Notre histoire (1984)

A desperate alcoholic reaches a turning-point in his life when he meets a strange woman in a railway carriage: they make love, but then she leaves. Chasing after the girl, he clings to her as if she were his final chance.

Director:

Bertrand Blier

Writer:

Bertrand Blier

Stars:

Alain Delon, Nathalie Baye, Gérard Darmon

2 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Alain Delon	...	Robert Avranche
Nathalie Baye	...	Donatienne Pouget / Marie-Thérèse Chatelard / Geneviève Avranche
Gérard Darmon	...	Duval
Geneviève Fontanel	...	Madeleine Pecqueur
Jean-Pierre Darroussin	...	The second passenger
Sabine Haudepin	...	Carmen
Jean-François Stévenin	...	Chatelard
Ginette Garcin	...	The florist
Michel Galabru	...	Emile Pecqueur
Philippe Laudenbach	...	Sam
Paul Guers	...	Clark
Jean-Louis Foulquier	...	Bob
Jacques Pisias	...	Fred (as Firmin)
Vincent Lindon	...	Brechet
Norbert Letheule	...	Paraiso

Storyline

Robert Avranche, a garage owner who's often in an alcoholic stupor, is on a train thinking that nothing good ever happens to him. A young woman enters the compartment and tells him a story - about the two of them - then offers him sex. She leaves at the next station; he follows her and clings. She's Donatienne, languid, bored, sad, sleeping with many men but in love with a one who's indifferent. Robert insists on living with her. She calls his friends to remove him. He's obdurate. Neighbors stare. Is this farce or fairy tale? Robert and Donatienne tell each other stories, writing themselves in and out. Will he sober up; will she smile? Whose story is it, and how might it end?

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Plot Keywords:

peeping | voyeur | married man | sex with a stranger | sex on a train | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

France

Language:

French

Release Date:

16 May 1984 (France)

Also Known As:

Our Story

Filming Locations:

Cluses, Haute-Savoie, France

Company Credits

Production Co:

Adel Productions, Films A2, Sara Films

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

Edited into Histoire(s) du cinéma: Une histoire seule (1989)

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Soundtracks

Quartet in F Major, Opus 18, No. 1
Music by Bohuslav Martinu

User Reviews

Surreal film - two characters in search of a story

Notre Histoire (1984) stars Alain Delon and Nathalie Baye. Delon won the French equivalent of the Oscar, the Cesar, for this. He was not there to accept it. The presenter accepted it and still had it when he died. However to this day it has never shown up.

Robert Avranche (Delon), a garage owner mostly in an alcoholic stupor meets a young woman (Baye) on a train. She tells him a story, in a way fantasizing what will happen to them. They have sex. When she leaves, he follows her, obsessed.

Her name is Donatienne, and she sleeps with everyone. Robert won't leave her house and keeps drinking. The two tell each other stories, writing themselves in and out of them. The neighbors become involved, walking back and forth between houses in their bathrobes.

So what is the story?

This is a bizarre film which is wrapped up at the end, so if you see it, stick with it. It's actually fascinating. Delon is fantastic and deserved the award he received but never had in his hand. This supposedly demolished his super-cool killer image, but he never really gave it up, in my opinion.

Nathalie Baye does a wonderful job as well, playing several different characters.

Interesting movie!