I had the chance to experience Otto Preminger’s film Bonjour Tristesse on the big screen this past December at Cinematheque Ontario. What an interesting film! I had not heard much about Preminger’s work before but this was a nice film to make my acquaintance of his work…
We meet 17 year-old Cecile (Jean Seberg) who goes to spend her summer vacation in the French Riviera with her “playboy” father Raymond (David Niven). Anne (Deborah Kerr) — a former friend of Cecile’s deceased mother — arrives to spend part of the summer holidays with Cecile and Raymond. Things get interesting when Raymond decides to act his age and begins a serious relationship with Anne much to Cecile’s dismay. This could only lead to a tumultuous end.
Prominger’s use of colour for the past and black & white for the present is ingenious and sets the tone for the film; melancholy throughout. Seberg delivers a great performance and so do Niven and Kerr. The title song is also beautifully and painfully sung by Juliette Gréco. I have provided you here with a clip of the film along with this great song… If you are ever in the mood, rent this film, it will surprise you.
