01 June 2023 Thursday
Movie Recommendation: Ma Nuit Chez Maud (One Night with Maud)
A Night with Maud is the first feature of Eric Rohmer's series known as "Six Moral Stories", which he shot in the early part of his career. After two short films, this film, in which Rohmer reveals his unique style for the first time with the third film in the series, examines and opens up ethical, moral and philosophical issues in itself, like the other films in the series.
The film is about the testing of the faith of Jean-Louis, a young and faithful man, through Maud, a highly intellectual and attractive woman. The film is basically about resisting temptation and discussing the question of whether effort is necessary to achieve it.
Jean-Louise wants to marry a blonde woman who conforms to her Christian ideals. Maud, on the other hand, is a free and atheist woman with black hair. Therefore, instead of Maud, she chooses François, whom she thinks fits these criteria. But is the woman he married the kind of person the Christian faith would call "pure"? It is precisely from this point that Rohmer underlines the meaninglessness of the labels attributed to women by the general public in this film.
In One Night with Maud, we see the director's unique minimalist style of directing, as in his other films. Again, we witness the existential interrogations and ebbs and flows of the characters in most of his films.
One of the most successful auteur directors of French New Wave cinema, this film by Rohmer is a movie that should not be missed by those who love new wave movies.
