Whilst a classic of the French New Wave, François Truffaut’s feature is a period costume drama as best friends Jules and Jim vie for the affections of Jeanne Moreau over a 25 year period.
Based on the novel by Henri-Pierre Roché, Jules and Jim chronicles a buoyant love triangle between two friends. Even war cannot come between them. As a German, Jules (Oskar Werner) must fight with the opposing army to the Frenchman, Jim (Henri Serre). But they survive and Jules marries Catherine. Yet she betrays him throughout whilst Jim is obsessed with the wife of his best friend.
An intimate, free flowing love story, Jules and Jim is, ultimately, somewhat overrated. Jules is abused by both Catherine and Jim, yet, assumed to be merely charming and full of bon vivant, this is acceptable behaviour. It’s tender, it’s innocent and tinged with sadness – but its full of affectation and assumption that the characters are actually likeable.
Rating: 44%
Director: François Truffaut (The Last Metro, Day For Night)
Writer: François Truffaut (The Last Metro, Day For Night), Jean Gruault (My American Uncle, The Story of Adele H) based on the novel by Henri-Pierre Roché
Main cast: Jeanne Moreau (The Lovers, Viva Maria), Oskar Werner (The Spy Who Came In From the Cold, Ship of Fools), Henri Serre (Le feu fillet, Le combat dans l’île)
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