Murmur of the Heart (1971)

As France is nearing the end of the first Indochina War, an open-minded teenage boy finds himself torn between a rebellious urge to discover love, and the ever-present, almost dominating affection of his beloved mother.

Director:

Louis Malle

Writer:

Louis Malle

Stars:

Lea Massari, Benoît Ferreux, Daniel Gélin

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 2 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Lea Massari	...	Clara Chevalier
Benoît Ferreux	...	Laurent Chevalier
Daniel Gélin	...	Charles Chevalier
Michael Lonsdale	...	Father Henri
Ave Ninchi	...	Augusta
Gila von Weitershausen	...	Freda (the prostitute)
Fabien Ferreux	...	Thomas
Marc Winocourt	...	Marc
Micheline Bona	...	Aunt Claudine
Henri Poirier	...	Uncle Leonce
Liliane Sorval	...	Fernande
Corinne Kersten	...	Daphne
Eric Walter	...	Laurent's friend
François Werner	...	Hubert
René Bouloc	...	Man at Bastille Day party

Storyline

This is a jolly coming-of-age story about a 14-year-old boy named Laurent Chevalier who is growing up in bourgeois surroundings in Dijon, France. This is France in the mid-1950s rather than America in the 1990s. Thus, Laurent is unharmed by events which would irreparably shatter the self-esteem of a modern American adolescent: he gets drunk, he smokes, he has sex, he is smothered by his mother, he is ignored by his father, a priest makes a pass at him, he gets rheumatoid fever, etc. There's enough scandalous behavior in this film to make 100 made-for-TV movies, and yet this is a very happy and oddly innocent tale.

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Plot Keywords:

mother son incest | first time sex | exploring sexuality | mother son relationship | measuring penis | 

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Taglines:

A young mother seduces her son.....and it's beautiful!

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Certificate:

R

Did You Know?

Trivia

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

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Goofs

After leaving Daphne, Laurent's belt changes three times.

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Quotes

Clara Chevalier: Do you enjoy hotels?
Laurent Chevalier: I haven't stayed in them enough.
Clara Chevalier: I adore hotels. I feel free, as if I were starting a new life. Even if it's only a feeling, it's very nice.

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Connections

References The Barefoot Contessa (1954)

User Reviews

Essentially light but ultimately rather heavy

Essentially light but ultimately rather heavy domestic drama involving an overly motherly mother and a child pushed this way and that by her and his two older brothers. The early scenes in the rich folks household, I assume, are intended to be amusing but looked at today the bullying of servants looks pretty shameful especially with the ongoing background news of French involvement in 'Indo China'. On the other hand the film skips along very nicely and although not a lot happens at first, the film is very well shot and we are always aware that something is going to happen. We also have a good idea what that something might be as mother and child continue their social intimacies. The sexy mum is played by Lea Massari who was the girl who went missing in L'Avventura ten years before and she performs well here, as does the young lad, who seems to be able to do no wrong, played by Benoit Ferreux. Never quite as light and fluffy as one might imagine the denouement, nevertheless, must have stunned audiences back in the day.

Details

Official Sites:

Arte boutique [France]

Country:

France Italy West Germany

Language:

French Italian

Release Date:

17 October 1971 (USA)

Also Known As:

Murmur of the Heart

Filming Locations:

Dijon, Côte-d'Or, France

Box Office

Gross USA:

$1,160,784

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$1,160,784

Company Credits

Production Co:

Nouvelles Éditions de Films (NEF), Marianne Productions, Vides Cinematografica

Technical Specs

Runtime:

118 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1