User reviews

That night Anne Gauthier (Aimée) missed her train… Jean-Louis Duroc (Trintignant) offered her a ride back to Paris… Both had their children at the Deauville boarding school… She has a girl named Françoise and he has a boy named Antoine… Jean-Louis knew that her husband was a stuntman who had a tragic accident… She knew that he was married and his wife commits suicide…

Claude Lelouch begins his sensitive exploration on that boat ride where there was a completely different energy in the air, where the sea was seen alive in all its many mood and through intentions looks, and lingering hands he let us know that yes, something was beginning to happen between Anne and Jean-Louis… On that wonderful beach—and through long shots—we see the couple with their children walking, playing, running with hundreds of seagulls screaming all around…

There was a great chemistry between Aimée and Trintignant in "A Man and a Woman"… The attraction between the two stars really resonated… Aimée was very sweet and gorgeous as a woman, but her constant incursions into the past left her experience with more sorrow than joy…

Trintignant was charming… His acting extremely natural… When he received Anne's telegram he left his elegant dinner and took his car driving hundreds of kilometers to join Anne and be with the children…

Lelouch captures breathtaking shots of Deauville's spectacular beach… We all remember the unforgettable scene of the man walking alike as his dog…

The film won Oscars for Best Original Screenplay and Best Foreign Language Film

I saw this film twice when it came out in 1966. The leading characters are quite handsome and appealing to watch. At the time I loved the music soundtrack and even bought the soundtrack album. Seeing it is available on DVD and has some bonus footage, it was a real pleasure to watch this film again, as a bonus, with my second wife. Although it seems a bit dated and many films have copied elements of its style, it still captures and stirs the emotions about the possibility of falling in love and the reality of being a "walking wounded" mid 30's single person. The bonus footage showing how the film was made on the cheap with minimum rehearsing is quite amazing. Films today are often made for hundreds to thousands times the cost, and are as spontaneous as a log pile. I recommend a revisit to this film, but imagine today's young film watchers could be bored with the absence of violence, swearing, kinky sex, and other predictable ingredients of today's formula films. one amusing feature which dates the film is the near chain smoking both stars in the film keep doing on screen. That is mostly not cool these days.

Sometimes you do not need to hear anyone in order to understand what he/she is saying, and this is the merit of this Claude Lelouch's film. The main actress and actor, i.e. Anouk Aimée and Jean Louis Trintignant, respectively, were able to act in a way that feelings, desires, sadness well were expressed by both without the need of spoken dialogues. The plot is quite simple, but the merit again is here the way to make it coherent. Another interesting characteristic was the successful use of nice soundtrack in several scenes. Similarly the story of each were said with several mute scenes. According to Lelouch the film gained its intensity because of its fast way of realization. It was made in less than three months, and the scenes were taken in three weeks keeping all actors and actresses working tense. Lelouch never expected to have the success and awards the film had and obtained.

I was an Army Platoon Leader on leave from Vietnam in 1967 (R&R "Rest & Recuperation") .

Met a Nursing student while in Sydney and we had a great lustful filled 4 days!

On my last day there we were to meet at this movie but she never showed up.

I think the realization of us ever being together probably had something to do with it.

Flew back to Vietnam the next day with great memories but a sad heart.

This movie was one of the saddest moments for me at the time, watching it alone, half expecting her to show up any minute.

The movie was okay but the soundtrack was even better.

That was over 50 years ago but the movie still brings back those few special days.

Another favorite is Hanover Street starring a very young Harrison Ford.

I was a film major and saw this movie in a class and it became my No.1 movie immediately and has been ever since. This film is where you think maybe movie can be art and really influence people's life. the storyline is simple but the mood of the film is so deep but natural. I especially like the part when Anne and Jean-Louis walk on the beach in the late afternoon and talk about the story of an artist and his cat. Lelouch did the love story about two mid-age parents when he was 28 and he did a brilliant job. He couldn't afford all colored film but he totally made this film a colored/ black-and-white style classic. The only scene looks bad in color and should be in black-and-white is the scene with Jean-Louis's ex. a great movie and it doesn't age at all.

After so many decades, Claude Lelouch's poetic and romantic 'Un Homme et Une Femme' feels exceptionally refreshing. More so than most romantic films that have released in recent years. Lelouch's execution is very simple. The director had intended to make it an all-colour feature but due to financial constraints, some of the scenes in black and white. Lelouch not only managed to make this work but this itself brings out a certain quality and gives it a unique touch. The cinematography, editing and score are remarkable. 'Un Homme et Une Femme' has a very European, more specifically French (obviously) look that is authentic, pure and certainly adds to the charm of the film. Lelouch and his co-writer Uytterhoeven's writing breathes poetry. The dialogues are of a few words and yet they feel so real, like any normal conversation between a man and a woman. The casting is terrific. A charismatic Jean-Louis Trintignant and a gorgeous Anouk Aimée have a natural chemistry and their sincere performances shine. Even the child actors have done a very good job.

