I‘m still struggling at fathoming the “responsibilities” of a movie reviewer to his or her readers. Is the reviewer’s job, for example, to evaluate a film mainly from his own aesthetic perspective or to anticipate how that film is likely to strike the average viewer (whatever that means) or a range of viewers? Certainly, a good review should provide enough specifics in support or contradiction of the reviewer’s opinion that will help readers decide for themselves if the film matches their own tastes, but even such specifics will necessarily be colored by the reviewer’s own tastes. Suppose the reviewer has a soft-spot for one genre and a general distaste for another? In reviewing films from the preferred genre, should the reviewer apply a tougher rating standard to compensate for the “bias” of their aesthetic preference?

I’ve indicated in some previous reviews that I am rather “tough on” such genre as horror films and martial arts movies. I find few such films to my liking. On the other side of my “bias ledger” are love stories and romantic comedies. Films of this ilk don’t have to offer as much, perhaps, as other genre to provide me with a satisfying experience. For one thing, I use such films basically to clear the aesthetic palate. If I had to survive for any significantly long period of time on a steady diet of such films, I would have to demand more of them or I would likely break out in hives. I don’t usually admit it, but I have little sections in my film collection in my summer home devoted to such luminaries as Meg Ryan, Richard Gere, and Sandra Bullock. Summer nights seem more appropriate to that kind of thing than the thoughtful evenings of winter.

I know that it’s fashionable to assert that every love story is essentially the same. I suppose on one level that is true enough. Yet, what makes a love story worth viewing is also what makes each successful love story unique. A viewer is only going to care about a love story to the extent that he or she cares about the individuals. If the film skillfully draws us into the personalities, hopes, and feelings of the individuals, then each love story is as new and different as is each one of our friends and relatives. We never tire of listening with delight to the romantic escapades and misadventures of our friends precisely because each one’s approach to love is uniquely dictated by their essential nature and being.

The 1966 prize-winning film of French writer/director Claude Lelouch, A Man and a Woman was one of the first straight-forwardly schmaltzy romances. It was a big commercial success on top of cleaning up awards on both sides of the big pond. It hauled down the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival and later took both the Oscar for Best Foreign Film and the one for Best Original Screenplay as well as the Golden Globe for Best Foreign Film. That kind of success doesn’t go unnoticed by film studios and producers. It’s probably fair to say that A Man and a Woman became the model for films from Love Story (1970) right down to such Meg Ryan vehicles as Sleepless in Seattle (1993), You’ve Got Mail (1998), and When Harry Met Sally (1989). If A Man and a Woman seems hackneyed in some respects when viewed today, it is precisely because it spawned a genre. Even so, like every love story, it remains unique precisely to the extent that its lead characters are rendered real and distinctive.

The man is Jean-Louis Duroc (Jean-Louis Trintignant) and the woman is Anne Gauthier (Anouk Aimée). Obviously it helps, in a love story, that these two are both gorgeous people – beautiful on the outside as well as personable and sincere. Trintignant had a long and distinguished career in films from as early as And God Created Woman (1956) to one of my favorites Red (1994). Between those bookends, he also appeared in such worthy endeavors as Bad Girls (1968), The Conformist (1970), and La Nuit de Varennes (1982). For her part, Aimée is best known for roles in La Dolce Vita (1960), Lola (1961), and 8 1/2 (1963). These are people that most viewers of an appropriate age would enjoy having as friends, which is fundamental to a successful love story.

I disagree with all three of the particulars most often cited by critics to bolster disdain for this film. First, that the plot line is unnecessarily bloated by scenes from the respective lives of the individuals – especially the racing activities of Duroc or his long drive back to Anne after receiving her telegram. These are precisely the scenes that make us care about these people as individuals – as friends – and if we don’t first care about them as friends, why would we want to listen to their love story? For those who can’t really abide a good love story, I suppose the inevitable thinking is let’s just get this thing over with – hop into bed already! They’re missing the point. One critic accuses Lelouch of “snapping precious, celestial images of the planet Romance.” It’s a nicely turned phrase but with that kind of cynicism, why watch this kind of film at all?

The second “evidence” offered against this film is the laconic, even melancholy, quality of the two lovers. Yet, that quality of Jean-Louis and Anne is precisely what makes this love story unique. If every love story is to be designed around two young, virginal, innocent, spirited youngsters, then we would indeed arrive at the point where every love story is the same. What is special about this particular love story is that both Jean-Louis and Anne have been around the block before and for each of them, it was a painful tour. Both are widowed in the worst kind of way – they each were still very much in love with the spouse that they lost. Love under such circumstances is indeed different than the first bright flush of love at sixteen or eighteen. I’ve personally had both experiences. I lost my first wife in a car accident and spent about seven years after that dating and searching for a second wife (and ultimately found a better one than I probably deserved). In those years between marriages, I dated a variety of good women, some with their own histories of divorces or bad relationships or lovers lost one way or another. It’s a more challenging proposition finding a good match when each of the parties involved carries baggage from previous relationships. This is what A Man and a Woman is all about. Like both Jean-Louis and Anne, I had a child to consider and her interests were every bit as much of a factor in looking for the right person as were my own. Perhaps its not a kind of circumstance to which all viewers can relate, but many find this film to have charm, sensitivity, sensuality, and poignancy. The plot tension in this film derives from the challenges posed by both Anne and Jean-Louis needing to work through their respective residual pain that is standing in the way of finding new love.

The third complaint sometimes levied against this film is Lelouch’s somewhat mannered filming style. Certainly, this film breathes Lelouch from start to finish. He wrote the script, directed, and served as his own cinematographer! There is a lot of precious cuteness (especially when the two children are on camera but even with the adults), a lot of unusual camera angles, mist and beaches, telephoto shots, back-and-forth between color and black-and-white, flashbacks of the respective lost loves, and close-ups of the two lovely faces. If you don’t buy into the essential love story, all of these artsy techniques seem like style for style’s sake. On the other hand, if you have bought into the romantic element, the stylishness adds to the endearing quality of the film. Much the same point can be made about the catchy theme song. For those not into the story, the theme song becomes catchy in the irritating sense rather than in an enjoyable way.

While I count myself among the fans of this film, I will readily acknowledge that Lelouch proved to be something of a one horse rider. Although he went on to direct some thirty films, none had anything close to the success of A Man and a Woman. Perhaps his next most esteemed product was a 1995 film inspired by and entitled Les Misérables. Too much of his work retread the same ground over and over. Classical music is replete with examples of one hit composers (Leoncavallo, Mascagni, etc.); I don’t suppose that film should be without the same. Nevertheless, a director’s single best film should not be judged by the extent of greatness of his or her overall career.

I recommend this film for those with a taste for love stories. This one is exquisitely rendered with style, great performances, and some distinctive issues. It’s not weighty but it is as unique as is every good love story – because the characters are unique, likable and well-developed. The DVD version provides a choice between dubbed-English or French with English subtitles. The VHS version I have is dubbed and although the dubbing is good quality and in the actors’ own voices, I think I would have preferred the film in French with English subtitles. The running time is 102 minutes.

Recommended:
Yes

Video Occasion: Good Date Movie
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older