Director Eric Rohmer believed that the closest type of art to film was the novel. Hence, expect his films to contain a surfeit of intelligent dialogue but with a lugubrious plot. Such is the case here with Claire's Knee, the fifth of his "Six Moral Tales" series of films.
The moral issue explored here is whether Rohmer's protagonist, diplomat Jérôme Montcharvin (Jean-Claude Brialy) is a good guy vis-à-vis women, or not.
Jérôme is on a holiday at Lake Annecy in Southeastern France on the eve of his wedding to a woman he's been in a relationship with for about six years. The fiancée does not accompany him as she's away at work.
Jérôme runs into an old friend Aurora (Aurora Comu), a novelist and immediately begins flirting with her. It appears that the old friend is quite used to his flirtatious ways and plays along with his game of seduction up to a point but ultimately makes it clear that she's single and not looking for anyone.
Aurora is staying with Madame Walter (Michele Montel) who has a 16-year-old daughter Laura (Beatrice Roumand) and a daughter by another marriage, the early 20ish good-looking Claire (Laurence de Monaghan) who will soon appear visiting both her mother and half-sister. Also in the mix is Claire's boyfriend Giles (Gerard Falconetti).
Jérôme insists that he has an "open" relationship with his fiancée which I suppose justifies (in his mind) fooling around with other women. With Aurora he's a little obnoxious but nothing outside how a normally aggressive male might be.
But there's something more sinister (and you could argue misogynistic) as he makes a play for 16-year-old Laura. The teenager is decidedly precocious and while they're out on a hike on a mountain, Jérôme tries to kiss her. Although attracted to older men in general, Laura instinctively pulls back and emphatically realizes that Jérôme simply wants to get physical with her with no real feelings behind his advances.
Jérôme then sets his sights on the older Claire. He badmouths her boyfriend Giles by telling her that he saw him with another girl. Jérôme's ploy doesn't work, and he knows it. Jérôme deceives himself into believing he's acting magnanimously by partially admitting defeat but perversely indicating he's ready to accept a "consolation" prize by stroking Claire's knee.
It's Jérôme's bizarre way of propping up his ego in the face of another rejection. Jérôme is able to accomplish the maneuver with Claire while she's in a moment of melancholia (suddenly doubting that Giles is faithful to her).
Aurora remains bemused with Jérôme as he recounts his pyrrhic victory with Claire's knee.
As it turns out, Jérôme looks awfully foolish at film's end when not only Claire and Giles reconcile but Aurora then confesses, she has a fiancé. But the clueless Jérôme will never know it.
Notably, Jérôme never forced the issue with any of the women so to my mind, a view of him as a harmless narcissist is the most accurate.
The acting here (some by non-professionals) is quite good as the dialogue is occasionally difficult--replete with wit and ideas. The question is whether you want to spend your time as Rohmer dissects his profile of a loser. It's a slow-going journey so keep that in mind if you're willing to sit through all the way to the end.
The moral issue explored here is whether Rohmer's protagonist, diplomat Jérôme Montcharvin (Jean-Claude Brialy) is a good guy vis-à-vis women, or not.
Jérôme is on a holiday at Lake Annecy in Southeastern France on the eve of his wedding to a woman he's been in a relationship with for about six years. The fiancée does not accompany him as she's away at work.
Jérôme runs into an old friend Aurora (Aurora Comu), a novelist and immediately begins flirting with her. It appears that the old friend is quite used to his flirtatious ways and plays along with his game of seduction up to a point but ultimately makes it clear that she's single and not looking for anyone.
Aurora is staying with Madame Walter (Michele Montel) who has a 16-year-old daughter Laura (Beatrice Roumand) and a daughter by another marriage, the early 20ish good-looking Claire (Laurence de Monaghan) who will soon appear visiting both her mother and half-sister. Also in the mix is Claire's boyfriend Giles (Gerard Falconetti).
Jérôme insists that he has an "open" relationship with his fiancée which I suppose justifies (in his mind) fooling around with other women. With Aurora he's a little obnoxious but nothing outside how a normally aggressive male might be.
But there's something more sinister (and you could argue misogynistic) as he makes a play for 16-year-old Laura. The teenager is decidedly precocious and while they're out on a hike on a mountain, Jérôme tries to kiss her. Although attracted to older men in general, Laura instinctively pulls back and emphatically realizes that Jérôme simply wants to get physical with her with no real feelings behind his advances.
Jérôme then sets his sights on the older Claire. He badmouths her boyfriend Giles by telling her that he saw him with another girl. Jérôme's ploy doesn't work, and he knows it. Jérôme deceives himself into believing he's acting magnanimously by partially admitting defeat but perversely indicating he's ready to accept a "consolation" prize by stroking Claire's knee.
It's Jérôme's bizarre way of propping up his ego in the face of another rejection. Jérôme is able to accomplish the maneuver with Claire while she's in a moment of melancholia (suddenly doubting that Giles is faithful to her).
Aurora remains bemused with Jérôme as he recounts his pyrrhic victory with Claire's knee.
As it turns out, Jérôme looks awfully foolish at film's end when not only Claire and Giles reconcile but Aurora then confesses, she has a fiancé. But the clueless Jérôme will never know it.
Notably, Jérôme never forced the issue with any of the women so to my mind, a view of him as a harmless narcissist is the most accurate.
The acting here (some by non-professionals) is quite good as the dialogue is occasionally difficult--replete with wit and ideas. The question is whether you want to spend your time as Rohmer dissects his profile of a loser. It's a slow-going journey so keep that in mind if you're willing to sit through all the way to the end.