Pure, genuine, lyrical, visually dazzling and charming, 'Un Homme et Une Femme' is a fine example of romantic cinema at its best.

It is so refreshing to watch a movie like this one. Those comparing it with Hollywood standards such as the density of the plot, the stunts or 'the sex scene' would be wise to take another look. Such standards cannot be applied here. Lelouch plays with colors, objects, and our natural capacity for associative memory to tell us what is neither written nor spoken. The main actors, Jean-Louis Trintignant and Anouk Aimée master the art of expressing the message. Dialogs are far from poor, but the meaning sometimes has to be found in their tone, their breaks, their pace or, again, the characters' play. What would be cinema for if these were useless ?

This film moved me as a 21-year-old college student with almost no experience in romance, relationships, etc. It has remained a favorite for 34 years now. I think as highly of it with many experiences in life and love as I did with none. It is simply excellent.

At its core, this is a good film. Lelouch seems to have a very insightful eye for body language and ear for the tentative words two people who are slowly falling in love with each other might say (the lunch scene is exceptional; you completely forget that you're listening to actors). And Anouk Aimee is particularly luminous and beautifully enigmatic as the Woman. But sometimes the emotions tend to get overshadowed by Lelouch's insistent desire to be "stylish" and "groundbreaking". And there are some scenes (especially the racing ones) that are pure filler. (***)

I'm a total sucker for foreign films from the 1960s, even though I have not seen as many as I should.

This is one of the best, in my experience. Nothing really happens, but the chemistry between the leads, the strangely non-nominated soundtrack and the overall atmosphere make it completely memorable and worthwhile. I am glad it did well at the Oscars and that its gained a certain amount of 'classic' status. There are probably critics who didn't think it was a big deal, too.

Several of the scenes seemed improvised, like the one where the leads are in a café with their children.

Can't wait to see it again. 10/10.

It's very hard to understand why this movie is considered THE love story of the sixties. Of course it has great quality: the charm and the simplicity of the story, the true emotions and two great actors, who manage to keep their performances sober as well as intense. But the switching between black-and white and color images don't make sense, because they are randomly used. And then there's the music by Francis Lay that is way overrated and even gets a little bit annoying towards the end. The racing-images aren't that interesting and take too much time and some of the flashbacks are a bit ludicrous (especially the one of Aimee's former husband singing a Samba (?) song). But the strength of the script is still there and THAT really is the main quality of this film.

Whatever the fuss was over this film simply escapes me today(2003). I tried to assess it from a perspective of "new cinema" for the era it was made in, but that did not help the nagging feeling that this film maker was lazy and fundamentally deficient in film art when he created this boring exercise in arrogance. So why all the awards? An example of "emperor's new clothes" syndrome I guess. Some misguided critics jumped on an enlightened band wagon and the rest followed. This film is bad cinema: tight closeups of people talking without the sound. Out of focus shots. Black and white interspersed with color which was distracting, abstracting and foolish. Disjointed scenes that have no impact on the whole - what in heaven's name is the purpose of the dog on the beach running around at water's edge?) Structure is non existent, (and the critics here may intone "that was the intent, destructuralist cinema contravening the Hollywoodian schlock of the times), direction is erratic and puerile, and the subject matter void of any basic dramatic substance. So, in view of the opinion of those who are supposed to know better than I, I will assume that I did not get "it", and this angers me.

This is a movie that resonated to my core. I identified with the main character on numerous levels. First, the way he responded to his feelings about her; the way he took a chance and "went for it." The way he responded to her telegram at the ball. He jumped in his car and drove another few hundred miles to be with her; I have taken an equivalent leap in my own life, and never have regretted it. One doesn't get many such chances in this world. The way he drove again and met her train in Paris. One must grab for the gold ring when it comes around and hang on. One must be willing to risk looking ridiculous on occasion in order to have a shot at winning the Big Prize. I know, I'm a hopeless romantic. I love being a hopeless romantic. I know, most of the heavyweight reviewers have been somewhat lukewarm about this movie. Doesn't bother me a bit.

`A Man and A Woman (Un homme et une femme)'. ****. (1966, France, Not Rated 102 min. Directed by Claude Lelouch with Anouk Aimée, Jean-Louis Trintignant). I recently watched `Lumière and Company' which celebrates the 100th Anniversary of the movie industry. Forty directors from around the world produced 52-second films using the Lumière camera. The fifty-two second time limit and other constraints follow the construct of the first Lumière movie. Of the 40 films, the by-far-and-away best is the one of two lovers kissing. The man and woman are on a rotating stage so we get a 360-degree view of their kiss. In the background we see photographers each with progressively more modern cameras. The love or passion of the man and the woman don't change only the way we are able to view them now and then.

