GABRIELLE

France, 2005, 86 minutes, Colour.
Isabel Huppert, Pasquale Greggory, Claudia Coli.
Directed by Patrice Chereau.

Gabrielle is based on a short story, The Return, by Joseph Conrad. It is set in Paris of the 1880s, the world of a wealthy businessman and his wife, living in a lavish home.

The sets, décor and costumes are all very lavish, recreating the period. However, this is a small drama, the clash between a husband and wife. After a lavish dinner, the wife announces that she is leaving. After some time she returns. At a successive dinner, she indicates to her husband who her lover was. Seemingly reconciled, the husband is unable to stay with his wife and leaves – and as the final credits say, never to return.

The film was directed by Patrice Chereau who has made a number of fine films, not without controversy, including The Wounded Man, Queen Margot, Intimacy, San Frere. He is well served in the film by three excellent performances: Isabelle Huppert, excellent as always as the mysterious, even haughty wife; Pascal Greggory as the aggrieved husband and Claudia Coli as the maid in whom the wife confides.

Brief, but an incisive look into a failed relationship and marriage.

1. The impact of the film? Drama? Character portraits? Conflict? The intensity of the film? The claustrophobia of the film? Many consider it a masterpiece.

2. The setting, the beginning of the 21st century, Paris, the streets, the crowds, the trains? The homes – wealth, the stately homes, interiors? The musical score – operatic?

3. The film based on a novella by Joseph Conrad? Conrad and his focus on intimate relationships, his response to Henry James rather than to his own literary tradition? The adaptation of Conrad for the screen?

4. The colour photography, muted, the colours within the household? The contrast with the sharp black and white photography, the opening, the railway station, Jean and his walk home? The use of black and white within the house? Indicating reality and unreality? Psychological states? Audience response to the movement between black and white and colour?

5. The title, the focus on Gabrielle? The equal focus on Jean – and even more emphasis on him?

6. The structure of the film: Jean arriving home, his voice-over and commentary, the Thursday previous, the transition to the Wednesday, the episode and Gabrielle leaving, the return, the next day and the party, the day after and the consequences? The captions?

7. The effect of the voice-over, the importance of Jean communicating to the audience, his history, his attitudes, his belief in himself, his understanding of his wife, his comments on their place in society, comments on the editor, on the satisfaction of his way of life? At the dinner – his observations of Gabrielle and her behaviour, his satisfaction? The breaking through of his satisfaction?

8. Gabrielle, her not having a voice-over, her talking to Yvonne and making the same revelations about herself, her past? Her discussions with Jean? Her disdain of Yvonne and calling her a spy? The revelation of her character through conversation? Isabel Huppert’s controlled performance, seemingly passive – yet passionate?

9. The character of Jean, going up in the world, coming from the train, in the crowds, his sense of self-satisfaction, superiority? His clothes, his comments, his buying of the paper, profit? His wealth? His relationship with Gabrielle? Ten years? His discussions about the intimacy and lack of intimacy? The room, separate beds, yet the satisfaction of being together? His being totally unprepared for Gabrielle’s action?

10. The revelation of the meal, the behaviour of Gabrielle? The discussions about knowing people or not knowing people? Relationships? His observations on the guests? Gabrielle and her dress, manner, behaviour, contributions to the conversation?

11. The dinner scene as the basis for the dramatic impact of his arriving home, seeing her letter, not having his glasses, pouring the drink, finally reading the letter, the crashing of the drink, wounding himself? His disbelief in reading the letter?

12. Gabrielle’s return, silent, on the staircase, Jean listening? The interactions – black and white and colour? His moving to different moods? Angers, seeing things as inexplicable? Her silence? His outpourings? Her reactions?

13. Her going to her room, with Yvonne, the discussions, issues of happiness? Her disdain of Yvonne? Calling her a spy?

14. Yvonne, her reactions, her place as a maid, the visuals of the maids throughout the household, along corridors, in the kitchen? Their listening in, knowing what was happening? Yvonne and her own life? Gossip with boyfriends? The class divisions?

15. Gabrielle, the bath, going down for the meal? The discussions? Her primness? Passivity?

16. The revelation of who the lover was, previous comments on the editor by Jean, his being visualised at the reception? Gabrielle and her explanations, the satisfaction with the editor, the way of meeting him, the rendezvous, the specific discussion about sexuality and relationships with Jean compared with the editor? Yet her not being able to stay with the editor? Her return? Her comment that it would be harder to live with the editor than to return home to the household with Jean?

17. The next reception, the tensions, the chatter? The editor and his presence? Jean and his moods, talking with Gabrielle, shouting at her? Saying she had an announcement to make? The guests and their reactions?

18. The atmosphere of Proust in the portrayal of the visitors, society, debates on the arts, on psychology and philosophy? Pretensions? The comments about what receptions people could be invited to – and not?

19. The final desperate sequences between Jean and Gabrielle? Her holding her ground? Going over to the bed, naked, his initial anger on the staircase and assault of her? His lying on the bed, her passivity? Her remaining there – and remaining within the house?

20. Jean, his rushing down the stairs, his leaving the house – and the caption that he never returned? The glimpses of him fleeing during the credits?

21. A film about the bourgeoisie, social status, class differences, emotional relationships, superficial, deep, fidelity and betrayals? Desperation?