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Eric Rohmer's Six Moral Tales (1963-1972) [The Criterion Collection ] [REPOST]

Posted By: Notsaint
Eric Rohmer's Six Moral Tales (1963-1972) [The Criterion Collection ] [REPOST]

Eric Rohmer's Six Moral Tales (1963-1972) [The Criterion Collection ] [REPOST]
5xDVD9+1xDVD5 | ISO+MDS | NTSC | 4:3 | 720x480 | 7200-8700 kbps | 40.8Gb
Audio: French AC3 1.0 @ 192 Kbps | Subtitles: English
Full time: ~ 480 minutes | France | Drama, Romance, Short

The multifaceted, deeply personal dramatic universe of Eric Rohmer has had an effect on cinema unlike any other. One of the founding critics of the history-making Cahiers du cinema, Rohmer began translating his written manifestos to film in the sixties, standing apart from his New Wave contemporaries, like Francois Truffaut and Jean-Luc Godard, with his patented brand of gently existential, hyperarticulate character studies set against vivid seasonal landscapes.

This near genre unto itself was established with his audacious and wildly influential series “Six Moral Tales.” A succession of jousts between fragile men and the women who tempt them, the “Six Moral Tales” unleashed onto the film world a new voice, one that was at once sexy, philosophical, modern, daring, nonjudgmental, and liberating.

SPECIAL DELUXE EDITION SIX-DISC BOX SET FEATURES
- New, restored high-definition digital transfers, supervised and approved by director Eric Rohmer
- Exclusive new video conversation between Rohmer and Barbet Schroeder
- Rohmer short films: Presentation, or Charlotte and Her Steak (1951); Nadja in Paris (1964); A Modern Coed (1966); The Curve (1999); and Veronique and Her Dunce (1958)
- "On Pascal" (1965), an episode of the educational TV series En profil dans le texte directed by Rohmer, on the French philosopher Blaise Pascal, the subject of debate in My Night at Maud's
- Archival interviews with Rohmer, actors Jean-Claude Brialy, Beatrice Romand, Laurence de Monaghan, and Jean-­Louis Trintignant, film critic Jean Douchet, and producer Pierre Cottrell
- Video afterword by filmmaker and writer Neil LaBute
- Original theatrical trailers
- New and improved English subtitle translations

The Criterion Collection

DVDBeaver

DVDVerdict

The above quotation summarizes the story of all six of Eric Rohmer's Six Moral Tales, which are devoted to mining the infinite psychological complexities inherent in such a basic scenario. This willingness to probe the same basic story again and again reminds me of no one so much as the Japanese master Yasujiro Ozu (both also have a highly formalist detachment, although Rohmer is much more ironic). In any event, one has to hand it to Rohmer for sheer cussedness. His films stubbornly violate some of the first rules of both mainstream and experimental films (keep the dialogue to a minimum; show, don't tell), and he stuck to his talky guns even though he didn't have a major filmmaking success until nearly the age of 50 (he had also been a teacher and an influential critic for the most influential of nouvelle vague publications, Cahiers du Cinema). Rohmer's cinema is defined by its relentlessly analytical and self-deluding male protagonists, its lofty irony, its refined, restrained camera style, and its almost tactile sense of place. Criterion presents his first major series of films, the Six Moral Tales, in a bountiful box set that intelligently illuminates the work of this major filmmaker. This is what DVDs are for.

DVDTalk

There is a general consensus between serious cinema buffs that the films of French director Eric Rohmer demand as much from those who see them as they actually give back. Layers of suggestive narrative, intentionally slow pacing, complex characters, heavy emphasis on human relationships-this is the creative world of Eric Rohmer, both elegant and exigent.
Eric Rohmer's Six Moral Tales, a lavish set produced by Criterion containing six films created from 1962 to 1972, represent the core of the French director's character-work.

