Fifth about The Seventh

My Night at Maud’s (Ma Nuit chez Maud)

My Night at Maud’s: Éric Rohmer’s drama looks at the experiences of a man, with strong Catholic beliefs, as he goes to an extended dinner at the house of a divorced, freewheeling woman. The dialogue is intense: their conversations are erudite and rich, as they talk about relationships, religion, morality, philosophy. The acting is low-key, but the complex dialogue is incredibly well-read: Jean-Louis Trintignant plays the protagonist, a man who is equal parts shy and intelligent, thrown into a situation where he is not quite in control; Françoise Fabian plays the equally intelligent and prepared woman. Marie-Christine Barrault plays the attractive, younger woman he is attracted to. The film is shot in beautiful black-and-white by the director of photography Néstor Almendros, who holds the shots for the dialogue to be delivered without interruption.

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