A Heart in Winter - Tuesday 9th July 2024

This.

This is why I love the French, French movies and French culture! What other country can distil the conflicting emotions of the human heart, the fickle, self-punishing nature of desire, attraction and love, into pure cinema?

The film is a character study, not only of the characters it depicts, but of the subtle line between desire and something deeper.

This was the first time I’d seen this film, and I’m glad I came to it as a more experienced person. You can’t really appreciate the gamut of human emotion until you’ve gone through it, and if you have, you find yourself sympathising with both the male and female characters. It’s a lovely film, that will stir your emotions in a very subtle way, but not necessarily romantically.

The restraint shown by the director, Claude Sautet, mirrors that of Daniel Auteuil’s character. This is not a showy, garish exploration of human desire. It’s not about the flesh, but the mind, and how the mind for some of us, will always rule the heart, to our own detriment.
Emmanuelle Béart is stunning to look at, and to be honest, all she’d have to do is stand there and you’d fall in love with her, but she adds a tenderness to the role that belies the physical appearance.
I really enjoyed this film, and maybe someday I’ll watch it again. Whether or not you enjoy it probably depends on your own personal circumstances when it comes to the affairs of the heart. Hopefully, when I do watch it again, it won’t resonate with me as much...