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Eric Rohmer's Six Moral Tales (1963-1972) [The Criterion Collection ] [REPOST]

La boulangere de Monceau / The Bakery Girl of Monceau (1963)
DVD9 | ISO+MDS | NTSC | 4:3 | 720x480 | 8700 kbps
Audio: French AC3 1.0 @ 192 Kbps | Subtitles: English
00:23:00 | France | Romance, Short

A young law student (Barbet Schroeder) is desperate for the attention of a girl (Michele Giradon) who barely even knows him. Each day the man would go to a small bakery where not too long ago he encountered Sylvie. As days turn into weeks however and Sylvie is nowhere to be seen the young man becomes interested in the brunette who works behind the counter. Jacqueline (Claudine Soubrier) responds to the man's initiations and the two decide to go out on a date. Unexpectedly Sylvie appears…
Shot in glorious B&W The Bakery Girl of Moceau is a brilliant exploration of one man's struggle to rationalize desire-led by his emotions Barbet Schroeder's character must decide what is morally right when surprisingly fate provides him with more than what he could handle. But when his ego becomes the driving force behind what he interprets as right and wrong the man makes a strange decision.
Narrated by French director Bertrand Tavernier The Bakery Girl of Monceau feels very much like a documentary feature complimented by an uncharacteristically elegant camera work. The sense of realism which will become a marquee element for Eric Rohmer's work is prevalent throughout the film.

Director: Eric Rohmer
Cast: Barbet Schroeder, Claudine Soubrier, Michele Girardon, Fred Junk, Michel Mardore, Bertrand Tavernier

Eric Rohmer's Six Moral Tales (1963-1972) [The Criterion Collection ] [REPOST]

Eric Rohmer's Six Moral Tales (1963-1972) [The Criterion Collection ] [REPOST]

Eric Rohmer's Six Moral Tales (1963-1972) [The Criterion Collection ] [REPOST]


The Criterion Collection #343

Simple, delicate, and jazzy, the first of the “Moral Tales” shows the stirrings of what would become the Eric Rohmer style: unfussy naturalistic shooting, ironic first-person voice-over, and the image of the “unknowable” woman. A law student (played by producer and future director Barbet Schroeder) with a roving eye and a large appetite stuffs himself full of sugar cookies and pastries daily in order to garner the attentions of the pretty brunette who works in a quaint Paris bakery. But is he truly interested, or is she just a sweet diversion?

IMDb

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Eric Rohmer's Six Moral Tales (1963-1972) [The Criterion Collection ] [REPOST]

La carriere de Suzanne / Suzanne's Career (1963)
DVD5 | ISO+MDS | NTSC | 4:3 | 720x480 | 8000 kbps
Audio: French AC3 1.0 @ 192 Kbps | Subtitles: English
00:55:00 | France | Romance

Friendship, jealously, naivete, and romance are the main themes in Eric Rhomer's second moral tale: Suzanne's Career. Two young friends Bertrand (Philippe Beuzen) and Guillaume (Christian Charriere) embark on a pleasurable journey seeking the love of the beautiful Suzanne (Catherine See). Playing with the feelings of both Guillaume and Bertrand however the young woman turns the two friends against each other. The dominating Guillaume is soon faced with a disappointing reality-he is losing to the shy and visibly reserved Bertrand who has captured Suzanne's attention. Yet, when everything seems to be going Bertrand's way he makes a silly move which will cost him dearly.
An interesting take on the notion of winners vs. losers Suzanne's Career is the only film in Eric Rohmer's Six Moral Tales where the main protagonist who appears to have "won" the object of his desire realizes how much he has actually lost. The irony at the end of this film is so overpowering-it provides the story with a much needed reevaluation which truthfully imitates real life.
The plot, once again concerning a beautiful woman, involves a classic trio of characters who all lose something while attempting to win what they believe is precious-love, friendship, trust. Similar to The Bakery Girl of Monceau narration is once again a factor here as it is the film's running time- 55 minutes. Shot in B&W Eric Rohmer's camera is as absorbing as it was in his first moral-installment thus providing Suzanne's Career with a light documentary feel.

Director: Eric Rohmer
Cast: Catherine See, Philippe Beuzen, Christian Charriere, Diane Wilkinson, Patrick Bauchau, Jean-Claude Biette, Jean-Louis Comolli, Pierre Cottrell

Eric Rohmer's Six Moral Tales (1963-1972) [The Criterion Collection ] [REPOST]

Eric Rohmer's Six Moral Tales (1963-1972) [The Criterion Collection ] [REPOST]

Eric Rohmer's Six Moral Tales (1963-1972) [The Criterion Collection ] [REPOST]


The Criterion Collection #344

In Rohmer’s second “Moral Tale,” Bertrand bides his time in a casually hostile and envious friendship with college chum Guillaume. But when ladies’ man Guillaume seems to be making a play for the spirited, independent Suzanne, Bertrand watches bitterly with disapproval and jealousy.

