"My Night at Maud's" (1969)

Conversation, especially really good conversation, has a way of contorting and bending in on itself; it rambles, meanders and digresses. Above all it has the ability to take on a life of its own, to engross us thoroughly in its peculiarities. Writer-director Eric Rohmer’s script for My Night at Maud’s has lovely dialogue. The film is predicated on us listening to the conversation of a handful of characters, and these conversations are witty, sophisticated, involving and often surprisingly true to the rhythms of casual conversation, where the profound and profane sit comfortably side by side. Rohmer is interested in using the conversations and diverging perspectives of the characters to examine morality (this was one of his “Six Moral Tales” series), relationships, romance and love. Devoted, principled Catholic Jean-Louis (Jean-Louise Trintignant) has given up his frivolous bachelor ways for a more pious, simple life. His views are thrown into question when he runs into an old school friend, a professor who questions Jean-Louise’s rigorous religious principles, particularly on marriage. The friend introduces Jean-Louise to areligious divorcee Maud (Francoise Fabian), and Jean-Louise’s convictions in his beliefs in Catholic-based love and romance are put to the test. Maud is intrigued by Jean-Louise, whose opposing views and frankness fascinate her. They’re clearly attracted to one another, and the night unfolds with the unspoken question of an affair as the subtext. However, Jean-Louise’s ideal woman is a young blonde churchgoer he has pined for from afar and intends to befriend. He’s torn between what his principles tell him he needs versus what his base instincts tell him he wants – framed as moral choice for him and an amusing character fault by his compatriots. While Rohmer certainly has some thematic concerns he’s working over, he also simply likes his characters, and subtly examines them in depth through the dialogue. The dialogue is worth appreciating for its own sake though: how often is dialogue this good still written?  

Grade: A