THE STORY OF WOMEN

France, 1988, 110 minutes, Colour.
Isabelle Huppert, Francois Cluzet, Marie Trintignant, Nils Tavernier.
Directed by Claude Chabrol.

The Story of Women is one of Claude Chabrol's best films. Chabrol, one of the outstanding directors of the French New Wave of the late '50s and early '60s, directed films for many decades, many of the films thrillers with explorations of guilt and responsibility.

Here he collaborates on a screenplay with Colo Tavernier O'Hagen (former wife of Bertrand Tavernier and author of many of his scripts including Daddy Nostalgie). Chabrol also has the collaboration of Isabelle Huppert, whom he directed in the excellent Violette Nozieres in 1977. Huppert is a very impressive actress, with an ability to move into a wide range of roles. Here we see her as a young housewife in occupied France in the early '40s. Dissatisfied with her lot, she begins to perform abortions as help for those who seek it, continues to be an abortionist as well as setting up rooms in her house for prostitute friends. It is difficult to tell whether she is merely amoral or in any way immoral. The film portrays her in her context, with her husband, children, lover, townspeople. The dialogue includes at many points prods to her conscience - which seem to surprise her and to bewilder her. However, Isabelle Huppert makes the character grow before our eyes until finally she is arrested, tried by a severe French court for morale purposes during World War Two and is finally guillotined.

The film is called The Story of Women - of the centre character, of women in general and their relationships with men, oppression - as well as the many women who appear throughout the film.

The film won some acclaim and awards for Isabelle Huppert. It is an excellent film, thoughtfully made and demanding on its audience.

1. Impact of the film? Acclaim?

2. Based on a true story, on the individual woman, her life, her practising abortions? Her trial and execution? The film as critical of the fourth republic, occupied France and the Nazis, the reaction of French authorities humiliated by the Nazi defeat? In the retrospect of the '80s?

3. The films of Claude Chabrol, his portraits of people, in themselves, relationships, responsibilities, crime and guilt, atonement?

4. The quality of Isabelle Huppert's performance? Making the character of Marie grow before our eyes? The strength of the supporting cast?

5. The portrait of the town in the early '40s, the period? The detail of the streets, the homes? Interiors? Overviews of the city? The contrast with Paris as seen by Marie, prison? The colour photography, the steely blue-grey tone of the whole film? The musical score, the use of songs - traditional and of the period?

6. The title and the various women of the film? Women in general throughout the ages? Marie's story as an allegory of women? Marie herself and her story? The range of women that she knew: her Jewish friend Rachel taken to the prison camp, Lucie the friendly prostitute, the women who came for abortions - her friend in the neighbouring apartment, the sister bringing her younger sister who was pregnant to German soldiers, the other women pregnant to the Germans? The mother with her six children and her desperation? Her death? The nuns, the prison guards, the prisoners? And Marie's daughter?

7. Themes of relationship between men and women? The strong women? The emasculated men? The dominating men? The irresponsible playboy men? Soldiers? The clients of the prostitutes, collaborators? The father, the wounded man, helpless, betrayed? The good father? The young son and his mother's attitude towards him and towards the daughter, special love towards the daughter? Authorities, cowards, prisoners...

8. The opening with Marie and her children, the loving mother, managing but poor, the experience of the war, hardships? Love for her children but concern about herself, going out, dancing, the curfews - having fun? Her ability to talk with her children and explain things, her love for her son but greater love for her daughter - love for sons being expected? Her concern about Rachel but not knowing she was Jewish? The recurring concern about Rachel through the film? Her friendship with Ginette? The problems, the abortion, using her ingenuity, success?