IMDb

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Eric Rohmer's Six Moral Tales (1963-1972) [The Criterion Collection ] [REPOST]

Ma nuit chez Maud / My Night at Maud's (1969)
DVD9 | ISO+MDS | NTSC | 4:3 | 720x480 | 7800 kbps
Audio: French AC3 1.0 @ 192 Kbps | Subtitles: English
01:51:00 | France | Drama

Jean-Louis (Jean-Louis Trintignant) is a passionate Catholic who is in love with Francoise (Marie-Christine Barrault) and plans to marry her. When old schoolmate Vidal (Antoine Vitez) however introduces Jean-Louis to Maud (Francoise Fabian) something unexpected happens- Jean-Louis ends up spending the night with Maud.
Nominated for Oscar (Best Foreign Language Film) in 1970 My Night at Maud's is arguably Eric Rhomer's finest film about character transformation. Within the span of a single night Jean-Louis must remain true to the moral credo according to which he lives his life. But when his religious beliefs face a temptation he can not resist something deep inside him snaps.
With a marvelous script and dialog(s) that beg to be seen and heard over and over again Eric Rhomer's My Night at Maud's became an enormous hit in the United States upon its release in the early 70s- ever since the picture has been a subject of endless debates pertaining to Jean-Louis character transformation (or lack there of according to some), the controversy surrounding God's existence (the notion that it is better to accept God's existence than to simply deny it), and the ironic theme about the man who always fails to express his feelings in a rational manner.
Finally, even though My Night at Maud's is considered to be Eric Rhomer's masterpiece this film will undoubtedly challenge the stoic power of those who have never been exposed to the French director's other works. Slow, dialog-driven, and utterly complex film My Night at Maud's should probably be seen with some previous Rhomer-esque experience in hand.

Director: Eric Rohmer
Cast: Jean-Louis Trintignant, Francoise Fabian, Marie-Christine Barrault, Antoine Vitez, Leonide Kogan, Guy Leger, Anne Dubot, Marie Becker, Marie-Claude Rauzier

Eric Rohmer's Six Moral Tales (1963-1972) [The Criterion Collection ] [REPOST]

Eric Rohmer's Six Moral Tales (1963-1972) [The Criterion Collection ] [REPOST]

Eric Rohmer's Six Moral Tales (1963-1972) [The Criterion Collection ] [REPOST]


The Criterion Collection #345

In the brilliantly accomplished centerpiece of Rohmer’s “Moral Tales” series, Jean-Louis Trintignant plays Jean-Louis, one of the great conflicted figures of sixties cinema. A pious Catholic engineer in his early thirties, he lives by a strict moral code in order to rationalize his world, drowning himself in mathematics and the philosophy of Pascal. After spotting the delicate, blonde Francoise at Mass, he vows to make her his wife, although when he unwittingly spends the night at the apartment of the bold, brunette divorcee Maud, his rigid ethical standards are challenged. A breakout hit in the United States, My Night at Maud’s was one of the most influential and talked-about films of the decade.

IMDb

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Eric Rohmer's Six Moral Tales (1963-1972) [The Criterion Collection ] [REPOST]

La collectionneuse / La Collectionneuse (1967)
DVD9 | ISO+MDS | NTSC | 4:3 | 720x480 | 7200 kbps
Audio: French AC3 1.0 @ 192 Kbps | Subtitles: English
01:27:00 | France | Drama, Comedy, Romance

Eric Rhomer's first color film La Collectionneuse is also arguably his least successful installment in the Moral Tales series. The plot evolves around the young and promiscuous Haydee (Haydee Politoff) and her two male acquaintances Adrien (Patrick Bauchau) and Daniel (Daniel Pommereulle) enjoying each other's company within the confines of a luxurious seventeenth century villa on the French Riviera. The two older men engage in a never-ending intellectual discussion about Haydee's platonic involvement with other men and the idea of "collecting boyfriends" as a form of entertainment. In the process of dismissing Haydee's unmoral behavior the two men are drawn in an inquisitive game of self-denial.
Eric Rhomer's first feature-length film in the Six Moral Tales as suggested-above is also his most questionable one. Elegant and pleasing to the eye (Nestor Almendros's cinematography is stunning) La Collectionneuse is a predictable tale about what could bluntly be described as the "moral imperfections of the two sexes". The story juggles between being critical of French upper class (here Haydee and her sexual exploits are obviously symbolic) and tackling the mostly cliched differences between the two sexes. In addition, the emphasis which Eric Rhomer places on the notorious antique Chinese vase meant to symbolize the brittleness of human spirit eventually ends up being one of La Collectionneuse's most pretentious scenes.
With a heavy voiceover and long, protracted dialogs La Collectionneuse is also quite predictable in terms of character development-the area where the rest of the Moral Tales excel. Finally the build-up to the "confrontation" between Haydee, Adrien and Daniel climaxes long before expected (Haydee and her "immorality" are prematurely dismissed by the two men although they seem to be treating the young woman the same way she treats her lovers). Was it intentional, I am unsure! If it was then it certainly did not work for me!!

