JUST A WOMAN (DR FRANCOISE GAILLAND)

France, 1976, 100 minutes, Colour.
Annie Girardot. Jean- Pierre Cassel, Francois Perrier, Isabelle Huppert.
Directed by Jean- Louis Bertuccelli.

Just a Woman is a satisfying French study of a doctor/wife and mother/woman. What might have been a medical romantic soap opera is presented straightforwardly with some irony and wry humour. Annie Girardot is superb as the career doctor, professionally poised but unsuccessful in marriage, parenthood and in many relation ships as well as confronting her own illness. The warmth in her portrayal of human strengths and weaknesses make her present a very moving character. Based on a true story, the film firmly acknowledges life's problems and how insoluble they are, but it finally offers a great deal of optimistic hope and courage. Twenty five years later Annie Girardot and Isabelle Huppert acted as mother and daughter in Michael Haneke's The Piano Teacher.

1. The impact of this film, popularity with critics and audiences?

2. The English title and the focus on Dr. Francoise as a woman? The original title just on her identity, profession? A woman doctor?

3. How much did the film reflect French sensibilities? Its portrait of society, individuals, within their society, morals and way of life? A French response? Non- French response?

4. The contribution of colour, the atmosphere of the hospital and the detail of hospital work, home and home life, the coastal holiday? The tone of the music?

5. How conventional was the material in its presentation of hospitals. the background of soap operas about doctors and medical life? The conventions of soap opera about terminally ill women? How much did the film rely on these conventions, transcend them? The blend of sentiment and realism in the treatment? Was the film at all sentimental, indulging in cliches? How real? In terms of situations, character, treatment of themes? The didactic and optimistic tone at the end about Francoise's survival?

6. The strength and quality of Annie Girardot's performance? The strength of style and personality? The strengths and weaknesses as a woman, as wife, mother, lover, doctor, adviser? A credible woman?

7. How loving a woman, offering herself in tenderness? Sequences best illustrating this? Her relationship with her love and the phone call, the visits, the time on the yacht, her wandering around the town looking out at the water. her return by train? What had she wanted in the relationship, her saying that it was her last relationship, its failure? His ringing her when she was ill in the hospital? What did these liaisons reveal about her needs, character?

8. Her husband as a career man? His abilities, way of life? The realisation that husband and wife were separated? The formality of their living together, their relationship with one another in terms of friendship, communication? The background of their decision to separate, their decision to stay together? How much did they support each other? The importance of her husband's knowledge of her affairs. her discovery at the party of his relationship with a friend? The attitude of the children? How did her illness break through this? The possibility of a reconciliation? Why the bonds between them?

9. The importance of her daughter - her age, her communication with her mother, with her brother? The question of her pregnancy and abortion? Her mother's reaction against the abortion? Standards? Proposing of a strong contemporary problem?

10. Julien and his loneliness; the scenes of Julien with his mother, the waking him up, her bath? The importance of the outing, his moodiness, going to the cocktail party with her? The sequences at the table? His stealing and the parents' reaction, the haircut and the dinner sequence? Comment on the parallel of the boy who attempted suicide and was confronted by Francoise with her son?

11. The portrayal of the personnel of the hospital, Francoise's assistants, the hostile assistant and his phone calls? The head of the hospital and the possibility of her succession? The X-ray lady and her discussion about her marriage? Their attitudes towards Francoise? For or against her? The doctor who operated on her and her choice of him?

12. The focus on the title of 'Just a Woman' and the insight into Francoise as a woman, feminine, sensibility, care and concern? More masculine style with the haircut. professional work. smoking etc.? Discussions about her career, a woman as a doctor, marriage, the contrast with mother and housewife? Her sensuality. her age, her zest and exuberance for life?

13. The portrait of her as a doctor - her reliability, her capability and training her doing the rounds the importance of the encounter with the dying lady, the lady who had cancer and was hostile., took her advice, was grateful to her and came to visit her when she was sick? The lady who died and the sequence of her death? The boy and his attempted suicide?

14. The portrait of Francoise and her ability to give advice, her qualities as an adviser, her inability to listen to her husband, to her children?

15. The importance of the gradual revelation of her own illness. her tiredness. the X-ray sequence, the discovery of the growth, the doctor giving advice not realising that it was her X-ray?

16. How well did she cope with the prospect of serious illness? how badly did she cope? A seeming inability to accept it? Her hurried decision about the holiday, the effect of the holiday, seeing her lover and his yacht, her walk around the town?

17. The build-up to her going into hospital, preparations for the operation, the support of husband and children?

18. The importance of the final statements about her fighting her illness and surviving?

19. Themes of life? Themes of human beings with their strengths and weaknesses, faults and goodness?