François Truffaut was one of the most famous auteur directors, and along with Godard, the founder of the French New Wave. In his short yet glorious career, he primary dealt with two themes: childhood, and love. There was the love for someone that led to the death of others in "La mariée était en noir", the love between actors that shows in their film performances in "La nuit américaine", and, of course, the passionate love story with a fatal end in "La femme d'à coté ".
In a provincial city, one family lives in harmony: a man, Bernard (Gérard Depardieu), his wife, and his son Thomas. Bernard has nothing to be afraid of; he lives the life of a respected husband and father, loves his wife, and she loves him too. Or, so it seems. For the truth is going to be uncovered when a new couple moves next door. Mathilde (Fanny Ardant) and Philippe are an equally loving and socially acceptable couple, who ostensibly have no relation to the other one. Yet, when Bernard sees Mathilde for the first time, old memories come alive; she was his old love, with whom they had a passionate relationship. And so, Bernard wants to live the passion again, a decision which will result in consequences unforeseen by both lovers. None of the two knew what their end would be.
With this film François Truffaut examined the nature of human relationships. The two heroes are examples of spontaneous, young people, who have married someone charming and loving, yet unsatisfying when a real relationship is concerned. They have a nice reputation, and talents (Mathilde is an excellent cartoonist who illustrates and writes children's books), but what they really desire is the passion inherent in true love, whatever the consequences. This stance may easily be perceived as egoistic, since in the surface, these two think only about their love and future, without caring about their families, in which they play a prominent role. Surely, it is so. But on the other hand, if the lovers had chosen to give up on their relationship in favour of their relatives, what this would lead to would be just more sorrow not only for them, but for their loved ones too, as Bernard and Mathilde would now be obliged to live in relationships that, while pleasant, would have no sentimental benefit to them. They wouldn't be passionate towards their spouses, longing for real love elsewhere. At the end of the day, their decision to live their romance is harmful for the short term, but beneficial for the long term.
Or so until the ending occurs.
The ending of "La femme d'à côté" is particularly unexpected, not only because of the aforementioned turn the relationship of Bernard and Mathilde had taken, but also because of the fact that they were in a stage between totally giving up and regretting it had happened. It's the apt ending to a turbulent relationship, full of both love and emotional coldness, joy and sadness. It is the resurrection of a love by ultimately killing it, in some way.
As with other Truffaut films, the director did an amazing job at portraying this romance unfold. The characters are well-developed, shown as versatile humans and not just one dimensional selfish characters. The style of direction is also exquisite, featuring the calm, elegant change of scenes characteristics of a Truffaut movie.
Apart form the direction, what made the story come alive was the acting of the protagonists. Both Depardieu and Ardant gave extremely emotionally intense performances, showing the transition from joy and childish enthusiasm because of the resurrection of a Long-lost love, to the deep pain that it creates to those experiencing it. They could be both calm, reserved and angry, frustrated at the other's hesitation. The character of Bernard especially had this fickle state of mind. Remarkable was also the personage of Madame Juvet, a handicapped old woman living close to Bernard. She was the narrator of the story, and at the same time an active member of it, helping the young man deal with the sudden feelings that overtake him when he meets Mathilde. She is the one who warms him of the dangers of true love, telling him the story of her disability's origin; she got it by throwing herself out of her appartment's window, not wanting to meet a former lover who had married and was coming to Paris. She couldn't stand this betrayal. Is love worth of all that? Bernard and Mathilde soon find out.
As for their spouses, they were representative of the common middle-class members of the time. They were just ordinary people, loyal to their lover's, who wouldn't tolerate any infidelity by them. They essentially serve as the opposite personalities to the passionate Bernard and Mathilde, whose intense relationship comes in stark contrast with their more reserved conjugal lives.
All in all, François Truffaut made, with "La femme d'à côté", a gripping, emotionally charged film that functions as both a study of human relationships and a tragic story. One thing is sure; Truffaut didn't intend this to be a cautionary tale. For, at the end of the day, we don't remember neither the lives of the heroes within their families, nor their careers. What stays in our memories is the love of Bernard towards Mathilde, and her own towards him, one that was so strong that even destiny couldn't tear them apart.
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