Director: Eric Rohmer
Cast: Patrick Bauchau, Haydee Politoff, Daniel Pommereulle, Alain Jouffroy, Mijanou Bardot, Annik Morice, Dennis Berry, Seymour Hertzberg, Nestor Almendros, Patrice De Bailliencourt, Laszlo Benko, Anne Dubot, Jackie Raynal, Eugene Archer, Brian Belshaw, Pierre-Richard Bre, Donald Cammell, Alfred de Graff

Eric Rohmer's Six Moral Tales (1963-1972) [The Criterion Collection ] [REPOST]

Eric Rohmer's Six Moral Tales (1963-1972) [The Criterion Collection ] [REPOST]

Eric Rohmer's Six Moral Tales (1963-1972) [The Criterion Collection ] [REPOST]


The Criterion Collection #346

A bombastic, womanizing art dealer and his painter friend go to a seventeenth-century villa on the Riviera for a relaxing summer getaway. But their idyll is disturbed by the presence of the bohemian Haydee, accused of being a “collector” of men. Rohmer’s first color film, La collectionneuse pushes the Moral Tales into new, darker realms. Yet it is also a grand showcase for the clever and delectably ironic battle-of-the-sexes repartee (in a witty script written by Rohmer and the three main actors) and luscious, effortless Nestor Almendros photography that would define the remainder of the series.

IMDb

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Eric Rohmer's Six Moral Tales (1963-1972) [The Criterion Collection ] [REPOST]

Le genou de Claire / Claire's Knee (1970)
DVD9 | ISO+MDS | NTSC | 4:3 | 720x480 | 8100 kbps
Audio: French AC3 1.0 @ 192 Kbps | Subtitles: English
01:45:00 | France | Drama, Romance

The fifth installment in the Moral Tales collection is also my favorite Rohmer film. Claire's Knee follows the story of Jerome Montcharvin (Jean-Claude Brialy), a notable diplomat, who is visiting an old friend of his in a beautiful villa somewhere in the French Alps. Jerome and Aurora (Aurora Cornu) are visibly excited to be together, recalling past romantic sparks, even though these days there is very little between the two friends (Jerome is engaged to another woman). As time goes by Jerome becomes fascinated by sixteen-year old Laura (Beatrice Romand), also residing in the villa, and consequently her step-sister Claire (Laurence de Monaghan).
Through intellectual conversations and suggestive behavior Jerome quickly manages to impress Laura and the girl responds to his interest. Yet, what Jerome truly desires is the attention of the beautiful blondie Claire. But as the girl remains indifferent to his initiations Jerome wrongfully concludes that Claire is playing a sophisticated game meant to test his seductive skills.
Sexual innuendo, deceit, moral-justification, and delusion are some of the key theme-ingredients in Claire's Knee. Through the use of superbly-scripted dialogs (each line here is carefully thought of) where the main protagonists reveal their feelings and intentions Calire's Knee offers everything that made Eric Rhomer a legend. Furthermore, the layers upon layers of suggestive material grant the film with the rare opportunity to immerse its audience into a sea of endless speculations about the main characters and their actions-the duality of Jerome's character, the role of Aurora as the older woman motivating Jerome's actions towards the young girls, Jerome's true intentions for Laura, the possible romantic scenarios involving both Laura and Claire, etc.

Director: Eric Rohmer
Cast: Jean-Claude Brialy, Aurora Cornu, Beatrice Romand, Laurence de Monaghan, Michele Montel, Gerard Falconetti, Fabrice Luchini, Sandra Franchina

Eric Rohmer's Six Moral Tales (1963-1972) [The Criterion Collection ] [REPOST]

Eric Rohmer's Six Moral Tales (1963-1972) [The Criterion Collection ] [REPOST]

Eric Rohmer's Six Moral Tales (1963-1972) [The Criterion Collection ] [REPOST]


The Criterion Collection #347

“Why would I tie myself to one woman if I were interested in others?” says Jerome, even as he plans on marrying a diplomat’s daughter by summer’s end. Before then, Jerome spends his July at a lakeside boardinghouse nursing crushes on the sixteen-year-old Laura and, more tantalizingly, Laura’s long-legged, blonde stepsister, Claire. Baring her knee on a ladder under a blooming cherry tree, Claire unwittingly instigates Jerome’s moral crisis and creates both one of French cinema’s most enduring moments and what has become the iconic image of Rohmer’s Moral Tales.

