May chez Maud (1969)

Directed by: Eric Rohmer | 105 minutes | drama | Actors: Jean-Louis Trintignant, Françoise Fabian, Marie-Christine Barrault, Antoine Vitez, Léonide Kogan, Guy Léger, Anne Dubot, Marie Becker, Marie-Claude Rauzier

In 1969, when films like ‘Easy Rider’ and ‘The Wild Bunch’ explored the limits of film censorship, the French director Rohmer – now approaching fifty – quietly continued making ‘his’ type of films.

‘Ma nuit chez Maud’ is the third film in a series, consisting of six Rohmer-directed moralistic stories, and tells the story of an introverted man of 34 who is introduced by a friend to a woman (Maud) who is almost his polar opposite. is. When he spends the night with her we are treated to all sorts of discussions about marriage, relationships, philosophy and religion, and this continues until the last shot, which fortunately is quite soothing.

‘Ma nuit chez Maud’ can rightly be called a talking film. Although there are some moments of silence, most of the time is filled with conversations. It is therefore not a film to doze off at, but the type where it is important to keep your head on it. In this work by Rohmer it is less about the image and especially about the substantive side. It’s a movie with substance. Not too much is happening. We spend a lot of time in rooms, where time is killed with acts like eating and drinking, combined with in-depth discussions. However, this does not mean that Rohmer goes as far as Richard Linklater with his film ‘Tape’ (2001). This one only takes place in a hotel room, and that for an hour and a half. New. In ‘Ma nuit chez Maud’ we move locations a few times and you can enjoy some (mainly nighttime) shots in which we drive a car through the French streets. These scarce moments can be used for the mentally weary viewer to take a short breather.

Overall, ”Ma nuit chez Maud’ is an interesting film, but not for everyone. If you are rested and feel the need to rack your brain, then this might be for you. An advantage is that many people will recognize themselves in the characters and especially in the situations in which they find themselves. After all, who does not dwell on such themes? The only downside is probably the elitist way in which ‘Ma nuit chez Maud’ carries out its message. The discussions are quite high at times and the characters clearly have a lot of know-how about the topics discussed. It is therefore not Rohmer’s most accessible film, which does not make him less interesting.