So what does this have to do with Claude Lelouch's 1996 movie, `A Man and A Woman'? Well he's the director that made the above mentioned film and it reminded me that it has been years since I last watched `A Man and A Woman.' I rented and watched it again.

Jean-Louis Duroc (Trintignant) and Anne Gauthier (Aimée) are a man and woman. They meet incidentally at the boarding school where they visit their children each weekend. He visits his son, she her daughter. She misses her train and he offers her ride back to ride back to Paris in his car. Slowly and cautiously we learn about them as they learn about one another. We learn about their jobs, their former spouses, and other details of their lives that have the movie viewer hoping this man and woman can become a couple.

Lelouch's technique in telling the story is wonderful. The film switches from black and white to color. The switch usually comes on the change from person-to-person conversation to personal thoughts or a recounting of the past. It's like Lelouch is using this change as quotation marks or thought balloons on the screen. We see/hear Jean-Louis' and Anne's thoughts as they question their feelings about beginning a new personnel relationship. I first saw this movie as a college student in 1966. I really liked it then. I wondered if I'd liked it now. The movie hasn't changed but I can assure you I have. `A Man and A Woman' proves that a good story, well told can be appreciated now and then. I highly recommend that you rent and watch `A Man and A Woman.'

This morning I watched an old Jean Louis Trintignant in the film "Amour" a pretty forgettable film but with great acting throughout.. Later I viewed "Un Homme et une Femme" with Jean at the beginning of his career. I remember rating this movie very highly back then, but on watching it again - WOW! The absolutely fabulous camera work of Claude Lelouche, not to mention the directing and editing, plus the outstanding music from Francis Lai now make this my second best movie of all time. For those interested, it pushes "Brief Encounters" down to 3rd place. Virtually every scene and edit is perfect. It is utterly believable if you've fallen in love. Thank you Claude.

Anne (Anouk Aimée) and rally pilot Jean-Louis (jean-Louis Trintignant) meet in Dauville, in Northern France, where their respective children study in boarding school: both widows, they guess to start a relationship, but their past could be an obstacle.

Putting aside the programmatic banality of the mushy plot, "Un homme, une femme" is a very interesting film for the way it's written, then filmed, as the image of memory substitutes word, music denies dialog and oppresses the picture (the famous and frivolous theme by Francis Lai), the sudden editing, the freshness of a style that, by color or b&w print, hand camera or frenetic cuts, has been academic as prototype/stereotype of French cinema, and even, years later, a sample for commercials. Style, of course, isn't enough to make happier a schmaltzy and predictable story – where death, as love, is just anecdote –, but Lelouch has done a good job creating a nice compendium of pictures, music, sounds, faces, and drawing a love mythology – kisses, hugs, doubts, thoughts, stations, trains, telegrams, phone calls, car rides, hotel rooms, dilemmas and confusions – which is banal, gratuitous, partial, but incisive and well kept in rhythm.

*** out of 5

Anne Gauthier (Anouk Aimée) misses the train and catches a ride from Jean-Louis (Jean-Louis Trintignant) who sends his son to the same boarding school as her daughter. They connect and discuss their lives. She's widowed after her husband died during a movie stunt. He's also a widower when his wife committed suicide after he was in a near-fatal race car crash.

It's a slow rambling artistic French romance. Anouk Aimée delivers an intriguing performance. The cinematography switch between black and white and color leaves the movie with a half dream quality. It's an interesting movie but strictly for the art house crowd.

A Man and a Woman (1966)**** Simple and brilliant love story about one week in lives of a french widow and a widower is enriched by inventive cinematography and directing (by Lelouch), great performances (Aimee and Trintignant) and amazing score (by Francis Lai). Very unique and subtle script (by Lelouch and Uytterhoeven) was worth an Oscar. This movie also deservedly won Cannes Golden Palm and Foreign Language Oscar. Music score was, however, neglected by Academy but remains memorable today (after 40 years) and is often used in similar (would-be) movies. It also inspired a sequel – A Man and a Woman: 20 Years Later - in 1986. also directed by Lelouch. However, it was a major disappointment with lack of any real sense and various unnecessary subplots. Except of stunning opening car race sequence. (I would recommend a sequel only because of this).

I saw this film recently for the first time since it was first released. At the time I first saw it I was my early 20s, and I remember swooning at the romance of it all. Watching it again, I felt embarrassed for my 20-something self. What a silly, superficial film, about silly superficial people - a racing car driver and a continuity 'girl' (as they were known in those days). I guess that was part of the appeal - giving people a glimpse into these 'glamorous' lives. The fact that it got the Catholic Church official seal of approval tells us a lot. It is also hilariously sexist by today's standards. And the intermittent interjection of musical interludes is just plain ridiculous. The syrupy theme music has become a cliché, and deservedly so. The children are refreshingly un-cute - particularly the multi-lingual Antoine. But not worth wasting 1h40mins for.