The Story of Adele H (1975)

Adèle Hugo's unrequited love for a lieutenant.

Director:

François Truffaut

Writers:

François Truffaut (screenplay), Jean Gruault (screenplay)

Stars:

Isabelle Adjani, Bruce Robinson, Sylvia Marriott

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 11 wins & 4 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Isabelle Adjani	...	Adèle Hugo / Adèle Lewly
Bruce Robinson	...	Lt Albert Pinson
Sylvia Marriott	...	Mrs. Saunders
Joseph Blatchley	...	Mr. Whistler
Ivry Gitlis	...	Hypnotist
Louise Bourdet	...	Victor Hugo's servant
Cecil De Sausmarez	...	Mr. Lenoir
Ruben Dorey	...	Mr. Saunders
Clive Gillingham	...	Keaton
Roger Martin	...	Doctor Murdock
M. White	...	Colonel White (as Mr White)
Madame Louise	...	Madame Baa
Jean-Pierre Leursse	...	Black penpusher

Storyline

Halifax, 1863. A young woman, Miss Lewly, comes to Halifax to search for Lt Pinson, with whom she is madly in love. Actually, she is Adèle Hugo, the second daughter of the great French literary figure and statesman. The Lt Pinson does not answer to her love and makes her understand it is hopeless. But as her obsession grows she keeps chasing and harassing him. This film about passionate yet obsessive love and self-destruction is based upon the real diary of Adèle Hugo.

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Plot Keywords:

french | lieutenant | obsession | halifax nova scotia | frenchwoman | 

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | History

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

France

Language:

French English

Release Date:

8 October 1975 (France)

Also Known As:

The Story of Adele H

Filming Locations:

Channel Islands

Company Credits

Production Co:

Les Artistes Associés, Les Films du Carrosse, Les Productions Artistes Associés

Technical Specs

Runtime:

96 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Initially planned as a grand-scale spectacular drama with Jeanne Moreau to play the lead, then Catherine Deneuve (then having an affair with François Truffaut) was considered for the role. The film took 7 years to be made, and finally Truffaut decided on Isabelle Adjani whom he noticed on a TV broadcast of the Comédie Française:

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Goofs

The hypnotist has a plant in the audience pretending to be a member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, which was not set up until a decade after the story's setting of 1863

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Quotes

Adèle Hugo: You are so handsome, Albert. You deserve to have all the women on Earth.

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Connections

Referenced in Hitchcock/Truffaut (2015)

User Reviews

The Real French Lieutenant's Woman

This is the story of Adele Hugo, daughter of Victor Hugo. Adele was seduced by a French Lieutenant who promptly left her for foreign shores. Adele followed him for several years trying to win him back until she was found a penniless mentally disturbed vagrant in Barbados.

Adele was the last Hugo to die (sometime in the 1940s). Isabele Adjani (also Nosferatu 1979) brings the role of Adele to life superbly.

This is a brilliant film! one of Truffaut's best.