La veuve couderc (1971)

Directed by: Pierre Granier-Deferre | 90 minutes | drama, romance | Actors: Alain Delon, Simone Signoret, Ottavia Piccolo, Jean Tissier, Monique Chaumette, Boby Lapointe, Jean-Pierre Castaldi, Pierre Collet, Robert Favart, André Rouyer, François Valorbe

Legendary French actress Simone Signoret was born Henriette Charlotte Simone Kaminker in 1921 in Germany. Her Jewish family moved to Paris at a young age. When the Second World War broke out, her father went to Great Britain, where he joined General Charles de Gaulle. Simone went to work as an actress to support the family. To disguise her parentage, she took her mother’s maiden name, Signoret. She initially owed her fame to her roles as a young siren or prostitute, including in Max Ophüls’ famous love drama ‘La Ronde’ (1950). Her performance as a seductive older woman in Jack Clayton’s “Room at the Top” (1959) earned her an Academy Award for Best Actress. Later in life, filmmakers, including Jean-Pierre Melville for ‘L’armée des ombres’ (1969), took advantage of her unyielding appearance. She often played characters close to herself then; Signoret’s persuasive leftist views often hindered her career.

As she got older, Signoret cared little for the glitz and glamor of Hollywood; she hardly paid more attention to her appearance. She grew old the way ordinary people do, she said herself. In the relatively unknown film ‘La veuve Couderc (the widow Couderc’, 1971), director Pierre Granier-Deferre made grateful use of the declining beauty of the actress. Signoret plays Yvette Couderc, a dowdy widow who lives in the French countryside. It is 1934. Europe is on the eve of the Second World War and tensions are already noticeable. Yvette has a hard life. At a young age she started working on the farm, where she was abused by both the master of the house and his son. Because she had little choice, she married the youngest. Now that he is gone, she lives in solitude on the farm. Old Couderc (Jean Tissier) visits regularly to help her on the farm. As a thank you, she goes to bed with the old pervert. It is grist to the mill of her sister-in-law Françoise (Monique Chaumette), who preys on the farm that she wants to sell for big money.

Yvette’s sluggish and lonely life is drastically turned upside down with the arrival of the handsome young Jean Lavigne (Alain Delon), who turns out to be on the run from the police. He is in Yvette’s farm, a nice (temporary) shelter and is not afraid to roll up his sleeves, for a small fee. An unlikely yet realistic romance blossoms between the two, much to the dismay of the villagers. They did not tolerate that stranger (a metaphor for the brooding society in the run-up to the Second World War and the emerging fascism) and they speak ill of Yvette who just hangs out with that criminal. Things are complicated by Françoise’s precocious teenage daughter, Félicie (Ottavia Piccolo), who seems to have her sights set on the interesting newcomer Jean. Yvette watches their flirtation with sorrow and slowly but surely grows more frustrated. Will she do anything to protect her Jean?

The basis of ‘La veuve Couderc’ is the novel of the same name by Georges Simenon, which takes as its starting point the seemingly impossible relationship between a young man from the big city and an older farmer’s wife. He is an opportunist, who is wasting his life with his criminal excesses. She has worked hard all her life and suffered countless humiliations, resulting in a lonely and maligned life. She lets the insults of the villagers slip away, she doesn’t know any better now. All her life she has always lived in the same place, with the same people around her. Never even adventure or excitement. She has never felt true love. No wonder she brightens up when handsome young Jean crosses her path. It is also logical that she feels strong when he gives her the love she craves so much. That the villagers see him as an intruder only strengthens her feelings. Their being together means significantly less to Jean than to her; once the Lolita-esque Félicie shows up and willingly gives herself to him, he’s almost forgotten about Yvette.

The tragedy of the character Yvette is magnificently portrayed by Simone Signoret. From the outside it may be hardened by farming life and its unloving personal history and have an elephant skin, inside it is vulnerable. That little bit of love she gets from Jean is enough to rekindle her flame. Signoret had the gift of combining indifference and human warmth in one character. This role is living proof of that. The chemistry she has with Delon fourteen years younger is intense. His role is much less challenging than hers, but an actor like Delon knows how to make something special out of even the most flat roles. The supporting actors don’t really matter much; everything revolves around this illustrious pair. Pierre Granier-Deferre treats us to beautiful, albeit gray atmospheric images of the French countryside. The cinematography and music is simple yet effective and so is the directing.

‘La veuve Couderc’ has something poetic about it. Perhaps the film is too slow for some. The pace, however, fits the story perfectly. This is an allegory of the French countryside during the turbulent 1930s, seen through the eyes of a frail older woman in search of love and affection. Especially Simone Signoret makes a statement in a great role. The film may be sad and pale and hardly cheerful, but it all fits together seamlessly. The result is a grim but very solid intimate drama that convinces and offers food for thought.