JULES ET JIM (Francois Truffaut, 1962)

The dynamics of any relationship are always fascinating but when you add a third person to the mix, and all three love each other equally, the results are unpredictable and captivating. This mixture is exactly what you see in JULES ET JIM (Francois Truffaut, 1962) and this film is a great stepping stone for Truffaut. He crafts a narrative which focuses on adult issues and problems but paints his characters in a way to identify them as children, a task not readily achieved. His narrative is controversial and a reflection of issues bubbling quietly below the surface of when the film was made. He stretches as a filmmaker, using techniques he hadn't used before. He continues his examination of human interaction and the intricacies entailed there. Finally for the first time in his filmmaking he allows a star to dominate his film and believe me there is no time when Jeanne Moreau doesn't hold the strict attention of the viewer.

Playing the part of Catherine, Moreau teams with Oskar Werner (Jules) and Henri Serre (Jim) in forming a childlike trio. Truffaut skillfully creates a childlike presence to his characters in dress, activity and emotion. One scene particularly stands out. Jules has been spending a lot of time with Catherine and he wants Jim to join them. Jim arrives and Catherine proceeds to dress up as "Thomas". The three run through the streets of Paris masquerading as three boys. They come to a bridge and race across, with "Thomas" using a childlike subterfuge to win. As the trio laugh and giggle at the finish line they decide to visit the sea. For these three adults, life is childlike and innocent. It is a vacation and this is exactly how Truffaut wants them portrayed. They become an extension of characters he already has shown us on screen. Jules and Jim can be seen as extensions Antoine and Rene, older versions of his two truants.

Cinematically Truffaut himself showcases a more experienced and experimental filmmaker. Throughout the film he uses techniques previously unseen in his work. When we are introduced to Catherine we see several images of her frozen on the screen. Later he uses the same technique for her again, giving us a glimpse of the fracturing taking place inside her mind. Truffaut uses handheld camera more extensively and even takes to aerial work, imparting a dreamlike quality to aspects of the narrative. He also is more experimental with camera placement and movement. His narrative subject matter is adult and controversial, tackling a subject long considered taboo not only in cinema but in society in general.

This tackling of controversial narrative fascinates me. Truffaut's examination of the human condition and our interactions with each other is often quite profound. With this film he tackles love and monogamy, forcing a look at not only our own personal views but societal ones. The societal conventions he places under the microscope are remarkable in regards to where we stand presently. The place in society for marriage, cohabitation and the roles children play in our adult decisions are prevalent topics today. And what of his examination for love outside marriage? Truffaut's dealing with three people that love each other equally is deftly and tastefully done. In fact it is almost Utopian, if it weren't for a brilliant and fractured protagonist, Catherine.

And to me, ultimately Catherine is the protagonist to the film and much of this has to do with an outstanding portrayal by Jeanne Moreau. So many adjectives describe Catherine; powerful, strong, broken, imperfect, joyful, morose, loving. Moreau skillfully maneuvers between her three loves (can't forget Albert), seeking and finding that which she needs from the three. Unable to comprehend the needs of others and being full of disdain for the conventions of society, Catherine exudes the essence of a contemporary woman. Her best moment in the film is as she sings Le Tourbillon de Vie. The lyrics are melodic and the tune catching. But placed into the context of where she is in the film, they are haunting. Who is she singing to? And can't the lyrics really be aimed at all three males? Truffaut's genius really shines through here in his composition of the scene in how he positions Catherine to face Albert but still be amidst the three.

The more I watch of Truffaut the more he grounds himself in my mind as a genius director. This film is great, albeit paced a little slowly. And as I always write in my notes on his films, remember his films are always autobiographical. Which makes me wonder what inspired this gem. Oh to know that!