After a seven-year gap ,it was to be Marc Allégret's swansong ,in a career which spanned more than forty years .Personally,I have always liked his brother Yves 's works best .Some of his most satisfying films remain his literary adaptations : "lac aux dames " " L'Arlésienne" ,"Blanche Fury" ;on the other hand,his attempt at a "lady Chatterley's lover " adaptation failed because the censorship was hard in 1955.
Based on a Raymond Radiguet 's novel ,which is quite the contrary so to speak ;unlike "Chatterley ",it is a chaste story :think " La Princesse De Clèves " -a book which influenced the novelist- in a Great Gasby world ,where the aristocrats would replace the nouveaux riches .
The main asset is the splendid Christian Matras's cinematography whose pictures are a feast for the eye ,with sparkling colors ; Jean-Claude Brialy and Micheline Presles (who was once the heroine of another Radiguet's adaptation by Claude Autant -Lara , "Le Diable Au Corps ") are strong actors ,so is Sacha Pitoeff in the small part of a fallen Russian prince ;the young ones ,Sylvie Fennec and Henri Garcin are both good-looking but not really convincing in a pure psychological drama; Françoise Sagan's dialog does not help.
The 1970 audience was not able to relate to this story of Belle Epoque people who live in luxury and do not seem to be aware there's a world outside ;as for the 2019 viewer ,it might not be very enthusing either;it's not obvious to feel for those snob posh people 's silent cris de coeur .
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