The Lovers

The 1958 film, The Lovers, is a French romantic drama directed by acclaimed filmmaker Louis Malle. The movie makes for a thought-provoking study of romance, passion, bourgeois boredom, and personal liberation. The film stars Jeanne Moreau, Alain Cuny, and Jean-Marc Bory in lead roles, and is considered a prominent addition to the French New Wave cinema movement. The Lovers skillfully addresses the idea of feminine desire and the exploration of sexual liberation amid societal limitations.

Jeanne Moreau, who later became a frontrunner of the French New Wave, plays the role of Jeanne Tournier, a restless and discontented bourgeois housewife in a rural town. She is married to Henri Tournier, portrayed by Alain Cuny, a wealthy and influential newspaper publisher. The mundanity and dispassion of Jeanne's marital life ignite a deep longing in her for love and excitement.

Contrasting the tediousness of her married life, Jeanne indulges in a passionate affair with a younger man, Raoul Flores (played by José Luis de Vilallonga), a wealthy polo-playing aristocrat from Paris. Their love is intense but ultimately superficial, as Jeanne remains dissatisfied due to the absence of a deeper connection.

In an unexpected twist of fate, Jeanne meets an intriguing and lively young man named Bernard Dubois-Lambert, played by Jean-Marc Bory, on an overwhelmingly normal day. Bernard is a young archaeologist, charming, reckless, yet profoundly impactful on Jeanne’s life.

The film uses a multitude of symbols, memorable film locations, and thoughtful dialogues to unfold its story. The lush cinematography superbly depicts the rural locale's tranquility and the bustling city's vitality, encapsulating the exquisite divergence between Jeanne's two worlds.

The Lovers depicts the journey of Jeanne as she balances her social compliance and personal desires. It illustrates her struggle to reconcile the external appearance of a perfect marriage with the emotional vacuum she experiences in her personal life. Despite the advancing societal norms, Jeanne's pursuit of emotional and sexual satisfaction remains an elusive proposition given the confines of her existing relationships.

The Lovers addresses the concept of womanhood, sexuality, and marital dissatisfaction from a discreet and sophisticated perspective. It implicitly criticizes the bourgeois society's hypocrisies and its tendency to bind women in the restrictive norms of marital fidelity and moral obligation. The exploration of a woman as an active participant in seeking love and sexual satisfaction marked a notable departure from the prevalent cinema norms of the 1950s and caused significant controversy upon its release.

Jeanne Moreau delivers a standout performance as the dissatisfied wife and the yearning lover. Her portrayal of longing and ennui is particularly praiseworthy. Alain Cuny, as the affectionate yet complacent husband, skillfully draws the audience's empathy. Jean-Marc Bory is memorable as the charismatic but transient stranger who brings about a dynamic shift in Jeanne's life.

Louis Malle's direction and his unique narrative style accentuate the characters' complexities and the story's emotional arcs. The movie also features evocative and sensuous music by Johannes Brahms, performed by the Vienna Symphony Orchestra.

In terms of reception and legacy, The Lovers is historically significant as it was the subject of a landmark U.S. Supreme Court case, Jacobellis v. Ohio. The movie was originally banned in Ohio, deemed as "obscene," but the ruling was overturned, asserting that the movie was not obscene and that constitutional protection extends to motion pictures. The case significantly impacted the decisions regarding censorship and First Amendment rights in American cinema.

In essence, The Lovers is a compelling exploration of stifling societal norms and the pursuit of personal liberty. Its brilliant performances and daring narrative provide a nuanced perspective on romance, desire, and longing – all wrapped elegantly in Louis Malle’s signature cinematic style. By the end of the journey the film takes you on, you are left contemplating the nature of love - its beauty, its complexity and its power to cause upheaval in the most settled lives. Jeanne Moreau completely immerses herself in her character, making Jeanne Tournier an unforgettable face of the French New Wave.