IMDb user comments for
Un homme et une femme (1966) More at IMDbPro »

Filter:

Best Chronological Prolific Authors Loved It Hated It Hide Spoilers:

Page 1 of 5:

[1] [2] [3] [4] [5]

Index

46 comments in total

---

18 out of 19 people found the following comment useful :-
A 'special' love story—with very nice music—not told in a logical way…, 16 April 2008

Author: ironside (robertfrangie@hotmail.com) from Mexico

That night Anne Gauthier (Aimée) missed her train… Jean-Louis Duroc (Trintignant) offered her a ride back to Paris… Both had their children at the Deauville boarding school… She has a girl named Françoise and he has a boy named Antoine… Jean-Louis knew that her husband was a stuntman who had a tragic accident… She knew that he was married and his wife commits suicide…

Claude Lelouch begins his sensitive exploration on that boat ride where there was a completely different energy in the air, where the sea was seen alive in all its many mood and through intentions looks, and lingering hands he let us know that yes, something was beginning to happen between Anne and Jean-Louis… On that wonderful beach—and through long shots—we see the couple with their children walking, playing, running with hundreds of seagulls screaming all around…

There was a great chemistry between Aimée and Trintignant in "A Man and a Woman"… The attraction between the two stars really resonated… Aimée was very sweet and gorgeous as a woman, but her constant incursions into the past left her experience with more sorrow than joy…

Trintignant was charming… His acting extremely natural… When he received Anne's telegram he left his elegant dinner and took his car driving hundreds of kilometers to join Anne and be with the children…

Lelouch captures breathtaking shots of Deauville's spectacular beach… We all remember the unforgettable scene of the man walking alike as his dog…

The film won Oscars for Best Original Screenplay and Best Foreign Language Film…

---

22 out of 34 people found the following comment useful :-
still pleasing 37 years later, 23 July 2003

Author: (psafir@carolina.rr.com) from charlotte, nc

I saw this film twice when it came out in 1966. The leading characters are quite handsome and appealing to watch. At the time I loved the music soundtrack and even bought the soundtrack album. Seeing it is available on DVD and has some bonus footage, it was a real pleasure to watch this film again, as a bonus, with my second wife. Although it seems a bit dated and many films have copied elements of its style, it still captures and stirs the emotions about the possibility of falling in love and the reality of being a "walking wounded" mid 30's single person. The bonus footage showing how the film was made on the cheap with minimum rehearsing is quite amazing. Films today are often made for hundreds to thousands times the cost, and are as spontaneous as a log pile. I recommend a revisit to this film, but imagine today's young film watchers could be bored with the absence of violence, swearing, kinky sex, and other predictable ingredients of today's formula films. one amusing feature which dates the film is the near chain smoking both stars in the film keep doing on screen. That is mostly not cool these days.

---

22 out of 34 people found the following comment useful :-
Moved me tremendously., 25 January 2003
Author: donaldnj

This is a movie that resonated to my core. I identified with the main character on numerous levels. First, the way he responded to his feelings about her; the way he took a chance and "went for it." The way he responded to her telegram at the ball. He jumped in his car and drove another few hundred miles to be with her; I have taken an equivalent leap in my own life, and never have regretted it. One doesn't get many such chances in this world. The way he drove again and met her train in Paris. One must grab for the gold ring when it comes around and hang on. One must be willing to risk looking ridiculous on occasion in order to have a shot at winning the Big Prize. I know, I'm a hopeless romantic. I love being a hopeless romantic. I know, most of the heavyweight reviewers have been somewhat lukewarm about this movie. Doesn't bother me a bit.

---

17 out of 26 people found the following comment useful :-
a good story, well told can be appreciated now and then, 25 July 2000

Author: Duane A. Neitzel from Richland, Washington

`A Man and A Woman (Un homme et une femme)'. ****. (1966, France, Not Rated 102 min. Directed by Claude Lelouch with Anouk Aimée, Jean-Louis Trintignant). I recently watched `Lumière and Company' which celebrates the 100th Anniversary of the movie industry. Forty directors from around the world produced 52-second films using the Lumière camera. The fifty-two second time limit and other constraints follow the construct of the first Lumière movie. Of the 40 films, the by-far-and-away best is the one of two lovers kissing. The man and woman are on a rotating stage so we get a 360-degree view of their kiss. In the background we see photographers each with progressively more modern cameras. The love or passion of the man and the woman don't change only the way we are able to view them now and then.

So what does this have to do with Claude Lelouch's 1996 movie, `A Man and A Woman'? Well he's the director that made the above mentioned film and it reminded me that it has been years since I last watched `A Man and A Woman.' I rented and watched it again.

Jean-Louis Duroc (Trintignant) and Anne Gauthier (Aimée) are a man and woman. They meet incidentally at the boarding school where they visit their children each weekend. He visits his son, she her daughter. She misses her train and he offers her ride back to ride back to Paris in his car. Slowly and cautiously we learn about them as they learn about one another. We learn about their jobs, their former spouses, and other details of their lives that have the movie viewer hoping this man and woman can become a couple.

