Cinema
Murmur of the Heart
Le Souffle au cœur
Louis Malle · 1971
Synopsis
Dijon, 1954. Laurent, an adolescent from a bourgeois family, lives with his father, his two older brothers and his mother, Clara, who is of Italian origin. He loves jazz and books, and his days pass without much happening. One day, a heart murmur is discovered, and he leaves with his mother for a cure at a spa town in the Morvan.
Context
Malle wrote the screenplay alone and put into it memories of his youth: his passion for jazz, his curiosity about literature and the tyranny of his two older brothers. The film mixes comedy, drama and autobiography. Benoît Ferreux, Lea Massari, Daniel Gélin and Michael Lonsdale star in it. Criterion sees in it a frank portrait of an awakening adolescent.
Who it is for
About two hours; a coming-of-age story with a light tone but a provocative subject, best reserved for an adult audience.
Prizes and reception
Nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay; Criterion released it in a box set of three films by its director.
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