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A Tale of Springtime

Original title: Conte de printemps
  • 19901990
  • PGPG
  • 1h 48m
IMDb RATING
7.1/10
5.1K
YOUR RATING
A Tale of Springtime (1990)
ComedyDramaRomance
Simple conversations engender complicated human interactions. Jeanne is open and even-tempered, a philosophy teacher at a lycée. Her fiancé is away and she doesn't want to stay at his messy ... Read allSimple conversations engender complicated human interactions. Jeanne is open and even-tempered, a philosophy teacher at a lycée. Her fiancé is away and she doesn't want to stay at his messy flat; she's loaned hers to a cousin, so she accepts the invitation of Natasha, a music stu... Read allSimple conversations engender complicated human interactions. Jeanne is open and even-tempered, a philosophy teacher at a lycée. Her fiancé is away and she doesn't want to stay at his messy flat; she's loaned hers to a cousin, so she accepts the invitation of Natasha, a music student whom she meets at a party, to sleep in her father Igor's bedroom because he's always ... Read all
IMDb RATING
7.1/10
5.1K
YOUR RATING
    • Éric Rohmer
    • Éric Rohmer
  • Stars
    • Anne Teyssèdre
    • Hugues Quester
    • Florence Darel
    • Éric Rohmer
    • Éric Rohmer
  • Stars
    • Anne Teyssèdre
    • Hugues Quester
    • Florence Darel
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 21User reviews
    • 16Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Photos80

    A Tale of Springtime (1990)
    A Tale of Springtime (1990)
    A Tale of Springtime (1990)
    A Tale of Springtime (1990)
    A Tale of Springtime (1990)
    A Tale of Springtime (1990)
    A Tale of Springtime (1990)
    A Tale of Springtime (1990)
    A Tale of Springtime (1990)
    Florence Darel in A Tale of Springtime (1990)
    A Tale of Springtime (1990)
    Florence Darel and Hugues Quester in A Tale of Springtime (1990)

    Top cast

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    Anne Teyssèdre
    Anne Teyssèdre
    • Jeanne
    Hugues Quester
    Hugues Quester
    • Igor
    Florence Darel
    Florence Darel
    • Natacha
    Eloïse Bennett
    Eloïse Bennett
    • Ève
    Sophie Robin
    • Gaëlle
    Marc Lelou
    • Gildas
    François Lamore
    • William
      • Éric Rohmer
      • Éric Rohmer
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

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    Did you know

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    • Trivia
      First installment of the "Tales of Four Seasons" series.
    • Quotes

      Igor: I like desiring and being desired... especially when it's unspoken... even if it goes nowhere.

    • Connections
      Featured in Cinéma, de notre temps: Éric Rohmer, preuves à l'appui, 1e partie (1994)
    • Soundtracks
      Sonate für Violine und Klavier No. 5 'Frühling' op. 24: IV. Rondo. Allegro Ma Non Troppo
      Composed by Ludwig van Beethoven

      Performed by Tedi Papavrami (violin), Alexandre Tharaud (piano)

    User reviews21

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    8/10
    Sparkling conversations
    Jeanne, a charming woman in her thirties, meets Natasha, a college student at a party and they strike up an unlikely friendship Bored with the party, they return to Natasha's apartment in Paris where her father's frequent absence allows her to invite Jeanne to stay for a week. While some thoughts may run to deviance or intrigue, A Tale of Springtime is Eric Rohmer territory and that means sparkling conversation, complex characters, and a slowly unfolding plot in which everyone discovers something new about themselves. Springtime is the first of Rohmer's Four Seasons series and, while we may not always be sure where we are going, we are always sure that there is an artist in firm control.

    Both Jeanne and Natasha are smart and well spoken but each seems vaguely dissatisfied with their life. Jeanne (Anne Teyssedre), a philosophy teacher in high school, has lent her apartment to her cousin but refuses to stay at her boyfriend's place because of his inclination toward disorder and cannot quite come to terms with the question of whether or not she is in love with him. Natasha (Florence Darel) is a very talented pianist with romance and matchmaking on her mind; however, she is resentful of her divorced father's girlfriend Eve (Eloise Bennett), and has some serious thoughts about lining her father Igor (Hugues Quester) up with Jeanne.

    Outwardly sweet but inwardly manipulative, Natasha suspects that Eve has stolen a family necklace that her father promised to her and tells the story to Jeanne, hoping to turn the teacher against her father's lover. When Igor shows up for a rare family dinner, all four participate in a philosophical conversation that leads to a clash of personalities. Each tries to impress the other with their knowledge and engage in some banter about Kantian philosophy, and it is easy to get lost among all the priori's and the posteriori's. The scene, however, is not really about philosophy but about how each character is revealed through their reactions and responses. Igor and Jeanne are attracted to each other but are leery of being manipulated. They cannot really be with each other because of that little voice chattering away in the back of their minds telling them to be cautious. As Jeanne says, "I spend too much time thinking about thought".

    Unlike most Rohmer works, music is very much a part of this film, and the use of Beethoven's lilting Spring Sonata provides just the right touch. Though not on the top rung of Rohmer's films, A Tale of Springtime is a wonderfully entertaining way to spend two hours. It stands as a perfect example of how our considerations can sometimes get in the way of our aliveness and true self-interest. Characteristic of Rohmer, while each character is flawed and a bit lacking in self-awareness, they are very human and we identify their foibles as our own. By the end of the film, they have become a part of our lives.
    helpful•25
    3
    • howard.schumann
    • Jul 27, 2006

    Details

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    • Release date
      • April 4, 1990 (France)
      • France
      • French
    • Also known as
    • Filming locations
      • Lycée Jacques Brel, 4-6, Rue Dulcie September, La Courneuve, Seine-Saint-Denis, France
    • Production companies
      • Compagnie Eric Rohmer (CER)
      • Investimage
      • Les Films du Losange
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

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    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

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    • 1 hour 48 minutes
      • Color
      • Mono

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