Eric Rohmer (1920 – 2010) was a genius, a director who was able to make combustible films that leave traces on our minds like the romances in this particular film. A TALE OF WINTER is one of the four seasons quadrant of films that hold him in very high esteem among cinema buffs. Thanks to the efforts of Big World Pictures it is now available on DVD.
Felicie (Charlotte Véry) and Charles (Frédéric van den Driessche) have a serious if whirlwind holiday romance. Due to a mix-up on addresses they lose contact, and five years later at Christmas-time Felicie is a hairdresser living with her mother in a cold Paris with a daughter (from Charles) as a reminder of that long-ago summer. For male companionship she oscillates between hairdresser Maxence (Michel Voletti) and the intellectual Loic (Hervé Furic), but seems unable to commit to either as the memory of Charles and what might have been hangs over everything. The plot centers on Félicie's shifting allegiances to the three men in her life, with an abortive move to another city, a strange experience in the cathedral of Nevers, and a performance of Shakespeare's 'The Winter's Tale' among the stations on a roundabout journey that finally brings her face to face with the most basic issues of destiny and faith.
Rohmer gently guides us through the portals of love in all its forms and few can match his gifts. Making this film widely available is a true gift.
Felicie (Charlotte Véry) and Charles (Frédéric van den Driessche) have a serious if whirlwind holiday romance. Due to a mix-up on addresses they lose contact, and five years later at Christmas-time Felicie is a hairdresser living with her mother in a cold Paris with a daughter (from Charles) as a reminder of that long-ago summer. For male companionship she oscillates between hairdresser Maxence (Michel Voletti) and the intellectual Loic (Hervé Furic), but seems unable to commit to either as the memory of Charles and what might have been hangs over everything. The plot centers on Félicie's shifting allegiances to the three men in her life, with an abortive move to another city, a strange experience in the cathedral of Nevers, and a performance of Shakespeare's 'The Winter's Tale' among the stations on a roundabout journey that finally brings her face to face with the most basic issues of destiny and faith.
Rohmer gently guides us through the portals of love in all its forms and few can match his gifts. Making this film widely available is a true gift.