IMDb

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Eric Rohmer's Six Moral Tales (1963-1972) [The Criterion Collection ] [REPOST]

L'amour l'apres-midi / Love in the Afternoon (1972)
DVD9 | ISO+MDS | NTSC | 4:3 | 720x480 | 8200 kbps
Audio: French AC3 1.0 @ 192 Kbps | Subtitles: English
01:37:00 | France | Drama

The last film in Eric Rhomer's Six Moral Tales is the much admired Chloe in the Afternoon (also known as Love in the Afternoon). The story concerns the happily married lawyer Frederic (Bernard Verley) who encounters the beautiful and intelligent Chloe (Zouzou). As the two become involved in what at first appears to be a benevolent affair Frederic surprisingly becomes upset at Chloe's unexpected vacation in Greece with another man. Upon returning to Paris Chloe attempts to justify her actions (and stress her innocence) by placing herself before Frederic's wife Helene (Francois Verley).
An interesting take on infidelity as a "necessary evil" in the life of modern couples Chloe in the Afternoon is a film that further proves Eric Rhomer's fascination with women. In fact, even though it is Frederic that binds all of the scattered pieces in this film actually it is the presence of women (Frederic's affair with Chloe, Frederic's fantasizing about a magical amulet that could seduce the women of Paris, etc) that drives the story.
The synopsis for this film may not sound that original and fascinating and frankly I tend to agree there isn't much here that would keep your attention aroused. What does make Chloe in the Afternoon a fascinating piece of cinema is what the rest of Eric Rhomer's Moral Tales reveal: great characters. In fact, as far as I am concerned there is very little between Chloe and Frederic that kept me intrigued: a married man encounters a woman who is daring, beautiful, and seductive. He is interested, she…maybe! What ensues isn't mind-boggling at all.
The social baggage however that each of the two protagonists brings into the inevitable relationship however is: we learn that Chloe is a very insecure person relying on her looks to be successful; Frederic is tormented by a moral dilemma which is slowly fading away; we are intrigued by Frederic's attempts to justify love outside marriage, his take on infidelity-acceptable or not in the larger scheme of things; etc.
Different people will most certainly find different aspects from Eric Rhomer's films fascinating. I suppose that is one of the French director's greatest strengths- spurring a multitude of feelings and reactions, some positive, some not so, long after the film has ended. What I find fascinating is Eric Rhomer's ability to quietly observe his characters when they are most vulnerable-loving, playing, pretending.

Director: Eric Rohmer
Cast: Bernard Verley, Zouzou, Francoise Verley, Daniel Ceccaldi, Malvina Penne, Elisabeth Ferrier, Tina Michelino, Jean-Louis Livi, Pierre Nunzi, Irene Skobline, Frederique Hender, Claude-Jean Philippe, Silvia Badescu, Claude Bertrand, Sylvaine Charlet, Daniele Malat, Suze Randall, Francoise Fabian, Marie-Christine Barrault, Haydee Politoff, Aurora Cornu, Laurence de Monaghan, Beatrice Romand

Eric Rohmer's Six Moral Tales (1963-1972) [The Criterion Collection ] [REPOST]

Eric Rohmer's Six Moral Tales (1963-1972) [The Criterion Collection ] [REPOST]

Eric Rohmer's Six Moral Tales (1963-1972) [The Criterion Collection ] [REPOST]


The Criterion Collection #348

Though happily married to his adoring wife Helene, with whom he is expecting a second child, the thoroughly bourgeois business executive Frederic cannot banish from his mind the multitude of attractive Parisian women who pass him by every day. His Chloe and fantasies remain harmless until Chloe (played by the mesmerizing Zouzou), an audacious, unencumbered old flame, shows up at his office, embodying the first genuine threat to Frederic’s marriage. The luminous final chapter to Rohmer’s “Moral Tales” is a tender, sobering, and wholly adult affair that leads to perhaps the most overwhelmingly emotional moment in the entire series.

IMDb