"The Duchess of Langeais" *** (out of ****)"The Duchess of Langeais" is a story about love and sex (yes, sometimes they are two different things) two things which the characters in this film never really seem to experience.
The film was based on a novel by Balzac and directed by that great French filmmaker, one of the founders of the Nouvelle vague, Jacques Rivette. But sadly this teaming doesn't amount to much or at least what could have been.
Our two lead characters are Antoinette de Langeais (Jeanne Balibar) and Armand de Montriveau (Guillaume Depardieu, son of Gerard). She is a bored duchess, whose husband is never seen and he is a celebrated general who has returned from battle. She sees him at a party and thinks he must have amusing stories. She is told he is a bore, but it makes no difference to her, she seems attracted to him.
But even if she is attracted to him she never shows it. The two people, like countless others in love stories, are doomed to be apart. She likes to play mind games. She invites him to call upon her, at her home, at 8 o'clock. He arrives and though she remembered he would arrive it turns out it is the exact time of a ball she planned on attending. Or knowing he is waiting in the next room the duchess tells her servants to ask him to wait, while she does nothing. It is all mind manipulation to show him who is in control. He may be a general but in the battle of the sexes he is a private.
These characters know others gossip about them. Every night Arman visits the Duchess, as everyone thinks they are having an affair, but we never even see these characters so much as kiss. Understandably Armand grows tired of this and warns the Duchess he needs more from this relationship.
"The Duchess of Langeais" is basically the story of doomed lovers who never quite see eye to eye. When he is ready to tell her he loves her she doesn't want to hear it and when she is ready to tell him, he is gone.
From the very first shot, which is of a church, the viewer knows what kind of film this will turn out to be. It is a very slow moving picture. What struck me most about it was the sound design. There is little to no music on the soundtrack only the sound of waves and seagulls.
What stops "Duchess" from being a great film is Rivette doesn't film this story with any passion. How strange for a love story. Even though the characters deny themselves love Rivette should have been able to visually show us a burning passion within them. There is no spark, no audience involvement to this film. There is also little chemistry between these characters. Guillaume Depardieu lacks a sexual intensity which his father use to have. Watch Gerard in the French classic "Loulou". Guillaume doesn't have much of a screen presence. It's hard to understand why any woman would be interested in him, especially a woman like the Duchess, who could have her pick of any man.
What is also disappointing about this film is Rivette doesn't do anything visually exciting with this film. It is told conventionally. I'm not suggesting Rivette take us back to the 1960s and gives us jump cuts but there is very little compelling to the eye.
Though there is something to recommend about the film. There are some wonderful shots of the sea and landscape from cinematographer William Lubtchansky, who shots Truffaut's "The Woman Next Door" and Godard's "Nouvelle vague". Also, despite my feeling the film goes on a bit too long, it is fittingly paced. It drags a bit but so does the character's feelings. It was also a pleasure to see Michel Piccoli as Vidame a relative of the Duchess, who sometimes gives love advice.
Rivette's is a great director. He is probably best known for "Celine and Julie Go Boating" but has made some good romance movies including "Va Savior" and his masterpiece "La Belle Noiseuse". "The Duchess of Langeais" is not a great movie despite showing off Rivette's craftsmanship. And that's too bad.
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