Lelouch's technique in telling the story is wonderful. The film switches from black and white to color. The switch usually comes on the change from person-to-person conversation to personal thoughts or a recounting of the past. It's like Lelouch is using this change as quotation marks or thought balloons on the screen. We see/hear Jean-Louis' and Anne's thoughts as they question their feelings about beginning a new personnel relationship. I first saw this movie as a college student in 1966. I really liked it then. I wondered if I'd liked it now. The movie hasn't changed but I can assure you I have. `A Man and A Woman' proves that a good story, well told can be appreciated now and then. I highly recommend that you rent and watch `A Man and A Woman.'

---

19 out of 30 people found the following comment useful :-
Still Love It 34 Years Later !, 13 May 2000

Author: Bill Tigue (billtigue@excite.com) from Los Angeles

This film moved me as a 21-year-old college student with almost no experience in romance, relationships, etc. It has remained a favorite for 34 years now. I think as highly of it with many experiences in life and love as I did with none. It is simply excellent.

---

15 out of 23 people found the following comment useful :-
The pleasure is all mine, 25 August 2004

Author: Boyo-2

I'm a total sucker for foreign films from the 1960s, even though I have not seen as many as I should.

This is one of the best, in my experience. Nothing really happens, but the chemistry between the leads, the strangely non-nominated soundtrack and the overall atmosphere make it completely memorable and worthwhile. I am glad it did well at the Oscars and that its gained a certain amount of 'classic' status. There are probably critics who didn't think it was a big deal, too.

Several of the scenes seemed improvised, like the one where the leads are in a café with their children.

Can't wait to see it again. 10/10.

---

12 out of 19 people found the following comment useful :-
What the real Art is, 29 March 2005

Author: Alexandar (acanovakovic@gmail.com) from Nis, Serbia

A Man and a Woman (1966)**** Simple and brilliant love story about one week in lives of a french widow and a widower is enriched by inventive cinematography and directing (by Lelouch), great performances (Aimee and Trintignant) and amazing score (by Francis Lai). Very unique and subtle script (by Lelouch and Uytterhoeven) was worth an Oscar. This movie also deservedly won Cannes Golden Palm and Foreign Language Oscar. Music score was, however, neglected by Academy but remains memorable today (after 40 years) and is often used in similar (would-be) movies. It also inspired a sequel – A Man and a Woman: 20 Years Later - in 1986. also directed by Lelouch. However, it was a major disappointment with lack of any real sense and various unnecessary subplots. Except of stunning opening car race sequence. (I would recommend a sequel only because of this).

---

5 out of 6 people found the following comment useful :-
My No.1 Movie Forever!, 22 June 2007

Author: doclkk1-1 from United States

I was a film major and saw this movie in a class and it became my No.1 movie immediately and has been ever since. This film is where you think maybe movie can be art and really influence people's life. the storyline is simple but the mood of the film is so deep but natural. I especially like the part when Anne and Jean-Louis walk on the beach in the late afternoon and talk about the story of an artist and his cat. Lelouch did the love story about two mid-age parents when he was 28 and he did a brilliant job. He couldn't afford all colored film but he totally made this film a colored/ black-and-white style classic. The only scene looks bad in color and should be in black-and-white is the scene with Jean-Louis's ex. a great movie and it doesn't age at all.

---

5 out of 7 people found the following comment useful :-
One of the Most Beautiful Movies, 9 September 2006

Author: katibee82 from California, USA

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

After reading a few of the comments, I am disappointed that some people just did not understand this movie. To me, this is one of the most beautiful, romantic movies made. And I was not even born yet when this was made, so I believe that if one tries, this movie can be relevant to many generations.

At its heart, it's a love story. But not just any love story. The two leads are falling in love with each other, madly yet cautiously, but the two leads also have other loves. They each are still in love with their deceased spouses, who died too suddenly and at such young ages. Each lead is also in love with their children, around whom they build their worlds, and act as both mother and father--they are both single parents. The way the grieving process is treated in this movie is realistic and heartwarming. And both children are adorable, their scenes being natural and just plain cute. The children are interesting elements in the movie. They are both links to the past (links to the deceased spouses) and also the reason the two leads met.

I have never seen more beautiful scenes than when Jean-Louis is driving his Mustang on the beach (Deauville, I think), when they are hanging out at the shore watching an old man and his dog, and when they go on a date and take the kids. The date with the kids is such a real scene, the dialogue being both meaningless and meaningful, as it's the WAY they speak to each other that is the interesting thing in that scene. That is why a lot of it is silent--it is beautiful how Jean-Louis grips Anne's chair, as if he cannot be close enough to her. Also, when Anne remembers life with her husband--in Brazil, with him singing a Samba and them riding horses--yes, it may be a bit overly romantic for some people, but it is beautiful nonetheless.

I also have to say that the theme music is very pretty, classic, and has stood the test of time. Such a simple tune, and it goes well with the simple beauty of this movie.

---

5 out of 8 people found the following comment useful :-
Something for everybody, 24 September 2007

Author: TrevorAclea from London, England

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.

---

---

Page 1 of 5:

[1] [2] [3] [4] [5]

Add another comment

---

Related Links

Plot summary	Amazon.com summary	Ratings
Awards	External reviews	Plot keywords
Main details	Your user comments	Your vote history