LOVE IN THE AFTERNOON

France, 1972, 97 minutes, Colour.
Bernard Verley, Zouzou, Francoise Verley.
Directed by Eric Rohmer.

Eric Rohmer is a renowned French director, a purist director, a director of many moral tales. Love in the Afternoon is the sixth of his initial moral tales made during the 1960s and 1970s which include My Night at Maud’s and Claire’s Knee.

As with so many of Rohmer’s tales, which include his tales of all the seasons made in the 80s and 90s, the film focuses in meticulous detail on the ordinary lives of people, their characters, their bourgeois attitudes, their work, their relationships, marriage and marriage break-up as well as temptation.

Rohmer’s point of view is very much a moral point of view, offering different aspects of human nature as well as interactions but opting for the side of integrity and authenticity.

Rohmer began making films in 1950 and was still making films in the early years of the 21st century. He built up a strong repertoire and was honoured with many awards including the Grand Jury Prize in Cannes for The Marquise of O. In Berlin, he won both the Fipresci Prize as well as the OCIC commendation for Pauline at the Beach and won the same awards in 1992 for The Tale of Winter.

1. The meaning of the title? whom did it specifically refer? Frederick, Chloe, Helene? The emphasis on the significance of love? Love in the afternoon, snatched love, its fulfilment between Frederick and Helene at the end?

2. How realistic was the film? How did it rely on small details and situations for characterisation and dramatic impact? ordinariness of the situations at work, at home, shopping? the realism of the dialogue and the ordinariness of observed conversation? The brief sequences and the relentlessness of the build up of small scenes, so that we understood the main characters?

3. The film was a moral fable. What was the point of the moral? What impact would it have on its audience? How was the moral fable communicated to the audience?

4. How well was the audience meant to identify with Frederick? His age, his attitudes, his relating his behaviour in the past, his ideas on love and fidelity? The nature of his marriage and its success? His children and the child that was born during the film? As an observer of life, his reading? his attitude towards women, his observing of the secretaries, and his flirting with them? His love for his wife and yet the impact of Chloe? How did Chloe then symbolise his fantasy world? The discovery of his love for Chloe and its relationship to his love for Helene? How did he change during the film? What effects did Chloe have on him? Why did he not finally succumb to her? How far had he gone in his love for Chloe despite the lack of physical consummation?

5. What insights into marriage did the film offer? In the love and appreciation of Frederick and Helene? The role of children in unifying marriage? what did the film give as in insights into love? Was Chloe able to love?

6. What kind of woman was Chloe? Was her past background well explained? As a typical woman of the world? the fact that she was lost in her personal life? Vague in her morality? her particular hang-ups and caprices? Her dependence on Frederick and her wanting him to depend on her? Her fickleness? The fact that she could behave on whims? Her relationship to her name? When did she decide to seduce Frederick? Did she expect to succeed? How did she handle the whole situation? His visit to her flat and the love in the afternoon? What was her response then to his not succumbing?

7. What does the film say infidelity is? Does it say it is sinful? How far can a person go in infidelity?

8. What did the film say about morals and fidelity in the modern world? The effect of a casual acquaintance? the chorus of the assistant at work and the secretaries, the comments, the work of Chloe in the shop etc?

9. How valid is the film medium for giving moral lessons? was this film a success in this regard? Was it too didactic?