Viva la vie (1984)

The movie starts with an interview with director Claude Lelouch. He pleads viewers not to disclose the plot of the movie after leaving the projection room. Even the movie's trailer shows ... See full summary »

Director:

Claude Lelouch

Writers:

Claude Lelouch (story), Claude Lelouch

Stars:

Charlotte Rampling, Michel Piccoli, Jean-Louis Trintignant

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Charlotte Rampling	...	Catherine Perrin
Michel Piccoli	...	Michel Perrin
Jean-Louis Trintignant	...	François Gaucher
Evelyne Bouix	...	Sarah Gaucher
Charles Aznavour	...	Edouard Takvorian
Laurent Malet	...	Laurent Perrin
Tanya Lopert	...	Julia
Raymond Pellegrin	...	Barret
Charles Gérard	...	Charles
Anouk Aimée	...	Anouk
Myriam Boyer	...	Pauline
Patrick Depeyrrat	...	Taxidriver
Maryline Even	...	A Witness
Philippe Laudenbach	...	Professor Sternberg
Denis Lavant	...	Caviar delivery man

Storyline

The movie starts with an interview with director Claude Lelouch. He pleads viewers not to disclose the plot of the movie after leaving the projection room. Even the movie's trailer shows only a long sequence of faces gazing speechlessly in space. "Like all my movies, this one is about a man and a woman", says Lelouch in the interview.

---

Plot Keywords:

operation | disappearance | 

---

Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Mystery | Sci-Fi | Thriller

---

Details

Country:

France

Language:

French

Release Date:

18 April 1984 (France)

Also Known As:

En mand og en kvinde forsvinder

Company Credits

Production Co:

Les Films 13,Top n°1,Union Générale Cinématographique (UGC)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

106 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

User Reviews

Underrated highlight of the French cinema

After four minutes of this enigmatic French movie its director Claude Lelouch himself appears on the screen. In a radio interview he insists that one should watch his new film without knowing anything about the story. So I won't tell either what is exactly happening in "Viva la vie!". Nonetheless, I'd like to give a few hints: It is a mixture of thriller, mystery and sci-fi. In a broader sense it has to do with the fear of a nuclear holocaust which is quite typical of the 1980s. This movie is a strange puzzle: Not before the end titles you will be able to put the pieces together which Lelouch has scattered in front of you during the last 105 minutes. After circa one hour you might ask: What on earth is it all about? Don't worry, you'll find the answer in the end. But to recapitulate the story which you'll then see in a different light, at least one further watching will be necessary.

Considering the baffling story as well as the row of good actors (Piccoli, Rampling, Trintignant…), "Viva la vie!" is an underrated highlight of the French cinema in the 80s. 9/10