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Swann in Love (film)

May 02, 2024

Swann in Love (French: Un amour de Swann, German: Eine Liebe von Swann) is a 1984 Franco-German film directed by Volker Schlöndorff. It is based on Marcel Proust's seven-volume novel sequence In Search of Lost Time, specifically a self-contained section of the first volume, the title of which typically translates as Swann's Way (1913). It was nominated for 2 BAFTA Film Awards.

Swann in Love
Directed byVolker Schlöndorff
Screenplay by
Based onSwann's Way
1913 novel
by Marcel Proust
Produced byEberhard Junkersdorf
Margaret Ménégoz
Starring
CinematographySven Nykvist
Edited byFrançoise Bonnot
Music by
Distributed byOrion Classics
CountriesFrance
West Germany
LanguagesFrench
English
German
Box office$6.1 million[1]

Plot edit

The film's story follows an original treatment of Proust's story by theater and film director Peter Brook, who was originally going to make the movie, setting it as a day in the life of the aging and ill Charles Swann (Jeremy Irons), who looks back on his past life in flashbacks.

The young Swann is an idly wealthy eligible bachelor in the best circles of Belle Époque Paris, although he is still regarded as something of a social outsider because of his Jewish background. He has been having an affair with the Duchess de Guermantes (Fanny Ardant), but he soon becomes intrigued and then obsessed by the young courtesan Odette de Crécy (Ornella Muti).

Swann's interest in Odette is at first encouraged by Madame Verdurin (Marie-Christine Barrault), a hostess who oversees a tightly-knit, exclusive, and decadent social circle. His friend, the overtly gay Baron de Charlus (Alain Delon), helps to arrange for Swann and Odette to meet. Swann's obsessive love for Odette, however, threatens Madame Verdurin's control, so she arranges other assignations for the courtesan, inflaming Swann's jealousy. Even though Swann declares himself to believe in a kind of spiritual egalitarianism, his interest in Odette is also aesthetic, as shown in references to a copy he owns of a fresco by Botticelli and his comparisons of Odette to the painting's figure, the Biblical character Zipporah. Odette, on the other hand, considers herself free to socialise and sleep where she pleases, leading Swann to visit a prostitute who might have information about whether Odette sleeps with other women as well as men.

Odette does come to contemplate and then suggest marriage to Swann, not so much to "save" her from present life as to insure her future. The Duchess de Guermantes and her husband warn Swann that he and Odette can never be received in upper-class society again if he goes through with the marriage, but as the scene returns to the present, now a mechanized and modernized scene unlike the dreamlike milieu of the past. We see Swann again as an older man and Odette as his wife. Swann's passion has cooled, but he does not seem to reject his choices, even as he faces death soon.

Background edit

Director Volker Schlöndorff commented later about Proust's Swann in Love as follows:

I must have been sixteen or seventeen, [...] I devoured "Un amour de Swann" in one weekend, lying appropriately under the apple trees in the garden of my boarding school. [...] Proust revealed three worlds to me: the French language, the corresponding society and the unknown regions of love and jealousy. [...] At the time, I, like Charles Swann, had only one desire: to become assimilated in France. [...] When I was offered "Un amour de Swann", I didn't hesitate for a second. I accepted without reading the book again. [...] I saw images in my mind's eye: a man wandering at night across the boulevards, from one bar to the next, in a feverish state of euphoria, searching for a woman who constantly eludes him. He knocks late at night on a window which is not hers. One afternoon, he subjects her to a long session of questioning, he tortures her with his jealousy and takes enjoyment in his own suffering. Odette and Paris: a woman, larger than life, and a city, the epitome of all cities, as well as the man who tries to possess them both - that for me is "Un amour de Swann".[2]

Cast edit

Reception edit

Critical reception edit

Roger Ebert gave the film a positive review and wrote that "Jeremy Irons is perfect as Charles Swann, pale, deep-eyed, feverish with passion."[3] Other critics tended to praise the film's period detail and other technical aspects, but complained that the film did not—and possibly could not—do justice to Proust's literary work. Vincent Canby in the New York Times, for example, remarked that "I suspect that it's not even interesting enough to persuade people to search out the original. If you haven't read Remembrance of Things Past, it doesn't make a great deal of sense, but, if you have, it doesn't make enough."[4]

Awards edit

  • Nominee Best Costume Design - BAFTA (Yvonne Sassinot de Nesle)
  • Nominee Best Foreign Language Film - BAFTA (Volker Schlöndorff, Magaret Menegoz)
  • Winner Best Production Design - Cesar Awards (Jacques Saulnier)
  • Winner Best Costume Design - Cesar Awards (Yvonne Sassinot de Nesle)

References edit

  1. ^ Box office information on film at Box Office Story
  2. ^ "Un Amour de Swann : Summary". volkerschloendorff.com. Retrieved 20 September 2016.
  3. ^ "Swann in Love". rogerebert.com. Retrieved 20 September 2016.
  4. ^ Canby, Vincent (September 14, 1984). "Swann in Love". New York Times. Retrieved December 5, 2020.

