LA MARQUISE VON O

Germany/France, 1976, 102 minutes, Colour.
Edith Clever, Bruno Gantz, Otto Sande.
Directed by Eric Rohmer.

La Marquise von O was based on a German story by Heinrich von Kleist and adapted by French writer-director Eric Rohmer.

Rohmer began directing films in 1950 and almost sixty years later had a film in competition in Venice in 2007, Astree et Celadon.

Not only a film writer but a strong film critic, Rohmer was interested in society and morals. Over more than half a century he created many fables about contemporary society, sometimes going back into the past as he did with the present film. The film was made in German, recreates Germany of the 18th century, a critique of superficial morals and the effect of a prim Christianity in terms of hypocrisy. These were themes that the Catholic Rohmer was to turn to again and again. Rohmer is one of the most admired of French directors of the 20th century.

1. The qualities of this film and its international acclaim?

2. The importance of appreciation of style for response to the film? The literary origins of the film, the nineteenth century; the visual presentation and the twentieth century? A visualizing of nineteenth century literary communication?

3. The quality of the narrative, the comment pro and con the proceedings? The impact of the many omissions in narrative? The self-contained nature of each of the sequences? The impact and style of the chapter fadeouts? The brevity of so many of the episodes? The flashback structure of the film? Audience involvement via the opening and the explanation by flashback?

4. The quality of the colour photography, the importance of the costumes, sets, nineteenth century atmosphere?

5. Audience response to the world of manners of the nineteenth century, the style, decorum and for life?

6. Many of the sequences and episodes being in the form of tableau? A moving from one tableau to another? The lack of movement in the film?

7. Audience response to the characters? The initial impressions of the people in the tavern about the marquise? Audiences aligning themselves with these opinions? Opinion and not fact?

8. The build-up of the dramatic night? The atmosphere, the Marquise and her family, the atmosphere of war and invasion, the capitulation of the fort? The brutality of the soldiers, the rape attempt? The plight of the Marquise and audience feeling for her? The importance of her being rescued? The effect on her? Her lying motionless, the visual presentation of this as seductive to the audience? The importance for explaining the behaviour of the Count? Was it credible?

9. The picture of nineteenth century society, moral standards, standards of external morality as background to the dramatic conflict, exploration of character and issues?

10. The impact of the pregnancy on the Marquise herself? Her surprise and disbelief, the disbelief of her family? The audience knowing this because of the early information about the notice in the newspaper? What explanations did the audience think?

ll. The build-up of the detail of life in the fort? The quality of love and gentle relationships? The quality of the Marquise in herself? Her ladylike behaviour and attitudes, her love for her children, as a widow? Her decision about remarriage? Her affection for her parents? The background an a build-up for the atmosphere to be broken?

12. The film's presentation of the Count, his being in the invading army, his gallantry in rescuing the Marquise? The significance of his absence? The impact of his return, proposal and its effect?

13. How important was it that the audience knew that the Count was guilty? When did the audience know? The irony in the melancholic way he behaved? The response of the parents to the Count, the Marquise and her loving response to him, thinking the best of him? Internal and external morality?

14. The verification of the pregnancy? The effect on the Marquise? Her father's rejection, was this credible? The response of the mother? The cruelty of her parents? The impossibility of reconciliation? Her retiring to the country? The violence of the father's reaction, the trickery of the mother to find out the truth and her breaking down? Was the reconciliation with her parents credible? What did it reveal about each of the characters, especially the nobility of the Marquise?

15. The melodramatic overtones of the notice in the papers? The Marquise being desperate to find out the truth, her preparedness to marry anyone? The attitude of her parents to this revelation? The fact that it would be answered? The trick of the mother in using the crow and its effect on the Marquise? The dramatic build-up to the arrival of the guilty party?

16. The expectations of the parents that the Count would be guilty? The importance for him of revealing the truth, the nature of his character and the way that he communicated this truth? The inability of the Marquise to forgive him? Why?

17. The shock effect on her of the truth? Why did she eventually agree to the marriage? The dramatic presentation of the arguments, pro and con, especially by her parents?

18. The visualizing of the marriage and its cold affection? The disillusionment of the Marquise and her inability to forgive? The nature of their marriage and the birth of their child? The effect on her? The continued imploring of the Count and its softening effect? Motherhood and the child? Why did she eventually forgive him?

19. The themes of society, human nature, morals, loving relationships, expectations of behaviour? How effective a moral fable?