THE HAIRDRESSER'S HUSBAND

France, 1992, 84 minutes, Colour.
Jean Rochefort, Anna Galiena.
Directed by Patrice Leconte.

The Hairdresser's Husband is a film by Patrice Leconte, director of the excellent thriller about obsession, Monsieur Hire, and the more languid and attractive film about obsession, Yvonne's Perfume.

This film is also about obsession, with Jean Rochefort as a hairdresser, pampered by his mother, brought up in admiration of women, who marries a hairdresser, a melancholic young woman, enjoys the time of marriage with her - but it all leads to tragedy for him.

Rochefort, an actor of great talent in a variety of roles over many years in French films, is effective as the hairdresser. Anna Galiena (Jamon, Jamon, The Leading Man) is striking as the wife.

The film is brief, focuses on the characters, uses tantalising North African music to create an atmosphere and involves us in the characters and the mystery of the final tragedy.

1.A brief romantic but tragic drama? Portrait of characters? Obsession and love?

2.The atmosphere of the town, the shop, the streets, the river? The musical score - and the North African music? And the husband and his delight in the music, dancing to the music?

3.The title and the focus on the hairdresser and her husband?

4.The husband as a boy, his relationship with his parents, the joy, the swimming, hairdressing? The voice-over, the memoirs, the infatuation with women? Sexuality? Yet his childhood alone, the memory of friends, the photos?

5.His life, his easy life? Music, memories? His age, infatuation with hair? Luxuriant hair? His seeing Mathilde? The return, the proposal, the marriage - the gifts and the photos? The day-by-day happy life? Seemingly unending?

6.Mathilde and her story, no family, work, Isidor and the inheritance, the marriage, her relationship with her husband, life in the shop, her clients, her feelings, the growing melancholy?

7.The portrait of the clients, the life of the shop, the life experience? The final clients?

8.Isidor, the gift, its effect?

9.The build-up of Mathilde's melancholy, the response of her husband, her action, going into the river, her death? The letter and its quality, her explanation to her husband, the sadness, the death wish? The effect on the husband? His being bereft, alone?

10.A French treatment of love, passion, death and mourning?