Cesar & Rosalie

'Cesar et Rosalie', the title of the 1972 movie by French film director Claude Sautet, can easily be misleading. It is not a simple love story, or rather it is not a single love story, but two. In other words, it is the story of a love triangle, in which a woman is loved by two men, and returns love to both of them. The situation seems awkward and could be the subject of a passional film about jealousy with the potential to end tragically, or it could be a pretext for a wild comedy. I confess that I know very little about Claude Sautet, the film's director and co-writer. If my memory serves me well, this is his first film I've ever seen. His merit here is to have written a sensitive and intelligent story and to have chosen and led a formidable team of actors with the help of which he made a film that withstands the test of the almost half century that passed from production.

Rosalie (Romy Schneider) is newly divorced taking care of her little daughter. Cesar (Yves Montand), her boyfriend, is much older than her, but he is rich, charismatic, and full of self-confidence, at least until the appearance of David (Sami Frey), Rosalie's first love from the time just before her marriage. The two men love Rosalie, each of them in his own way, very different from each other. Rosalie hesitates as she cannot decide between the younger man who has left abandoned her years before and the older man who ensures her safety and who seems willing and able to do anything for her. Where will the romantic competition between the two lead? What will Rosalie decide? I will say, of course, nothing about the ending except that it is one of the few cases in which I do not agree with my favourite film critic, the late Roger Ebert, who criticised it quite severely. I really liked the open and surprising final. Today's feminists may be irritated for much of the film, but they will be rewarded in the end. In fact, a new movie could start here.

Yves Montand and Romy Schneider are fascinating, and it's hard to believe that it's been almost 50 years since this film was made and 3-4 decades since they've left this world. Sami Frey completes this triangle that draws the kind of plot that was very fashionable during the French New Wave, but which is described here with the methods of classic French cinema based largely on text and the charm and talent of the actors. Claude Sautet knew how to direct his actors and leave them enough freedom to get the best of them. The cinematography, the music, the natural and urban scenery are no more than effective, serving the plot. An interesting extra detail, proof of Sautet's casting talent, is the appearance of a 19-year-old red-haired actress named Isabelle Huppert in a supporting role, one enough well defined and with enough presence on screen so that we can remember it - probably the first more consistent role of the future star in a feature movie. 'Cesar et Rosalie' is a beautiful and interesting film, which has withstood the test of time and is still worth watching or re-watching today.

I saw "Cesar and Rosalie" at the Jerusalem Cinematheque. I had only seen Claude Sautet's later movies (which I loved), and was unsure what to expect. The cinema was packed full of people, and some of the older members of the audience were laughing out loud almost immediately at Yves Montand's antics. I was a bit more restrained. But it didn't take long for me to find myself laughing as well. And not only me; it seemed like everyone there was in good spirits, young and old alike. Yves Montand's acting was incredible, Romy Schneider is terribly desirable, and the film just floated along. Definitely worth seeing, both if you're a Claude Sautet fan or if you want a charming movie about the interesting relationship which develops between the movie's three protagonists.

I first saw this movie in 1974 while in college and was struck with how human the characters were. Even at my age, I felt for Yves Montand and his passion for this woman that he knew was so different and so out of his reach and for Romy Schneider, torn between her need for the security and peace that the Montand character offered and the excitement and youth offered by Sami Frey.

I chanced to see it again twenty-five years later and found it still mesmerizing and enchanting. Funny, warm, endearing and well worth watching!

It was Claude Sautet who revitalised the career of Romy Schneider in 'Les choses de ma vie' for which we owe him a great debt of thanks. 'César et Rosalie' is their third collaboration and although the later 'Simple Story' provided her with her best role, this is my personal favourite. An actress of immense grace and sensitivity adored by the camera whose sad end is a grim reminder that even those gifted by the Gods are subject to the hammer blows of Fate. As for Yves Montand his performance is out of the top drawer and decidedly one of this best. He plays a self-made man who is happy in his relationship with Rosalie and seemingly confident in his masculinity. He then meets Davide, a former lover of Rosalie and it is then the insecurities start to show...... Davide is perfectly played by the enigmatic Sami Frey whose shy, gentle character represents the other side of the coin. The ever-changing dynamics of this trio's relationships are fascinating to watch and although those who prefer their film endings to be conclusive might find this one unsatisfactory, the fact that it ends with a question mark makes it, in my opinion, even more interesting. Good writing makes good actors even better of course so mention must be made of Sautet's regular script collaborator Jean-Loup Dabadie. There were more beauties to come from Sautet over the next twenty years but this is certainly one to treasure. Highly recommended.

I was amazed from this film! Not only because I usually like Yves Montand and Romy Schneider, but because above all this is a film about human feelings and reactions.

Claude Sautet's works are not intellectual movies, but they have the quality of showing people in real life, with their strength and their weakness, we can find people who laugh and cry. They are films about life, there isn't necessarily an happy ending. (In Hollywood they're not able to talk to us about REAL persons.) Simple, isn't it? A director normally shows life, you may say. But in reality I don't think it's so easy. The risk is to talk about people with exaggerations and melodramatic elements. In movies like "César et Rosalie" we find common situations, people with whom we can identify and share feelings.

Here we have a woman who can't choose between two men... (Ingmar Bergman has another approach, in choosing psychological and darker aspects of people. It's another valid method.) I chose to comment this film because it's an example of intimate cinema, a way of telling stories which talk to hearts.