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Le bel été 1914

  • 19961996
  • 1h 57m
IMDb RATING
6.2/10
120
YOUR RATING
Le bel été 1914 (1996)
  • Drama
A couple take their son for the holidays to an uncle, so short of money that he rents part of his big isolated house to a businessman whose wife and daughters are there on holiday too. An af... Read allA couple take their son for the holidays to an uncle, so short of money that he rents part of his big isolated house to a businessman whose wife and daughters are there on holiday too. An affair develops among the adults, while the children start their own explorations. Deaths, d... Read allA couple take their son for the holidays to an uncle, so short of money that he rents part of his big isolated house to a businessman whose wife and daughters are there on holiday too. An affair develops among the adults, while the children start their own explorations. Deaths, disappearances and financial ruin follow as the world drifts into war.
IMDb RATING
6.2/10
120
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Christian de Chalonge
  • Writers
    • Louis Aragon(novel)
    • Dominique Garnier(dialogue)
    • Christian de Chalonge
  • Stars
    • Claude Rich
    • Maria Pacôme
    • Hippolyte Girardot
Top credits
  • Director
    • Christian de Chalonge
  • Writers
    • Louis Aragon(novel)
    • Dominique Garnier(dialogue)
    • Christian de Chalonge
  • Stars
    • Claude Rich
    • Maria Pacôme
    • Hippolyte Girardot
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 2User reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 nomination

    Photos

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    Top cast

    Edit
    Claude Rich
    Claude Rich
    • Comte de Saintevilleas Comte de Sainteville
    Maria Pacôme
    Maria Pacôme
    • Mariaas Maria
    Hippolyte Girardot
    Hippolyte Girardot
    • Pierre Mercadieras Pierre Mercadier
    Judith Henry
    • Paulette Mercadieras Paulette Mercadier
    Marianne Denicourt
    Marianne Denicourt
    • Blanche Pailleronas Blanche Pailleron
    Philippe Torreton
    Philippe Torreton
    • Ernest Pailleronas Ernest Pailleron
    Emmanuel Salinger
    • Le docteur Moreauas Le docteur Moreau
    Julia Maraval
    • Suzanneas Suzanne
    Robinson Stévenin
    • Gabrielas Gabriel
    Pauline De Boever
    • Yvonneas Yvonne
    Marie-Joséphine Crenn
    • Jeanneas Jeanne
    Maria Lhande
    • Martheas Marthe
    Cécile Caillaud
    • Rosineas Rosine
    Carole Richert
    • Deniseas Denise
    Stéphanie Petiot
    • Une tuberculeuseas Une tuberculeuse
    Joël Bertinier
    • Bonifaceas Boniface
    Jehan Espinas
    • Gustaveas Gustave
    Wicktor Potocki
    • Victoras Victor
    • Director
      • Christian de Chalonge
    • Writers
      • Louis Aragon(novel)
      • Dominique Garnier(dialogue) (screenplay)
      • Christian de Chalonge
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    User reviews2

    Review
    Top review
    7/10
    dancing on a volcano.
    "LE BEL ETE 14":what an oxymoron! That summer was anything but beautiful,and the characters of the movie do not know that all their hopes and plans will sink like Titanic -the picture of the ship comes back several times-.Claude Rich's last line is scary :"I hope they 'll have the war!"

    His world had already gone :an old aristocrat,short of the readies,who does not accept the new world ruled by the bourgeois class ,epitomized by the industrialist played by Philippe Torreton,de la comédie française,and by the doctor who finally grabs the castle which will be turned into a hospital.When the movie begins,it's already the end of the line for the old squire:he's forced to rent out a part of his desirable mansion to the industrialist's family.

    But even the "new " world is also collapsing:in the heart of the country,the news is leaking out:Sarajevo,Pointcarré and Jaurès are quoted in the dialogue,but all that seems very far away for these people ,as if it came from another world.

    This small microcosm keeps on living in a splendid landscape;love affairs appear and disappear .The last picture,where all the characters except for the doctor -apparently the winner who takes it all,only the audience knows it's just an illusion-,are dressed in black,because of the noble's sister's death,is an omen:this world is about to fall,and red and black will replace the green green grass of home.

    Christian de Challonges made very few movies ;the most famous is "malevil"(1981) a rather clumsy sci-fi effort.But his best work remains "l'alliance"(1970) in which animals seemed to sense dangers which elude man;the pictures of the bees,in "le bel été 14" might be a nod to "l'alliance" .The children burying the birds after a funeral is probably a nod to René Clément's celebrated "jeux interdits" (1947)

    "Le bel été 14" manages to generate some kind of nostalgia that lingers after the viewing,which is quite a feat ,considering the immediate future of its characters.In spite of banal love affairs -the worst being the one which concerns the children- this is definitely a movie worth watching.Excellent performances by the whole cast.
    helpful•11
    0
    • dbdumonteil
    • Oct 23, 2003

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • August 21, 1996 (France)
    • Country of origin
      • France
    • Language
      • French
    • Also known as
      • Der schöne Sommer
    • Production companies
      • Les Films du Losange
      • UGC Images
      • Rhône-Alpes Cinéma
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

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    • Runtime
      1 hour 57 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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