A French coming-of-age comedy-drama I've known by reputation, Murmur of the Heart (1971) by Louis Malle has been on my must-watch list for what feels like a long time now. I finally had a chance to see it this week and it at least matched, if not exceeded, my expectations. Supposedly, Malle claimed it as a semi-autobiography- quite a thing to acknowledge when his protagonist, a stand-in for himself, goes to bed with his own mother!
Murmur of the Heart follows the French boy Laurent, almost-15. A precocious intellectual, he reads, gets good grades and is described by his mother as very sensitive. His mother, Clara, is sort of an opposite, an Italian anti-intellectual who never went to school and doesn't vote. Despite this, Laurent and Clara share a bond, and she is more like a friend to her three sons than a mother.
Much of the glimpses into the Chevalier household are slice of life, feel authentic and have real humour to them. Things like the spinach tennis are hilarious; the boys also pull an outrageous prank, switching a priceless painting with a copy they demolish in front of their parents. They're mean to their servants, but this has a sort of dark comic value as well.
The film reaches its special status when Laurent falls ill and gets a heart murmur. After his mom cares for him and sings him songs, they check into a hotel where a misunderstanding leads to them sharing a bedroom. Laurent has recently been pushed into losing his virginity by his brothers, and Clara is a real babe. The Oedipal sexual tension between the two becomes apparent and delicious. Their friendly banter turns to talk about sex, she walks around in her underwear, and they talk about her affair, which she ends. At one point, he spies on her in the bathtub. Clara has such an amazing shape that this is a truly beautiful moment. You almost want them to make love. After a night of heavy drinking, Laurent does go from momma's boy to motherlover- but this happens sort of accidentally, innocently. The film doesn't exactly endorse it- Clara says it'll never happen again- but she also tells him not to regret it, an interesting perspective. Immediately after, he goes to search for a girl his own age, moving on and realizing his sexual identity.
Murmur of the Heart, while maybe appearing sleazy, has heart- honesty, humour, life, and two loving and usually-sympathetic protagonists. This is a rather perverse piece but beautiful in its own way, and is not to be missed.
Murmur of the Heart follows the French boy Laurent, almost-15. A precocious intellectual, he reads, gets good grades and is described by his mother as very sensitive. His mother, Clara, is sort of an opposite, an Italian anti-intellectual who never went to school and doesn't vote. Despite this, Laurent and Clara share a bond, and she is more like a friend to her three sons than a mother.
Much of the glimpses into the Chevalier household are slice of life, feel authentic and have real humour to them. Things like the spinach tennis are hilarious; the boys also pull an outrageous prank, switching a priceless painting with a copy they demolish in front of their parents. They're mean to their servants, but this has a sort of dark comic value as well.
The film reaches its special status when Laurent falls ill and gets a heart murmur. After his mom cares for him and sings him songs, they check into a hotel where a misunderstanding leads to them sharing a bedroom. Laurent has recently been pushed into losing his virginity by his brothers, and Clara is a real babe. The Oedipal sexual tension between the two becomes apparent and delicious. Their friendly banter turns to talk about sex, she walks around in her underwear, and they talk about her affair, which she ends. At one point, he spies on her in the bathtub. Clara has such an amazing shape that this is a truly beautiful moment. You almost want them to make love. After a night of heavy drinking, Laurent does go from momma's boy to motherlover- but this happens sort of accidentally, innocently. The film doesn't exactly endorse it- Clara says it'll never happen again- but she also tells him not to regret it, an interesting perspective. Immediately after, he goes to search for a girl his own age, moving on and realizing his sexual identity.
Murmur of the Heart, while maybe appearing sleazy, has heart- honesty, humour, life, and two loving and usually-sympathetic protagonists. This is a rather perverse piece but beautiful in its own way, and is not to be missed.