One of the most beautiful black and white films ever made, MA NUIT CHEZ MAUD might have been filmed today as it has been restored to pristine form, supervised by Eric Rohmer himself, and that only adds to the air of seduction that is ever present between the lead character, Jean-Luis, and the woman he dodges not without engaging in some intellectual flirtation first -- the lovely Maud.
MA NUIT CHEZ MAUD starts in almost near stillness. Jean-Luis (Jean-Luis Trintingant) attends mass one day, and there he encounters a fleeting blond beauty, Francoise (Marie-Christine Barrault) who somehow keeps getting away. Later on, an encounter with an old friend, Vidal (Antoine Vitez) leads to Vidal's invite that Jean-Luis spend the night at his friend Maud's house. While the two men spar on the nature of free will and religion -- namely, Catholicism and Christianity as well as on the theories of Pascal, Maud is most definitely a whirlwind of freedom and ages ahead of her own time. Divorced, living with her young daughter, with a casual look at how unlucky she's been with men, including Vidal, with whom she had had a one-night stand that went nowhere despite his unrequited feelings for her.
Once Vidal leaves, Jean-Luis stays the night. In the course of that night, Maud effortlessly engages Jean-Luis in a game of intellectual chess, goading him with his own illusions about love and his feminine ideal. She's sharp, too, as when she continually points towards "his Catholic blonde" and the fact that she herself would never fit the bill, being neither Catholic nor blond and already divorced. When Jean-Luis asks Maud how did she come to divorce, she opens up, and reveals herself to be quite vulnerable despite her rough exterior. It seems Maud's husband was cheating on her with a pretty, blond Catholic girl whom Maud herself could not stand, and despite her efforts to drive the girl away, her marriage was destroyed. Another lover proved fruitless, as he was killed in an automobile accident.
Night becomes day, and Jean-Luis does not make a move on Maud. When Maud does, he rejects her and she tells him to leave because she wants a man who knows what he wants. Even so, they remain friends, and meet up occasionally. It's at this point where Jean-Luis reconnects with Francoise, and in a move shy of stalking, he bamboozles her into accepting him into her life, even when she lets him in on the fact that he may not like some things about her. A short meet between Jean-Luis, Francoise, and Vidal says pages about her reaction to Vidal (and what history they may have together) even when it's never revealed. Jean-Luis is so hypnotized by her cool looks he never reads her messages and apparent rejection, even when it's clear that Francoise and Maud share a little too much history for either of the two to be comfortable together.
One of Eric Rohmer's finest films, MA NUIT CHEZ MAUD presents the situation of how one man's ideal turns out to be sitting atop a rotting, hypocritical pedestal, and how a more carnal, yet intelligent, honest, and accessible woman, whom he would be happy with as she is also looking for that unattainable man for a committed relationship, is the one he lets get away. A simple movie in which action is set aside and the characters pour their thoughts out, and they themselves are the ones that dictate what is to come later on, MA NUIT CHEZ MAUD gives its performers reams of material to work on. Jean-Luis Trintingant is restrained in his staunch position to remain committed to his religion and blind to what is staring at him in the face. Francoise Fabian, with her tanned looks, deep, wide eyes and raven black hair, is an earlier version of Demi Moore, but with a razor-sharp wit and sophistication. Marie Christine Barrault has the small but crucial character that ties the quartet together.
MA NUIT CHEZ MAUD starts in almost near stillness. Jean-Luis (Jean-Luis Trintingant) attends mass one day, and there he encounters a fleeting blond beauty, Francoise (Marie-Christine Barrault) who somehow keeps getting away. Later on, an encounter with an old friend, Vidal (Antoine Vitez) leads to Vidal's invite that Jean-Luis spend the night at his friend Maud's house. While the two men spar on the nature of free will and religion -- namely, Catholicism and Christianity as well as on the theories of Pascal, Maud is most definitely a whirlwind of freedom and ages ahead of her own time. Divorced, living with her young daughter, with a casual look at how unlucky she's been with men, including Vidal, with whom she had had a one-night stand that went nowhere despite his unrequited feelings for her.
Once Vidal leaves, Jean-Luis stays the night. In the course of that night, Maud effortlessly engages Jean-Luis in a game of intellectual chess, goading him with his own illusions about love and his feminine ideal. She's sharp, too, as when she continually points towards "his Catholic blonde" and the fact that she herself would never fit the bill, being neither Catholic nor blond and already divorced. When Jean-Luis asks Maud how did she come to divorce, she opens up, and reveals herself to be quite vulnerable despite her rough exterior. It seems Maud's husband was cheating on her with a pretty, blond Catholic girl whom Maud herself could not stand, and despite her efforts to drive the girl away, her marriage was destroyed. Another lover proved fruitless, as he was killed in an automobile accident.
Night becomes day, and Jean-Luis does not make a move on Maud. When Maud does, he rejects her and she tells him to leave because she wants a man who knows what he wants. Even so, they remain friends, and meet up occasionally. It's at this point where Jean-Luis reconnects with Francoise, and in a move shy of stalking, he bamboozles her into accepting him into her life, even when she lets him in on the fact that he may not like some things about her. A short meet between Jean-Luis, Francoise, and Vidal says pages about her reaction to Vidal (and what history they may have together) even when it's never revealed. Jean-Luis is so hypnotized by her cool looks he never reads her messages and apparent rejection, even when it's clear that Francoise and Maud share a little too much history for either of the two to be comfortable together.
One of Eric Rohmer's finest films, MA NUIT CHEZ MAUD presents the situation of how one man's ideal turns out to be sitting atop a rotting, hypocritical pedestal, and how a more carnal, yet intelligent, honest, and accessible woman, whom he would be happy with as she is also looking for that unattainable man for a committed relationship, is the one he lets get away. A simple movie in which action is set aside and the characters pour their thoughts out, and they themselves are the ones that dictate what is to come later on, MA NUIT CHEZ MAUD gives its performers reams of material to work on. Jean-Luis Trintingant is restrained in his staunch position to remain committed to his religion and blind to what is staring at him in the face. Francoise Fabian, with her tanned looks, deep, wide eyes and raven black hair, is an earlier version of Demi Moore, but with a razor-sharp wit and sophistication. Marie Christine Barrault has the small but crucial character that ties the quartet together.