THE LOVER (1992)

 

Directed By: Jean-Jacques Annaud 

Written By: Jean-Jacques Annaud and Gerard Brach

Based on The Novel By: Marguerite Duras

Cinematography: Robert Fraisse 

Editor: Noelle Boisson 

Cast: Tony Leung, Jane March, Frédérique Meininger, Arnaud Giovaninetti, Melvil Poupaud, Lisa Faulkner, Jeanne Moreau

In 1929 French Indochina, a French teenage girl embarks on a reckless and forbidden romance with a wealthy, older Chinese man, each knowing that knowledge of their affair will bring drastic consequences to each other.

This is one of the more troublesome movies to watch now as even though it’s based on a classic novel, it still is a love story between an older Asian man and a young French girl. Watching the film we know that both actors are of age but the film is overly erotic, and both actors even being of age are extremely attractive.

So while full of sex. at heart, it tries to be a romance and shows how power, race, and class bring them together, but also pull them apart, as take advantage of the other in their own way. The film feels like a book textured with beautiful international yet a small story. That has heavy and strong ramifications.

I remember when this film came out as one of the first artistic erotic films I remember seeing. As the sex was graphic and realistic, rather than being exploited, it seems to come more from passion, romance, and love.

This would obviously be hard to make today one of the other aspects that was the appeal at the time was that there was an interracial romance on screen. Full of risky material that deals with racism as well as classism.

The rules were reversed as here was an Asian man who was more classy, and had money which he comes from, and her family is more poor, desperate, and savage, he seemed to pluck her off the streets and seduce her, and to a certain point her family despised him for being Asian do like the money that he spends.

The film has plenty of artistic touches that help the film flourish. The art direction is top-notch, and the main character are the defining, all-white suit that he wears throughout. 

The film also happened to be the jewel in the way to the brief film career of the actress, Jane March it was also her screen debut. She was unbelievably beautiful. She followed this film up with films like TARZAN AND THE LOST CITY OF GOLD and PROVOCATEUR and the infamous Hollywood bomb THE COLOR OF NIGHT. Though like her The scope of the film is beautiful to look at. She has continued to work over the years here and there, but never quite in a starring role. The biggest budgeted Hollywood film she was in recently was the remake of CLASH OF THE TITANS. 

By the end when it comes to the characters she is the one you won’t forget, and was hoping that Jane March would have a memorable acting career aside from this film, but she achieved one and done status (One-and-done is usually where an actor actress is so good, but they never ever act again, and are only defined by one role where they stay unforgettable maybe even that character to life so strongly that even when you look at pictures of them in real life, you still see more of the character than the actual actor Which can work for the film as in your mind it makes them more real) even as she appeared in a few other films. None were good one was more infamous and reputation so that leaves the one she truly shines in and shows so much promise.

I remember being pulled into this film and caring about the characters beyond the sex scenes I will admit that the first time one watched the cultural and political stuff went over my head.

The film truly is a perverted story of a taboo romance that once was more common at the time based on a novel, luckily in the film, the girl is aged up a bit and shows her learning of the world through him, usually through the comfort that he can bring her.

Grade: B