Un homme et une femme (1966)

Director:

Claude Lelouch

Writer:

Pierre Uytterhoeven (writer)
(more)

Release Date:

12 July 1966 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Plot:

A man and a woman meet by accident on a Sunday evening at their childrens' boarding school. Slowly they reveal themselves to each other...

Plot Keywords:

Love | Famous Theme | Famous Score | Paris France | Male Female Relationship

Awards:

Won 2 Oscars. Another 10 wins & 8 nominations

Cast

Anouk Aimée	...	Anne Gauthier
Jean-Louis Trintignant	...	Jean-Louis Duroc (as Jean Louis Trintignant)
Pierre Barouh	...	Pierre Gautier
Valérie Lagrange	...	Valerie Duroc
Antoine Sire	...	Antoine Duroc (as Antoine)
Souad Amidou	...	Françoise Gauthier (as Souad)
Henri Chemin	...	Jean-Louis' Codriver
Yane Barry	...	Mistress of Jean-Louis
Paul Le Person	...	Garage Man
Simone Paris	...	Head Mistress
Gérard Sire	...	Announcer

Directed by
Claude Lelouch

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Claude Lelouch		uncredited
Pierre Uytterhoeven		writer

Produced by
Claude Lelouch	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Francis Lai

Cinematography by
Claude Lelouch

Film Editing by
Claude Barrois
Claude Lelouch		(uncredited)

Production Design by
Robert Luchaire

Costume Design by
Richard Marvil

Makeup Department
Jacques Cousty	....	hair stylist
Denise Lemoigne	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Roger Fleytoux	....	production manager
Pierre Pardon	....	unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Claude Gorsky	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Jean Baronnet	....	sound engineer
Michel Fano	....	sound engineer

Special Effects by
Jean Beylieu	....	special effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Jean Collomb	....	lighting director
Daniel Lacambre	....	assistant camera
Patrice Pouget	....	lighting director

Editorial Department
Marie-Claude Lacambre	....	apprentice editor (as Marie-Claude Poyer)

Music Department
Yvan Jullien	....	orchestrator (as Ivan Julien)
Maurice Vander	....	orchestrator

Production Companies

• Les Films 13

Distributors

• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1969) (USA) (TV) (original airing) (dubbed version)
• Allied Artists Pictures (1966) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Seven Films (2008) (Greece) (theatrical)
• United Artists (1966) (France) (theatrical) (as Les Artistes Associés)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Vídeo (Brazil) (DVD)
• Warner Home Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)

Also Known As:

A Man and a Woman (Canada: English title) (UK) (USA)

Runtime:

102 min

Country:

France

Language:

French

Color:

Black and White | Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

UK:PG | Canada:14+ (Ontario) | South Korea:15 (DVD rating) | France:U | Argentina:13 | Australia:M (original rating) | Australia:PG (cable rating) | Chile:14 | Finland:K-12 | Singapore:PG | Sweden:15 | USA:Unrated | West Germany:16

Filming Locations:

Deauville, Calvados, France

Company:

Les Films 13

Trivia:

Director cameo: Claude Lelouch is seen behind Jean-Louis at the Monte Carlo race. He is holding a camera.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Growing Pains: Jason's Rib (#2.8)" (1986)

Soundtrack:

Samba Saravah

Something for everybody

It's not surprising that Un Homme et Une Femme/A Man and a Woman proved a smash hit: cars and stunts for the guys and romance for the gals, an impossible to forget love theme and a slight enough plot not to get in the way of the characters or be damaged by subtitling or dubbing. Rather than a love story it's really the prelude to a love story – or at least a possible love story (an ambiguity the belated sequel Un Homme et Une Femme: Vingt Ans Déjà would find few friends by resolving) – with the mutually widowed Jean-Louis Trintignant's racing driver and Anouk Aimée's continuity girl still in love with her dead husband meeting through their weekend trips to visit their children in boarding school. It's a fitting start to their romance since the film was born when director Claude Lelouch, after driving all night trying to work out how to save his disastrous Les Grands Moments, found himself on a beach at six in the morning watching a woman with her child presumably making the most of what little time they had together. Shot on the hoof with a tiny crew with exteriors shot in colour to raise funding for a TV sale but the interiors shot in black and white to keep costs down, the film still works surprisingly well, striking just enough home truths about relationships and doing it with enough charm and skill to make the odd misstep forgivable, although if you've seen the sly opening scenes of Lelouch's La Bonne Annee you might find it extremely difficult to keep a straight face during the ending.