UNE VIEILLE MAITRESSE

France, 2007, 105 minutes, Colour.
Asia Argento, Fu'ad Ait Aattou, Roxane Mesquida, Claude Sarraute, Yolande Moreau, Michael Lonsdale, Amira Casar, Anne Parrillaud.
Directed by Catherine Breillat.

Une Vielle Maitresse is a popular French novel of the 19th century by Jules Amadee Barbey d’Aurevilly, the kind of material made popular by Laclos with his Dangerous Liaisons – the film acknowledges this at the opening, saying that the events and characters are from the same period. While this looks very much like Dangerous Liaisons, it is not so hard and calculating as that. However, it is about society, manipulation, rakes and their victims, sexuality, scandal and gossip.

The film is sumptuous to look at and French people say that the language has all the elegance of that literate period.

It opens with gossip, chatter about M de Marigny, a well-known Don Juan, who is about to marry the virginal Hermangarde. The gossips want to put an end to this marriage. However, it seems that M de Marigny, after a ten year relationship with a Spanish courtesan, Venelli, has broken it and is prepared to be faithful.

The bulk of the film is actually flashbacks to Marigny’s relationship with Venelli, not quite the excessive passionate affair that we had been led to expect. Marigny is relating his story to his bride’s grandmother and so we see Venelli through his eyes. She, however, is an intense schemer and cannot let the marriage go unchallenged. The final part of the film shows her weaving wiles and the effect on Marigny and Hermangarde. This is an era of arranged marriages, mistresses and machinations.

The former mistress is played with her usual alarming flair by Asia Argento. Marigny is newcomer, , Hermangarde is played by Roxana who had appeared in A Ma Soeur and Sex Comedy, both directed by Catherine Breillat who has adapted the novel and directed this film. Catherine Breillat is a director noted for breaking sexual taboos in her films (Romance and The Anatomy of Hell). Here she is very restrained in comparison with her previous films, relying on the 19th century mood and look to tell her story rather than using shock tactics. Which makes this one of her most accessible films.

1.The origins of the film in a 19th century novel? The atmosphere of French society? Dangerous liaisons?

2.The 1835 settings? The sumptuous décor and costumes? The buildings? The vistas of Paris, the river and bridges, buildings? Mansions and interiors? The contrast with the Brittany countryside? The coast? The beaches? The musical score – and elegant overtones of 19th century?

3.The title, the reference to Vellini? To Ryno?

4.The opening, the vicomte and the comtesse in the coach, their gossip, after their meal, wanting to prevent the wedding? Providing the audience with information about Ryno and Vellini? The vicomte going to Vellini’s house? Encountering Ryno? The insinuations?

5.The preparation for the marriage? Ryno in love with Hermangarde? Her grandmother and her concern? The attempts to break up the engagement? The visits to the theatre? Vellini at the theatre? Ryno and his keeping Hermangarde waiting? The advice of her grandmother?

6.Ryno’s visit to the grandmother, their discussions? Her interrogation about his ten-year relationship with Vellini? About his being a dissolute Don Juan? His answering, telling the story?

7.The story in flashback? His past, his title, his friends? The arrival of Vellini with her English husband? The challenge to Ryno and his dealings with Vellini? His taking the challenge, the rakish attitude? His insulting Vellini in front of her husband? The challenge to the duel? In the morning, the four paces, his shooting into the air, Sir Reginald shooting him? Vellini going to the hospital? Licking his wound? The vampire touch of the vamp?

8.Vellini herself, her background, her unmarried parents, in Spain, being rescued by Sir Reginald, being made respectable, brought to Paris? Her succumbing to Ryno? The beginning of the affair?

9.Ryno telling the story, his perspective on Vellini? Their time together, the passion? Going to Algeria, in the desert, the birth of the daughter, life in the desert, the scorpion killing the daughter? Vellini’s great grief? Not wanting to bury the child? The change in attitude afterwards? The continued passion, the separations, each with their own lovers? Returning to each other over the years? The passing of ten years? Ryno telling Vellini that he had stopped loving her, that he loved Hermangarde and wanted to marry? Vellini and her passionate reaction?

10.The grandmother, her own past, her gossiping with friends? Her accepting Ryno’s explanations? The marriage going ahead?

11.The honeymoon, going to Brittany? The idyllic life in the countryside? Hermangarde and her reticence, her age, beauty? Love for her husband? The riding sequence and her being left behind? The doctor, her pregnancy? The idyllic life?

12.Vellini and her coming to Brittany, hovering, being seen? Her dwelling? The encounter with Ryno? His love for his wife, going to Vellini, their encounter, Hermangarde seeing them?

13.The consequences for Hermangarde, the loss of the child? The decision about Vellini? Hermangarde returning to Paris, to society, the wronged wife, but staying with her husband, keeping her position? Ryno and the broken relationship with Vellini? His standing by his wife – but a brittle marriage?

14.Themes of French society, aristocracy, the pampered wealthy, their whims, gossip and scandal, relationships, sexual morality? An amoral society?