Basic
Info
Title:
Les Amants de Montparnasse
Genre:
Drama
Country:
France, Italy
Language:
French
Running
time: 108 minutes
Release
date: 4 April 1958
Staff
Director:
Jacques Becker
Producer:
Sandro Pallavicini
Screenplay:
Jacques Becker, Henri Jeanson
Music:
Paul Misraki
Cinematography:
Christian Matras
Editor:
Marguerite Renoir
Cast
Gérard Philipe as Amedeo Modigliani
Lilli Palmer as Beatrice Hastings
Anouk Aimée as Jeanne Hébuterne
Lea Padovani as Rosalie
Lino Ventura as Morel
Gérard Séty as Léopold Zborowski
Lila Kedrova as Anna Zborowska
Marianne Oswald as Berthe Weill
Summary
“Les
Amants de Montparnasse” is a 1958 French-Italian drama film partially based on
the last years of the life of Italian artist Amedeo Modigliani, who died while working
in poverty in Montparnasse, Paris. Some of the most famous paintings by
Modigliani at the time were the paintings of Beatrice Hastings and Jeanne
Hébuterne, his last two lovers appeared in the movie.
Plot
The artist, Modigliani, known as Modi, who is a leading figure of the bohemians
in Paris, paints while drinking and living with the
charming writer Beatrice, but rarely sells his paintings.
He meets a young and beautiful art student named Jeanne. However, Jeanne is locked
up by her family, who prevents her from meeting Modigliani. His friends, the
Zborowskis, do their best to make Modigliani famous, and send him to Nice to recover
his health, which was weakened by constant alcohol and tobacco. Meanwhile,
Jeanne, who has been locked up, flees and goes to Modigliani in Nice, after
which the two become inseparable.
The Zborowskis, who returned to Paris, organize Modigliani's solo exhibition
at the famous gallery of Madame Weill’s, where those who came to the opening have
free drinks but nobody buys his paintings. Also, the police, who were dissatisfied
with the exhibition, order the removal of a nude on the window. A cynical dealer
Morel says that Modi will soon die, and people then will buy his paintings. The
Zborowskis meet an American millionaire who is interested in Modi's paintings,
but he says he will use Jeanne's blue eyes for advertising his products, and
Modigliani is disgusted at his saying.
Discouraged by the inability to combine the beauty contained in his paintings
of Beatrice and Jeanne with commercial reality, Modigliani tries to sell his paintings
going round cafés, but ends in vain. Collapsing in the street, Modigliani is
taken to a hospital, where he dies alone. Without telling what happened, the
dealer Morel rushes to Jeanne and immediately buys all the unsold paintings of Modigliani
for cash.
Movie
Review
“A genius called Modi who
died poor, sad and neglected!!!”
“Good film, tragic end”
Interesting
stories about the film
1. Originally, Max Ophüls was the
director of the film, but he died soon afterwards and was replaced by Jacques
Becker.
2. Italian actress Lea Padovani was
dubbed by the voices of French actress Nadine Alari in some scenes, and her own
voice with strong Italian accents can be heard in others.
3. German actress Lilli Palmer's
voice was not dubbed in the film, which was very rare in French films at the
time.
Thank you.
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