The "tu-vous" sequence between Julie and Jacques is a genuine lesson in Cinema, worthy of Eric Rohmer.
I copy here the text:
Julie: - Why don't you say "tu" to me? Jacques: - I think "tu" is so trite "tu" is cold, "vous" is more subtle, more refined. It has a certain otherness, a tension, a distance whereas "tu" is brutal, it sits there and does nothing. Julie: - I don't mind the "tu". Jacques: - You're still in a childhood "tu" It's often the case in the working classes, the "vous" form is used as a defense or to be polite. Using "vous" doesn't put up any barriers, it's an invitation to find out more. Saying "vous" is far more sensual than saying "tu"
But the whole sequence is a work of art: note the camera angle, the light, the background music, what the actors do (they do a lot in this short sequence), how they move, the expression of the faces, the eyes. It is worth watching more than one time, because there is so much to catch in these 2-3 minutes.
I copy here the text:
Julie: - Why don't you say "tu" to me? Jacques: - I think "tu" is so trite "tu" is cold, "vous" is more subtle, more refined. It has a certain otherness, a tension, a distance whereas "tu" is brutal, it sits there and does nothing. Julie: - I don't mind the "tu". Jacques: - You're still in a childhood "tu" It's often the case in the working classes, the "vous" form is used as a defense or to be polite. Using "vous" doesn't put up any barriers, it's an invitation to find out more. Saying "vous" is far more sensual than saying "tu"
But the whole sequence is a work of art: note the camera angle, the light, the background music, what the actors do (they do a lot in this short sequence), how they move, the expression of the faces, the eyes. It is worth watching more than one time, because there is so much to catch in these 2-3 minutes.