La vérité (1960)

Director:

Henri-Georges Clouzot

Writers:

Henri-Georges Clouzot (writer)
Véra Clouzot (writer)

Release Date:

2 November 1960 (France)

Genre:

Drama | Crime

Tagline:

Suppose I'm a tramp... why can't I be in love?

Plot:

Dominique Marceau is on trial for the murder of Gilbert Tellier. The counsels duel relentlessly, elaborating explanations for why the pretty...

Plot Keywords:

Trial | Murder | Conductor | Sister Sister Relationship | Nudity

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 2 wins

Cast

Brigitte Bardot	...	Dominique Marceau
Charles Vanel	...	Maître Guérin
Paul Meurisse	...	Maître Éparvier
Sami Frey	...	Gilbert Tellier
Marie-José Nat	...	Annie Marceau
Louis Seigner	...	Le président des assises
André Oumansky	...	Ludovic
Jacqueline Porel	...	La secrétaire de Me Guérin
Jean-Loup Reynold	...	Michel
Christian Lude	...	M. Marceau
Suzy Willy	...	Mme Marceau
Barbara Sommers	...	Daisy (as Barbara Sohmers)
René Blancard	...	L'avocat général
Fernand Ledoux	...	Le médecin légiste
Claude Berri	...	Georges

Also Known As:

The Truth (UK) (USA)
La verità (Italy)

Runtime:

France:130 min | Germany:128 min | USA:127 min

Country:

France | Italy

Language:

French

Color:

Black and White

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | West Germany:18

Filming Locations:

Paris, France

Company:

CELAP

Quotes:

The Prosecuting Attorney: You spent weeks seducing him, didn't you? Weeks!
Dominique's Attorney: Objection! What length of time should she have spent? Is there any legal limit on how long a seduction ought to take?

Judging Bardot

This is a particularly interesting film in relation to Bardot's star image. It portrays her as a little slut (she's had sex before marriage - cue shocked gasp from the courtroom) on trial for the murder of her lover. In many ways, the film thus acts out what many in France would like to have done - put BB on trial for her sexual promiscuity, her modernity, and her 'youthful' values. The film emphasises Bardot/ Dominique (the character is effectively overshadowed by the star who plays her) as sexual, modern, promiscious, flighty, idle, a spendthrift, all at odds with the uptight bourgeois ruling class. The film is a fascinating glimpse into the values that preoccupied the French bourgeoisie at the turn of the decade, with its emphasis on the students of the Latin Quarter as a drop out counter culture compared to the good youth learning traditional music at the Conservatoire. Not so much a generation clash, then, more one group rooted in tradition versus another embracing modernity and new models of behaviour. The film is sometimes unwittingly hysterical as it has dated so much, and it does not so much end as fizzle out, but in its depiction of a youthful counter culture it anticipates the events of May 1968 nearly a decade before they occur. BB may have lost the particular battle in this film, but she went on to win the war.