La carrière de Suzanne (1963)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Director:

Eric Rohmer

Writer:

Eric Rohmer (writer)

Genre:

Romance

Plot:

In the second of Rohmer's moral tales, he examines the relationship between two friends and a girl who at first appears easily exploited...

Plot Keywords:

Career | Paris France | Paris | Pool | River

Cast

Catherine Sée	...	Suzanne
Philippe Beuzen	...	Bertrand
Christian Charrière	...	Guillaume
Diane Wilkinson	...	Sophie

Also Known As:

Suzanne's Career

Runtime:

54 min

Country:

France

Language:

French

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Taiwan:GP (original rating) | UK:PG

Filming Locations:

Paris 5, Paris, France

Company:

Les Films du Losange

Movie Connections:

References Lawrence of Arabia (1962)

Caution: Auteur at Work

The MO is the same the usual suspects in place in Erich Rohmer's second of his six moral tales. Lifeless amateur actors, cinematic style sacrificed for literary interior monologues about blasé people leading unremarkable lives. Suzanne is basically a three character story told by Bertrand, a bit of a self righteous twerp who remains conflicted about his feelings for the innocent and gullible Susan and his relationship with the amoral Guillaume who exploits Susan. Both men have a low opinion of Susan who in part brings it on herself by allowing the men to use her for her money and in the case of the rakish Guillaume for sex as well.

More concerned with character than plot, Rohmer gives us healthy servings of pettiness, ego, condescension and denial served up by a self absorbed threesome blind to every one's view but their own. Less than an hour long (Rohmer time) the pace is still slow and the characters repetitious bad habits irritating but if one remains patient is rewarded with an ending rich in truth.

While the more polished, bigger budgeted and lengthier later tales such as Claire's Knee and Love in the Afternoon have a more professional patina about them Susann sans all these trappings is still told in the same Rohmer unique way.

The films of Erich Rohmer are an acquired taste. In Night Moves (75), a hard boiled private investigator played by Gene Hackman says viewing a Rohmer film is like watching paint dry. For twenty years I agreed with this assessment. I may still, but once dried and finished I now see a work of interesting art that is both challenging and pure.

Susanne is an interesting sketch but for those unfamiliar with Rohmer, I would recommend any of the last three of the six tales first for their accessibility. Watch one and if it doesn't agree with you, wait ten to twenty years and try again. In Rohmer's case patience is a necessity.