picot is playing herself. In real life, she struggled with depression for decades. (Unlike Claude Ridder's try, Olga Georges-Picot's 1997 suicide attempt did not fail.)

Visually, Resnais is superb. His color choices and use of the entire frame are remarkable. One often has the feeling of being in an art museum when viewing some of the imagery on display. The haunting, Gothic (and possibly Satanic) soundtrack from Krzysztof Penderecki is also very distinctive.

Catrina and Claude both share the belief that life is unendurable and look forward to an end to their suffering. Resnais has a cruel surprise in store for Claude: It turns out there won't be an escape to his torments. Cinephiles who don't mind putting in some effort should find out why. However, if you chose to arrive to the revival theater showing this by Time Machine please make sure it is under warranty.