The Bride Wore Black (1968)

[Mr. Arkadin]

Julie Kohler is one determined, resourceful woman. Seeking justice for her bridegroom's death, she stalks the five men responsible in Francois Truffaut's tribute to Alfred Hitchcock, The Bride Wore Black. Although Truffaut uses several of the master's techniques (and even Bernard Herrmann for the score) he applies them in new ways and creates a different kind of Femme Fatale who is not driven by greed or even revenge, but love for the man she has lost. The wedding will start late tonight, but is well worth attending whether you've rice or bullets in hand.

[ChiO]

I haven't seen this in years and will have the DV-R humming. THE BRIDE WORE BLACK was the first major film release (NYC debut, June 25, 1968) based on a Cornell Woolrich story since REAR WINDOW. His friends tried to convince him to see it, but he didn't want to appear in public.

And in a conclusion fitting for a Woolrich story, he died on September 25, 1968.

[charliechaplinfan]

I've had this recorded off the BBC a while ago, I must watch it and compare comments.

[MissGoddess]

Interesting movie---for the most part it played out like a tribute or "wink" as if to be humorous. I saw
scenes and shots reminiscent of at least a half dozen Hitchcock movies, if not more.
Loved the locations and clothes best of all.

[charliechaplinfan]

I've finally watched this, an affectionate tribute to Hitchcock, the ones that came the most vividly to mind were Vertigo, To Catch a Thief and Marnie. I also got a feeling of Tarantino making his own tribute to this movie in Kill Bill.

Lovely scenery, costumes, fascinating story, episodic in it's telling. Did anybody notice that when she wasn't with her victims Jeanne Moreau looked a little frumpy but when she was with her victims, that dissappeared completely. The only little dissappointment at the time was in the men's crime I thought it wouldn't have been an accident judging on the level of her revenge. Now I think it adds a bit of whimsy.

[knitwit45]

RATS!!!! My cable box/DVR died in the storms of Monday night and Tuesday, and the cable folks are dragging their feet. I really wanted to see this one, but I couldn't keep my eyes open, and no recorder....I'm sure it will be on again, so I'm not reading any more about it. DOUBLE RATS!!!!

[Dewey1960]

I enjoy thinking about this film more than I do watching it. And I enjoy watching it quite a bit. As a sustained film, it falters somewhat by way of its adoration of Hitchcock and all things Hitchcockian, most notably in this film because of it's derivation from a Cornell Woolrich story and the suspenseful score from Bernard Hermann. Hitchcock had already established his fascination with doom and gloom-laden fiction of Woolrich: REAR WINDOW (1954) is from a Woolrich short story and his "lost" film, the hour-long 1957 television drama FOUR O'CLOCK is likewise based on a Woolrich tale. (For the complete version of this great film check it out in the HOUSE OF NOIR thread.)

A big part of my enjoyment of THE BRIDE WORE BLACK stems from my appreciation of Truffaut's intense interest in American pulp fiction. Woolrich wasn't the only American noir writer to capture the French director's attention: SHOOT THE PIANO PLAYER (1960), his early, ground-breaking nouvelle vague sensation was based on the novel "Down There" by legendary paperback pulpster David Goodis and CONFIDENTIALLY YOURS (1983), Truffaut's very last film (he died in 1984) was based on the novel "The Long Saturday NIght" by Charles Williams, one of the best unheralded paperback specialists of the 50s and 60s.

SHOOT THE PIANO PLAYER (1960)
[youtube][/youtube]
CONFIDENTIALLY YOURS (1983)
[youtube][/youtube]

By the way, anyone interested in a great read should pick up the book HITCHCOCK / TRUFFAUT which consists of a lengthy interview Truffaut conducted with Hitchcock punctuated with many beautiful stills. It's probably out of print but relatively easy to find.

[charliechaplinfan]

I've dipped my toe into the films of Francois Truffaut and so far been very impressed starting with Jules et Jim. I've been impressed with everything I've seen so far. I've heard of his interviews with Hitchcock, thanks for the recommendation, Dewey.

[feaito]

I have been looking for this film on DVD here in Chile, ever since while on vacation my sister-in-law reminisced about having watched this movie as a small girl and the big impact it made on her. My wife recalls it too. I'm looking forward to watching it, in spite of the fact that I'm not specially fond of Nouvelle Vague directors.