9. The consequences of Ginette's abortion, Lucie and the other abortions, the gifts, the radio and the record player, money, food? Marie and her response to wealth and comfort? Wanting to survive and be comfortable, wanting her children to have things? Her amoral and pragmatic approach to moral issues? Her lack of developed moral sense? Concern for others, opportunist for making money? The return of her husband, his wounds, her thinking him a loser? Their life together, love for each other, the waning of love? Paul and his not knowing what was going on, suspecting her of having lovers, finding out about the abortions? Marie and her friendship with Lucie, the idea of moving house, renting rooms? Getting the money from Lucie? The house moves, moving away from the railway? Her hold on Paul yet not loving him? His work, losing his job, wanting a sexual relationship and her reaction? Emasculated, weary, doing his cut-outs, growing frustration, not even getting dressed? The second room available for Marcel the prostitute? Fernand and her helping with the work, Marie's proposal that she should be having a sexual relationship with Paul? Her change of clothes, hairstyles, going out with the children, the fair, the goose and Lucien giving her the goose? Going out with him, relating, sexual liaison, joy? Her singing - and her ambitions to be a singer? Her listening to the mother's story, helping her to procure the abortion? The sisters coming back with the children, explaining what had happened, telling her about murdering children and their souls in their mothers' wombs? The effect on her? Her resisting Paul, going to Lucien, the final straw with Paul seeing them together? His writing the letter? The story of her life, her innocence, amorality? What happened to her and the changes?

10. Paul, the initial happy marriage, the war, injuries, losing his job, Marie getting him a job supervising on the wharves against sabotage? His love for his children and his delight in them? His not wanting to know what happened, retiring to his cut-outs? Suspicions and angers? Fernand's proposal, his anger and accosting Marie in the street? Sending the letter?

11. The portrait of the children, their age, relationship with each other, tensions with their mother, playing in the street, the poor food, the outings, improvements in the house, enjoying the food - the jams etc? The goose? The sister of the dead woman talking to them in the street about their mother? The puzzle, their mother's arrest? The crying of the young girl, the boy banging his head on the wall? The voice-over of the middle-aged man remembering his mother's execution?

12. Lucie, the prostitute, her verve, life and style, the room, the sailor clients, friendship with Marie? The suggestion about Marcel moving in? The prostitute area of the town, the clients, the German soldiers?

13. Abortion: the women and their pregnancies, the reasons for the abortions, the various stories, absent husbands, German occupation? Loneliness? Mothers and sisters concerned about family? The illegality, Marie working outside the law? Fernand helping her? The mother with the pathos of her story, her husband and his concern? The home sequences, by the railway station, the poor children? The mother and her desperation, her wanting to die? The husband and his grief and his suicide? The sister looking after the children - but wanting Marie to know the truth?

14. Fernand, her place in the household, dominated by Marie, manipulated by her, her attempts to relate to Paul?

15. Lucien, the playboy, with Lucie, attracted to Marie, the cutting of the goose's head and giving it to her? Their outings, the cafes, bedroom, singing and dancing together? His collaboration? Her getting a pass? His being demanding on her, punctuality etc? His going to the home - and being discovered?

16. The Germans, the occupation? Not caricatured as tyrannical Germans but nevertheless a strong presence? The collaboration of the local people? Marshall Petain and his reputation, his speeches on the radio?

17. The picture of the authorities, sympathetic lawyers, not able to face Marie with the truth? The government, taking the high moral ground, wanting to make an example? The humiliation of the occupation - and the compensation with moral standards? The nuns, the prisoners and their relationship with Marie? Her time in court, the hypocrisy? The background of being in prison, bewildered, treated as a prisoner, the lawyers and their pulling out of the case? The religious effect on Marie, her blasphemous presentation of the Hail Mary - yet her going to confession and her reconciliation? The lawyer discussing the case with the authorities - Marie as a poor and uneducated woman, understanding what she had done, changing her life - but their taking it?

18. The ending, the issues of Marie's conscience, religion, education, souls, her not thinking she had killed anyone? The pathos of the son's voice-over about his mother's death?

19. The perspective of the '80s and values? A critique of the war period?