La Mamain et la Putain by Jean Eustache

This paradox can be traced back to the film’s premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in 1973, where it attracted resentment and praise at the same time. Although many accused it of being immoral and obscene, it won both the Grand Prix and the International Critics’ Prize and became a commercial success afterwards. This highly autobiographical first feature is set in Paris in the aftermath of May ’68 and portrays an impoverished and unemployed young man trapped in a love triangle. This talkative character, Alexandre, is played by Jean-Pierre Léaud, one of the icons of the New Wave movement.

The film is totally fixated on words and shows very little action. conversations between the characters are caught in extremely long, static but intriguing takes. One could endlessly quote the many memorable bizarre monologues by Alexandre, who expresses himself theatrically at all times. His use of the formal ‘vous’ when he addresses his lovers is also extraordinary, a form that belongs to ancient literature instead of everyday language in the Seventies. Although it seems like they are, the actors are never improvising. Every single word was well thought out, and from beginning to end Eustache himself fixed the text in a script that originally counted 300 pages.

After Eustache’s suicide in 1981, critic Serge Daney wrote that thanks to La Maman et la Putain people would remember what it was like living in Paris for the generation that came of age in the wake of the events of May ‘68. After the many celebrations of last year’s anniversary one could be a little fed up with ‘68. This masterpiece however does offer us an interesting, different view on its aftermath.

Gerdien Smit