(Part of our ‘French Language Cinema Season‘ at the Institut français d’Écosse.)
A shimmering glass hotel at the top of a remote Provençal mountain is the setting for this tragicomic story of an obsessive love pentangle, which provides a context in which to explore class struggle and the hollow decadence of the upper class. It was banned during the Nazi occupation for its dark portrayal of hedonistic excesses. Today, it is often singled out as Jean Grémillon’s greatest achievement. Starring Madeleine Renaud, Pierre Brasseur, Madeleine Robinson, Paul Bernard, Georges Marchal
“Lumière d’été is a “sort of a social commentary heightened almost to the level of fairy tale surrealism, it’s a fascinating film…as well as a showcase for a number of superb French performers.” (Mondo-Digital)
“With the benefit of hindsight, Jean Grémillon’s most perfect film, Lumière d’été, can be seen for what it is, a blatant attack on the treachery of the Vichy government during the Occupation.” (French Films)
Venue: Institut français d’Écosse
This Screening is administered by Institut français d’Ecosse