ROMUALD AND JULIETTE

France, 1989, 118 minutes, Colour.
Daniel Auteuil, Firmine Richard, Pierre Vernier.
Directed by Coline Serreau.

1. The title, overtones of Romeo and Juliette? Expectations? Expectations fulfilled and not fulfilled?

2. The Paris setting, the difference in classes, in races? The reality and authenticity, the unreal atmosphere of the fairy tale?

3. The audience and the challenge of what happened and what they would like to happen?

4. The focus on Juliette, her African background, colour, race? Her menial work? Cleaning? The contrast with her family, her five children, the different fathers, their relationship with her? The set-up? The break-up, united?

5. Juliette as a person, her husbands, the children, her diligence in her work, the note, alert to what people were saying? Shrewder than first thought? Sympathy, noticing things at work, problems at home? Sleep? Her intervening, her ideas, the consequences? Taking in Romuald – and exploiting him? The help, cleaning other offices, the suggestions, the documents? Patrice? The birthday and the gift, her joy? Her attitude towards men? Aime and prison? The secretary? Grief, meeting them again, the chauffeur? Her refusals? Her ability to argue and tell people off? Wearing people out? Aime free, the agreement, together, the family, the wedding, the pregnancy? A credible but unusual character?

6. The contrast with Romuald, rich, his family background, Nicole? The pressures at work? The yoghurt company? His being betrayed, misjudging his rivals? His bewilderment, collapse, hiding? Juliette and her response to him, he to her? Confiding in her, her explanation of what people were saying in her presence, the documents, the plan? Exploitation? Rectifying the situation? Going to America? Returning?

7. Aime and the kids, the hard life, drugs, love, weeping? The car and the television? The bond with Juliette? The other two, the shock?

8. Pauline and Francois, business, errors, sexual relationship, the resignation, reinstated, the ending?

9. The executives, their deals? Nicole, illness, the chemist? The plots and cover-ups? The phones, the collage of the expose?

10. The role of the secretary – and comeuppance?

11. The fairytale atmosphere, business and doing the right thing, family and love, seeing people clearly and calmly, race issues? A nice film?