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Summer | Year: 1986 Classification: Foreign Film - French Directed: - Eric Rohmer Actors/Actresses: - Marie Rivière - Lisa Hérédia one of the best The subject of this film , on paper, sounds trivial or indulgent: a nervous young woman wanders around France and seemingly makes it as hard as possible for herself to find happiness - she won't play the games most people play to entertain themselves, she won't go sailing, she won't cut flowers or eat meat, she won't consider a guy who only wants to have fun. Some viewers might even find Delphine irritating or spoilt - why doesn't she just compromise with her impossibly high standards and settle for ordinary human happiness? As with other Rohmer films, but here even more subtly and beautifully, there is a deep spiritual theme speaking through the light comedy of the plot. Delphine's obstinacy is also her spiritual strength. In a world without God Delphine's awe in front of nature and her respect for the ideal of love are the next best thing to faith. Notice, for example the wonderful scene where she walks along the shore in Biaritz but doesn't dive in the waves like the others because she has a reverence for nature which they do not. Every detail counts in this film, even though the improvised dialogue and naturalistic camerawork disguise the artistry. The final ten minutes pack an emotional punch as great as anything in cinema. Delphine's faith in sheer existence pays off and Rohmer communicates to us the awe which we should all feel at being alive but which we lose through conventional ways of living. Rohmer's Ode to Joy The plot: Delphine, a nice enough girl who may or may not have a boyfriend living somewhere in Europe, spends her entire summer vacation alone at a seaside resort, having a bad time. How can such a horrible premise make for such a wonderful film? Because Eric Rohmer has created a protagonist of such extraordinary depth. We easily put ourselves in Delphine's shoes. When she meets some shallow guy at a party, we want to tell him off. When her party-loving acquaintance picks up the cutest boy on the beach, we wonder why we can't do the same. When she is invited to a cookout where everyone mocks her vegetarian ways, we remember when we were outsiders and root for her to put them in their place. But mostly, during the magical climax, we are transported to a special moment in our own lives when our dream really did come true. The French title of Rohmer's masterpiece translates into "The Green Ray". Having seen this film a half dozen times, I can no longer watch the sunset without looking for the Green Ray. If you know what I mean, then you will surely love this film. Admittedly, the Fox Lorber transfer is lousy. I managed to get a halfway decent picture by tweaking the settings on my TV (turn the sharpness way up!) A French Version of the Italian Neo-Realist Anyone who thinks De Sica ("The Bicycle Thief") and Fellini ("La Strada," "8 1/2") have a corner on the neo-realist market obviously has not seen Eric Rohmer's brilliant and perceptive film, "Summer," starring the very talented Marie Riviere. Even though Rohmer does not believe in hand-held cameras, I enjoyed how he filmed common people on the streets of Paris, in the backyard of a French country home, at a beach in Biarritz, etc. In one scene he has a guy following Rivere in a Parisian park; in another scene he has Rivere bump into an old friend at a sidewalk cafe in Paris; in yet another scene he has Riviere meet a topless Swedish girl at a Biarritz beach. These may sound like ordinary scenes but they were very well drawn. What I liked about this film was how perceptive it was on the human condition. The Rivere character is very particular of people yet she doesn't like being alone. Friends try to help her but have a difficult time understanding who she is and how she interracts with other people. She is the type of person who does not like to be in the center of attention and would prefer to sit in the back of a train station than in the front where everyone can see her--including guys who might hit on her. You can tell she feels very uncomfortable with guys who she does not know unlike her friends who hit on guys as if it's second nature for them. Another thing I liked about this film is just how natural everything seemed--the actors seemed natural, the dialogue seemed natural, the pacing of the film seemed natural, and especially the ending seemed natural. The "naturalness" of this film is what makes it a superior film in its own right amongst the greatest Italian Neo-realist filmmakers. Buy Summer at Amazon.com Buy posters at Allposters.com Jamster - the latest ringtones for your phone!  Search with Walhello on the Internet on Summer Search with the Priority Search Engine on Summer This page in other languages: Suomeksi | Nederlands | Deutsch
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