Mouchette (1967)

Director:

Robert Bresson

Writers:

Georges Bernanos (novel) and
Robert Bresson (scenario & adaptation and dialogue)

Release Date:

12 March 1970 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Mouchette is a young teenager living in the tough country. Her mother is going to die, and her father does not take care of her...

Plot Keywords:

Humiliation | Alibi | Policeman | Woods | Poacher

Awards:

4 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Nadine Nortier	...	Mouchette
Jean-Claude Guilbert	...	Arsène
Marie Cardinal	...	Mouchette's Mother
Paul Hebert	...	Mouchette's Father
Jean Vimenet	...	Mathieu
Marie Susini	...	Mathieu's wife
Liliane Princet	...	Schoolteacher
Suzanne Huguenin	...	Undertaker
Marine Trichet	...	Luisa
Raymonde Chabrun	...	Grocery Shop-owner

Runtime:

78 min | USA:90 min (VHS version) | Portugal:82 min

Country:

France

Language:

French

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

UK:15 | West Germany:16 | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | Argentina:16

Company:

Argos Films

Trivia:

It was rumored for years that the trailer for this film was by Jean-Luc Godard, and he has recently confirmed this by programming it in a self-curated retrospective of his work. The trailer is virtually a miniature essay on (or subversion of) the film, jarringly intercutting excerpts from it with a written commentary that calls it "Christian and sadistic".

Goofs:

Continuity: Two guys deliver cases of bottles and then have a drink. The younger man puts down an empty glass, but in the next shot, some remains in the glass.

Movie Connections:

References La règle du jeu (1939)

Soundtrack:

Magnificat

Mouchetts the perfect Bresson

Bresson one of the true architects of modern cinema found in this story the perfect distillation of form and content coupling his pared down style with the poignant story of a young french girl trying to live through impoverished circumstances and doing her best to survive. Being one of my heroes I have always had nothing but total respect for the way he intellectualized every aspect of film-making without denuding it of emotional impact. A chemist of cinematic ingenuity there will never be a more profoundly personal look at cinema than that of Bresson. May the film-makers of today at least make the effort to rob from this man. Viva Bresson!