| Jeanne Moreau | ... | Catherine | |
| Oskar Werner | ... | Jules (as Oscar Werner) | |
| Henri Serre | ... | Jim | |
| Vanna Urbino | ... | Gilberte | |
| Boris Bassiak | ... | Albert (as Bassiak) | |
| Anny Nelsen | ... | Lucie | |
| Sabine Haudepin | ... | Sabine, la petite | |
| Marie Dubois | ... | Thérèse | |
| Michel Subor | ... | Récitant / Narrator (voice) | |
| rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
| Danielle Bassiak | ... | Albert's companion (uncredited) | |
| Elen Bober | ... | Mathilde (uncredited) | |
| Pierre Fabre | ... | Drunkard in cafe (uncredited) | |
| Dominique Lacarrière | ... | One of the women (uncredited) | |
| Bernard Largemain | ... | Merlin (uncredited) | |
| Kate Noelle | ... | Birgitta (uncredited) | |
| Jean-Louis Richard | ... | Customer in cafe (uncredited) | |
| Michel Varesano | ... | Customer in cafe (uncredited) | |
| Christiane Wagner | ... | Helga (uncredited) | |
Directed by | |||
| François Truffaut | |||
Writing credits | ||
| Henri-Pierre Roché | (novel) | |
| François Truffaut | (adaptation and dialogue) & | |
| Jean Gruault | (adaptation and dialogue) | |
Produced by | |||
| Marcel Berbert | .... | executive producer (uncredited) | |
| François Truffaut | .... | producer (uncredited) | |
Original Music by | |||
| Georges Delerue | |||
Cinematography by | |||
| Raoul Coutard | |||
Film Editing by | |||
| Claudine Bouché | |||
Production Design by | |||
| Fred Capel | (uncredited) | ||
Costume Design by | |||
| Fred Capel | (uncredited) | ||
Makeup Department | |||
| Simone Knapp | .... | key hair stylist (uncredited) | |
| Simone Knapp | .... | key makeup artist (uncredited) | |
Production Management | |||
| Maurice Urbain | .... | production manager (uncredited) | |
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director | |||
| Robert Bober | .... | assistant director (uncredited) | |
| Florence Malraux | .... | assistant director (uncredited) | |
| Georges Pellegrin | .... | assistant director (uncredited) | |
Art Department | |||
| Ferracci | .... | poster designer (uncredited) | |
Camera and Electrical Department | |||
| Claude Beausoleil | .... | camera operator (uncredited) | |
| Raymond Cauchetier | .... | still photographer (uncredited) | |
| Fernand Coquet | .... | electrician (uncredited) | |
Other crew | |||
| Suzanne Schiffman | .... | script supervisor (uncredited) | |
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| Die Blechtrommel | 8½ | Pierrot le fou | Les liaisons dangereuses | L'accompagnatrice |
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| Full cast and crew | Company credits | External reviews |
| News articles | IMDb Drama section | IMDb France section |
| Add this title to MyMovies |
Although "Jules and Jim" was made over 40 years ago and takes place 40 to 50 years before that, the amazing thing is that it barely seems to have dated. Because it focuses on the universal human relationships between its characters, rather than the specific time in which they live, it's the rare film set in the past that doesn't feel like a "period film." And, especially in the first half of the movie, Truffaut's New Wave techniques lend a remarkable energy and freshness.
The movie explores friendship and love among three semi-bohemian types: Parisian Jim (Henri Serre), Austrian Jules (Oskar Werner), and Catherine (Jeanne Moreau), the beautiful, free-spirited woman whom they both love. She's the most vibrant character in the movie, and impossible to pin down. It's never clear who she lovesshe contradicts herself repeatedly, and perhaps loves no one but herselfor whether she's diabolical or simply misunderstood. Moreau nearly steals the movie, if not for the fact that the title reminds us to focus on the relationship between the two men, and that Serre and Werner give good performances too. Even if Jim and Jules aren't as mysterious as Catherine, they're complex and interesting characters in their own right.
The story plays out rather episodically, which means "Jules and Jim" is full of wonderful little moments, often involving the crazy things Catherine does. Some of my favorites include her dressing up as a man and racing Jules and Jim across a bridge; her jumping into the Seine in frustration; and her singing the movie's charming theme song, "The Whirlpool of Life." The episodes are linked together by surprisingly unobtrusive off-screen narration, which keeps the film moving along rather than slowing it down.
"Jules and Jim" does get a little tiresome toward the end, with Catherine continually vacillating between the men in her life, Jim vacillating between Catherine and his old girlfriend Gilberte, and Jules remaining loyally devoted to Catherine despite how foolish this may seem. However, the movie is redeemed by its tragic final scenes, which poignantly contrast with the carefree gaiety of the beginning. Jules, Jim, and Catherine are caught in a destructive spiral, tossed and defeated by the whirlpool of life. Still, the tone of the movie is gentle and human, not pessimistic. Truffaut considered "Jules and Jim" a "hymn to life," and it is most memorable as a vivid celebration of friendship and youthful possibility, even as it acknowledges how those things can sour.