Cinema
The Mother and the Whore
La Maman et la Putain
Jean Eustache · 1973
Synopsis
In Paris in the early seventies, Alexandre, a young man who prides himself on his ideas and does not work, lives with Marie, who is older than he is. He meets Veronika, a nurse in a hospital, and falls in love with her. Soon the three are bound together in a love triangle made of interminable conversations, in which the man's jealousy and pretensions rise.
Context
Two hundred and eighteen minutes long, the film is made of long takes and dialogue in the form of confession. Jean-Pierre Léaud plays Alexandre, Bernadette Lafont Marie and Françoise Lebrun Veronika. After its release, it remained almost impossible to find for a long time, and appeared on video in North America only in 2025, in a restoration made from its 16 and 35 millimetre elements.
Who it is for
More than three and a half hours; a film of talk, which requires time to spare and a taste for conversation.
Prizes and reception
Special Grand Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival in 1973; Criterion restored it in 4K for its 2025 release.
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