External links edit

May 02, 2024
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Swann in Love French Un amour de Swann German Eine Liebe von Swann is a 1984 Franco German film directed by Volker Schlondorff It is based on Marcel Proust s seven volume novel sequence In Search of Lost Time specifically a self contained section of the first volume the title of which typically translates as Swann s Way 1913 It was nominated for 2 BAFTA Film Awards Swann in LoveDirected byVolker SchlondorffScreenplay byPeter Brook Jean Claude Carriere Marie Helene Estienne Volker SchlondorffBased onSwann s Way1913 novelby Marcel ProustProduced byEberhard JunkersdorfMargaret MenegozStarringAlain Delon Jeremy Irons Ornella Muti Fanny ArdantCinematographySven NykvistEdited byFrancoise BonnotMusic byHans Werner Henze David Graham Gerd Kuhr Marcel WenglerDistributed byOrion ClassicsCountriesFranceWest GermanyLanguagesFrenchEnglishGermanBox office 6 1 million 1 Contents 1 Plot 2 Background 3 Cast 4 Reception 4 1 Critical reception 4 2 Awards 5 References 6 External linksPlot editThe film s story follows an original treatment of Proust s story by theater and film director Peter Brook who was originally going to make the movie setting it as a day in the life of the aging and ill Charles Swann Jeremy Irons who looks back on his past life in flashbacks The young Swann is an idly wealthy eligible bachelor in the best circles of Belle Epoque Paris although he is still regarded as something of a social outsider because of his Jewish background He has been having an affair with the Duchess de Guermantes Fanny Ardant but he soon becomes intrigued and then obsessed by the young courtesan Odette de Crecy Ornella Muti Swann s interest in Odette is at first encouraged by Madame Verdurin Marie Christine Barrault a hostess who oversees a tightly knit exclusive and decadent social circle His friend the overtly gay Baron de Charlus Alain Delon helps to arrange for Swann and Odette to meet Swann s obsessive love for Odette however threatens Madame Verdurin s control so she arranges other assignations for the courtesan inflaming Swann s jealousy Even though Swann declares himself to believe in a kind of spiritual egalitarianism his interest in Odette is also aesthetic as shown in references to a copy he owns of a fresco by Botticelli and his comparisons of Odette to the painting s figure the Biblical character Zipporah Odette on the other hand considers herself free to socialise and sleep where she pleases leading Swann to visit a prostitute who might have information about whether Odette sleeps with other women as well as men Odette does come to contemplate and then suggest marriage to Swann not so much to save her from present life as to insure her future The Duchess de Guermantes and her husband warn Swann that he and Odette can never be received in upper class society again if he goes through with the marriage but as the scene returns to the present now a mechanized and modernized scene unlike the dreamlike milieu of the past We see Swann again as an older man and Odette as his wife Swann s passion has cooled but he does not seem to reject his choices even as he faces death soon Background editDirector Volker Schlondorff commented later about Proust s Swann in Love as follows I must have been sixteen or seventeen I devoured Un amour de Swann in one weekend lying appropriately under the apple trees in the garden of my boarding school Proust revealed three worlds to me the French language the corresponding society and the unknown regions of love and jealousy At the time I like Charles Swann had only one desire to become assimilated in France When I was offered Un amour de Swann I didn t hesitate for a second I accepted without reading the book again I saw images in my mind s eye a man wandering at night across the boulevards from one bar to the next in a feverish state of euphoria searching for a woman who constantly eludes him He knocks late at night on a window which is not hers One afternoon he subjects her to a long session of questioning he tortures her with his jealousy and takes enjoyment in his own suffering Odette and Paris a woman larger than life and a city the epitome of all cities as well as the man who tries to possess them both that for me is Un amour de Swann 2 dd Cast editJeremy Irons as Charles Swann Ornella Muti as Odette de Crecy Alain Delon as Palamede de Guermantes Baron de Charlus Fanny Ardant as Duchesse de Guermantes Marie Christine Barrault as Madame Verdurin Anne Bennent as Chloe Nathalie Juvet as Madame Cottard Philippine Pascal as Madame Gallardon Charlotte de Turckheim as Madame de Cambremer Jean Francois Balmer as Dr Cottard Jacques Boudet as Duke de Guermantes Nicolas Baby as the young Jew Charlotte Kerr as sous maitresse Catherine Lachens as la tante Jean Pierre Coffe as Aime Jean Louis Richard as Monsieur Verdurin Bruno Thost as Saniette Geoffroy Tory as Forcheville Roland Topor as Biche Vincent Martin as Remi Arc Adrian as Swann s Valet Pierre Celeyron as Valet Pif Romain Bremond as Protocole Guermantes Veronique Dietschy as Madame Vinteuil Ivry Gitlis violinist Francois Weigel pianist Catherine JacobReception editCritical reception edit Roger Ebert gave the film a positive review and wrote that Jeremy Irons is perfect as Charles Swann pale deep eyed feverish with passion 3 Other critics tended to praise the film s period detail and other technical aspects but complained that the film did not and possibly could not do justice to Proust s literary work Vincent Canby in the New York Times for example remarked that I suspect that it s not even interesting enough to persuade people to search out the original If you haven t read Remembrance of Things Past it doesn t make a great deal of sense but if you have it doesn t make enough 4 Awards edit Nominee Best Costume Design BAFTA Yvonne Sassinot de Nesle Nominee Best Foreign Language Film BAFTA Volker Schlondorff Magaret Menegoz Winner Best Production Design Cesar Awards Jacques Saulnier Winner Best Costume Design Cesar Awards Yvonne Sassinot de Nesle References edit Box office information on film at Box Office Story Un Amour de Swann Summary volkerschloendorff com Retrieved 20 September 2016 Swann in Love rogerebert com Retrieved 20 September 2016 Canby Vincent September 14 1984 Swann in Love New York Times Retrieved December 5 2020 External links editSwann in Love at IMDb nbsp Swann in Love at AllMovie Swann in Love at Turner Classic Movies Summary Swann in Love at Rotten Tomatoes Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Swann in Love film amp oldid 1220520814, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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