A Nos Amours (To Our Romance) (DVD)

One of the late Maurice Pialat’s most celebrated works finally finds its way onto DVD, courtesy of the award winning Masters of Cinema series.

To Our Romance, which was first released in 1983, concerns Suzanne (Bonnaire), a promiscuous 15 year old growing up in Paris. Unsurprisingly, a turbulent home life and an absent father provoke a strong reaction in young Suzanne and she takes comfort in her promiscuity. A succession of affairs with an assortment of men follows, much to the chagrin of her despairing mother and heavy handed elder brother. 

Tensions in the household continue to escalate and eventually, Suzanne is cornered into an engagement with the charming enough Jean-Pierre, but her attentions are quick to stray.

The film boasts some impressive performances, with Bonnaire particularly good as Suzanne. Despite being a mere 16 at the time, she handles the role with ease; whether that be as the sultry temptress pitted against her male conquests, or the sweet faced teen in conversation with her father. Evelyne Ker is equally impressive as Suzanne’s occasionally unhinged mother, who falls apart after the dissolution of her marriage and focuses her anger on her wanton daughter.

Director Maurice Pialat also turns up in front of the camera, stepping into the shoes of Suzanne’s father. Often a director taking on a role of his own making can prove disastrous, but Pialat is more than competent and actually provides one of the more enjoyable performances in the film. The scenes between his character and on-screen daughter Suzanne are perhaps the finest of the film, not merely because of the talents of both actors, but because they’re the most illuminating.  Pialat’s Father can see right through Suzanne and unlike most, realises there’s more to her than her reckless streak.  

Arguably the film occupies realist territory, even if some lengthier chunks of dialogue come across as scripted and all too deliberate. However, the talented ensemble cast easily masks most shortcomings, with the confrontations between Suzanne and her family particularly raw and believable.

Despite being more than a quarter of a century old, the film still feels very contemporary. Its characters and themes aren’t marred by its age, and the DVD transfer is particularly impressive. Colours look sharp and the image is generally clear. The well crafted two-disc set boasts a selection of special features with some in depth interviews and a particularly interesting analysis of the film.

Overall Verdict: To Our Romance has certainly aged well and looks fantastic on this impressive DVD transfer. This is one of Pialat’s best and will no doubt impress whether you’re coming back for second viewing, or seeking it out for the first time.

Special Features:
Interview with star Sandrine Bonnaire
The Human Eye – 55 minute analysis of the film
On set interview
31 minutes of original screen tests
Original Trailer
Six other Pialat film trailers
Improved English subtitles

Reviewer: David Steele