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Claire's Knee
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Wikipedia article
'Claire's Knee' is a 1970 French drama film directed by ric Rohmer. It is the fifth movie in the series of the 'Six Moral Tales'.
Plot
The story happens between 29 June and 29 July, presumably in 1970. Intertitles of the dates are displayed before the daily events are shown.
While holidaying at Lake Annecy on the eve of his wedding, career diplomat Jrme accidentally meets up with Aurora, an old personal friend. Through Aurora, he meets Aurora's landlady, Madame Walter, and Laura, Madame Walter's youngest teenage daughter. Observant Aurora detects Laura's crush on Jrme, and advises Jrme of such. After Jrme and Laura take a hike in the mountains together, she confesses that she is "a little in love with" Jrme.
Days later (on 8 July), Laura's attractive older step-sister Claire arrives. Upon seeing Claire's knee while she is on a ladder, Jrme finds himself longing to touch it. However, he controls his temptation. Eventually an opportunity presents itself during a boat trip on the lake when Jrme and Claire have to seek shelter in a hut from an approaching storm. Jrme tells Claire that he saw her boyfriend, Gilles, together with another girl. When Claire starts to cry Jrme consoles her by placing his hand upon Claire's knee.
Cast
* Jean-Claude Brialy as Jrme Montcharvin, the diplomat
* Aurora Cornu as Aurora, the novelist
* Batrice Romand as Laura, the younger step-sister
* Laurence de Monaghan as Claire, the elder step-sister
* Michle Montel as Madame Walter, the mother of Laura
* Grard Falconetti as Gilles
* Fabrice Luchini as Vincent
Accolades
The film received the Louis Delluc Prize for Best French film of the year, the 1971 Prix Mlis and the Grand Prix at the San Sebastin International Film Festival.Ruadhn Mac Cormaic (2010-01-11). "Film-maker Rohmer dies in Paris". The Irish Times. Retrieved February 22, 2015 It was named Best Film by the National Society of Film Critics and Best Foreign Film by the National Board of Review. It was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the Golden Globe Awards.
It was a huge international success. Vincent Canby called it "something close to a perfect film."John Wakeman, World Film Directors, Volume 2, 1945-1985. New York: H. W. Wilson, 1988. pp. 919-928. Cecile Mury of 'Tlrama' said "This camera outdoors gives the appearance of a small story where it goes 'nothing.' Yet these 'fragments of a love speech' make up a special study of desire, verbal pleasure, almost literary, which accompanies every inclination. A jewel."
Style
It was Rohmer's second film shot in color, with Rohmer explaining "the presence of the lake and the mountains is stronger in color than in black and white. It is a film I couldn't imagine in black and white. The color green seems to me essential in that film...This film would have no value to me in black and white."
References
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