Marcel Proust's Time Regained (1999)

A lush, elegant epic taking us on a time-swirling trip down the infinitely complex labyrinth that is Marcel Proust's memory lane.

Director:

Raoul Ruiz

Writers:

Marcel Proust (novel), Gilles Taurand (scenario)

Stars:

Catherine Deneuve, Emmanuelle Béart, Vincent Perez

2 wins & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Catherine Deneuve	...	Odette de Crecy
Emmanuelle Béart	...	Gilberte
Vincent Perez	...	Morel
John Malkovich	...	Le Baron de Charlus
Pascal Greggory	...	Saint-Loup
Marcello Mazzarella	...	Marcel Proust
Marie-France Pisier	...	Madame Verdurin
Chiara Mastroianni	...	Albertine
Arielle Dombasle	...	Madame de Farcy
Edith Scob	...	Oriane de Guermantes
Elsa Zylberstein	...	Rachel
Christian Vadim	...	Bloch
Dominique Labourier	...	Madame Cottard
Philippe Morier-Genoud	...	Monsieur Cottard
Melvil Poupaud	...	Le Prince de Foix

Storyline

Marcel Proust (1871-1922) is on his deathbed. Looking at photographs brings memories of his childhood, his youth, his lovers, and the way the Great War put an end to a stratum of society. His memories are in no particular order, they move back and forth in time. Marcel at various ages interacts with Odette, with the beautiful Gilberte and her doomed husband, with the pleasure-seeking Baron de Charlus, with Marcel's lover Albertine, and with others; present also in memory are Marcel's beloved mother and grandmother. It seems as if to live is to remember and to capture memories is to create a work of great art. The memories parallel the final volume of Proust's novel.

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Plot Keywords:

oneiric | memory | proust | marcel proust | deathbed | 

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Genres:

Drama | Romance | War

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Details

Official Sites:

Kino International

Country:

France Italy Portugal

Language:

French

Release Date:

19 May 1999 (France)

Also Known As:

Marcel Proust's Time Regained

Filming Locations:

France

Box Office

Budget:

FRF65,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$247,728

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$248,653

Company Credits

Production Co:

Gemini Films, France 2 Cinéma, Les Films du Lendemain

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

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

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Connections

Referenced in Ricardo Aronovich, avec mes yeux de dinosaure du cinéma (2011)

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Soundtracks

Le temps retrouvé (Vocalise)
Written by Jorge Arriagada
Performed by Natalie Dessay (soprano)

User Reviews

a few fleeting moments of a life

Raoul Ruiz's "Time Regained" deals with fragmented, even experimental narratives told in the form of a collage, and it has an uncanny beauty which perhaps can only be achieved by this effect.

Such a film defies conventional structure, since a literal adaptation of Proust would in fact be quite boring. You can't capture smells onscreen - you can't capture taste!

However, Ruiz employs the limitations of the film medium beautifully, chiefly by using the story as a tool to explore his own preoccupations with the layers of memory which unfold - through photographs, through mirrors and doorways opening up to the past or the present (and cutting back and forth between the two with ease).

It is surprising that the story never feels confusing, since Ruiz is a master at locating you even when shifting from the main character's childhood to middle age, or having the child and adult (same person) onscreen at the same time. It doesn't feel pretentious, either,since Ruiz has a sincere emotional investment in the protagonist (and by having its star emote as little as possible but wander around bemusedly, with a sad smile half hidden under his moustache, it is easy for audience identification with him.)

I like when a film is willing to take it's time and linger on scenes which another movie wouldn't dwell on. Not every movie would dwell on a quartet playing and linger on them through the entire song. How many films would do this and do it well? (The details make it - folks shifting in their seats, etc.)

* * * * for Time Regained.