COUSIN COUSINE

France, 1975, 95 Minutes, Colour.
Marie-Christine? Barrault, Victor Lanoux, Marie-France? Pisier.
Directed by Jean-Charles? Tacchella.

Cousin Cousine was very popular at the box-office. The quality of the screenplay, the expertly telling of small sequences of French family life and the attractive charm of the stars are most praiseworthy. Marie- Christine Barrault received an Oscar nomination; Victor Lanoux subsequently appeared in many films; Marie France Pisier starred in The Other Side of Midnight. However, the moral implications of the double standards of French society and families, the film's quizzical look at marital relationships and the ultimate unconventional behaviour and decisions of the cousins jolt the sensibilities. Many audiences took the film as a variation on the romantic Man and a Woman theme. But the ironies in characterization and in the poking at French social and moral attitudes indicate
that there is more to the film than the apparent frivolities.

1. The film achieved great fame on its first release. Why? French appeal, international appeal? The impact of the stars, plot, style?

2. How telling was the film as a portrait of people, their style, activities, attitudes? A particular glimpse of French people in the 70s?

3. How important was the French style and atmosphere, the attention to detail in family life, marriages, funerals, celebrations, meals? French attitude towards life, family, work, relationships, love, marriage?

4. The moral implications of the plot: traditional morality, the reasons for change, individual attitudes towards morality in their own lives, in theory? The nature of freedom and freedom from conventional morality? How interestingly presented? The values of traditional morality, especially as regards love and marriage, the hypocrisy of conventional morality and the holding to traditions merely externally? The value of authenticity and freedom?

5. Themes of marriage and the presentations of the various marriages? The marriage background, sexuality, loving relationships? The highlighting of the meaning of marriage by the various contrasts?

6. Where did audience sympathies lie? The drawing on audience response audience values? Audience interest in Marthe and Ludovic? Their various decisions about their relationship, the affair, their going off together? How jolting was the final decision and audience approval or disapproval of it?

7. The atmosphere set by the opening wedding? Marthe's sister and her family going to the wedding, the humour of family squabbles and hurry? The close-ups of so many people at the wedding? Dignified behaviour, undignified behaviour, the dancing, the man taking his trousers down, the young girl taking photographs? Drinking, being sick? The boy under the table and the couple in the room? The irony of this when the slides were shown and people commenting on it?

8. The focus on Marthe - how sympathetically? Sympathy for her because of Pascal and his womanizing, especially with Karine and his lame excuse? Marthe and her son? A conventional kind of person, support for her mother, relationship with her sister? Audience sympathy for her as they watched Pascal move from girl to girl and cross each from his list? His callous and hypocritical attitudes? His confessing to Marthe to make him feel better? The home sequences - Marthe even seeming dowdy? Pascal and his petulance? What was the quality of their marriage? Pascal and his theories about fidelity - for women? His suspicions that Marthe was having an affair? His amorous attitudes towards her and her coldness? His jealousy? His reaction and taking up with the former pharmacist? Did this marriage need to be broken? Could it have been fixed?

9. The focus on Ludovic and the wedding, a genial kind of person? His explanation of himself to Marthe and the gradual building-up of information? His previous marriage, daughter, son? His love for Karine but her neurotic attitudes and her going to hospital for cures? His jobs and changing them every three years, the various pressures on him? Was it inevitable that Marthe and Ludovic should form such a close bond?

10. Marthe's sister and her marriage as background? The presentation of their mother and the joy of her marriage, her reaction to her new husband's death? The relationship with Ludovic's father and her going to the farm - and his being happy to let her go? An exuberant kind of person?

11. How well did the film show the beginnings of the love affair, trace their growing bonds between the two and their communication? The fact that they related so well, could talk together? Their decisions about sleeping together, about public opinion on their affair? what made them decide to spend the night together? The exhilaration with which they began (and the humorous irony of the proprietress, her remarks and look, her taking the meal up, the attendant and their decision to stay the morning as well?). The presentation of the loving relationship, sexual and sensual aspects, communicating aspects - talking. cutting the nails. bath? The next episode and their drawing on one another? How did the relationship come to a head with the children's day and the children doing all the work, the dancing and the two of them kissing in public - with the reaction of their spouses? Their Christmas situation. spending the time together and the decision to go away? How credible was the growth of the relationship? The quality of love?

12. The harsher aspects of their attitude - Marthe's wearing the hat when Pascal did not like it. Ludovic wearing the tie, arranging to meet at the restaurant where both parties would be, wondering what the suspicions of their spouses would be, their going out at the end without a qualm?

13. Marthe's mother and her attitudes at the end towards her daughter and the affair? Ludovic's father. his not going into the church, talking to his granddaughter, seeing his son off?

14. How well delineated was the character of Pascal? His affairs. his behaviour in the house. his anger and petulance and staying in bed. his picking up another woman? Did he deserve to be abandoned or not?

15. Karine and her moods, her childish behaviour weeping, measuring Marthe's apartment etc.? Her final ringing up before going for another cure? Did he deserve to be abandoned?
16. How important were the details of the family, their great emphasis on children and the contrast of the adults with the children - and the credit sequences with the children's photos for the names of the stars? The atmosphere of the various marriages, funerals, meals, the watching of midnight mass, the day the children did all the cooking etc, the sharing of presents?

17. The oblique comments on traditional religion.. especially with Ludovic's father and his not going in? Watching midnight Mass?

18. A humanistic point of view on marriage. morality. relationships?