[MichiganJ]

Truffaut is one of my top 5 directors and I, too, like The Bride Who Wore Black a lot. But like Dewey suggests, its mostly a love letter to Hitchcock (and the interview book is a must read.)
As CCF says, the initial "crime" is really an accident, so the interesting aspect of the film, for me, is thinking about Moreau's revenge. It would have been a bit more thought-provoking, I think, if the men who were responsible for her husband's death weren't all relative "bad guys" anyway, but just "average Joe's" who caused a dreadful accident. That, at least, would have made Moreau's revenge morally questionable. If there is a flaw in the film (and there are many, but they only show up after numerous viewings), it's that there isn't a character in which to empathize with (current politics aside, "empathy" is generally a good thing to have, and is a main component in most of Truffaut's films.)

While not a classic like the brilliant Shoot the Piano Player and generally considered a "lesser" Truffaut film (but one of my favorites), is Mississippi Mermaid (La siréne du Mississipi). Here Truffaut offers a film noir, complete with femme fatale (Catherine Deneuve), mystery and plenty of plot twists, which demand multiple viewings.

[MissGoddess]

I like Mississippi Mermaid---I have that one on DVD.

[Mr. Arkadin]

It’s interesting to read all the different opinions here, finally disproving the notion that nobody will watch a foreign film on TCM (I just hope they browse here!). While I certainly agree that BWB is not one of Truffaut’s major works and is not of the same caliber as 400 Blows, Shoot The Piano Player, Jules & Jim or even the same year’s Stolen Kisses, it’s always enjoyable viewing for me, because of Moreau, the Hitch homage, the vast amount of symbolism that Truffaut plays with, and the moral questions which all imply. There are many different things to point out, but just a few might be:

*Julie always dresses in black or white (many times wearing a combination) which is indicative of how she views the world. However, the death of her husband was accidental, implying that good people sometimes do horrible things (which can also be said about Julie herself).

*Unlike most crime films, Bride is less interested in the mystery behind Julie’s murders (which is explained in Vertigo style, midway through the film), as the means by which she executes each man, leading to the next point.

*The five men are actually five different views of male characteristics. Julie adapts herself to each victim, becoming the object of his desire. The killings then complete who they are as characters.

Finally, I’d be remiss if I didn’t state how important Moreau’s acting is to make this film work on any level. If she plays the role too mechanized, we won’t have any sympathy for her, but if she is too human, we might think her killings are justifiable (they aren’t). The result is a balancing act between good and evil and isn’t that what life is all about?

P.S. I love Mississippi Mermaid as well.

[charliechaplinfan]

I think Jeanne Moreau is a great actress and Francois Truffaut uses her so well in this film. She blooms when she is to commit murder other wise her beauty is downplayed. I only felt sorry for one of her victims and that was Philipe Noiret, he seemed too lonely and that he hadn't enjoyed life. I liked his segment the best.

I like the touches that were added like the landlady drinking his vodka, him removing his posters before she visited.

It may have flaws but it's a film that's worth watching every couple of years.

I'll watch out for Mississipi Mermaid, Catherine Denueve is a actress I love to watch.

[ChiO]

MichiganJ wrote:

As CCF says, the initial "crime" is really an accident, so the interesting aspect of the film, for me, is thinking about Moreau's revenge. It would have been a bit more thought-provoking, I think, if the men who were responsible for her husband's death weren't all relative "bad guys" anyway, but just "average Joe's" who caused a dreadful accident. That, at least, would have made Moreau's revenge morally questionable. If there is a flaw in the film (and there are many, but they only show up after numerous viewings), it's that there isn't a character in which to empathize with (current politics aside, "empathy" is generally a good thing to have, and is a main component in most of Truffaut's films.)

That's is an interesting take, but for me it is the lack of empathy that helps make this an intriguing movie. As pointed out, empathy "would have made Moreau's revenge morally questionable." That would also make it just another movie, but instead Truffaut (retaining more of the Woolrich spirit and tone than did Hitchcock) has five men with questionable attributes be victims of revenge that does not seem as heinous as it might otherwise be. That puts the viewer in an uncomfortable moral position. That lack of empathy is a key component of film noir, adding a dark ambivalence to the movie and to the act of viewing it that causes it to rise above the standard mystery.

[MichiganJ]

ChiO wrote:

...but instead Truffaut (retaining more of the Woolrich spirit and tone than did Hitchcock) has five men with questionable attributes be victims of revenge that does not seem as heinous as it might otherwise be. That puts the viewer in an uncomfortable moral position. That lack of empathy is a key component of film noir, adding a dark ambivalence to the movie and to the act of viewing it that causes it to rise above the standard mystery.

For me, I think it actually lets the audience off the hook. Because Moreau is single-minded in her revenge (psychotic, in fact) , and since the five men are defined as "bad" anyway, their murders are "justified". We simply get to sit back and enjoy the "how" aspect of it. The "mystery" is reveled early, so the only remaining mystery is the "how" the murders are going to be accomplished. In many ways, the film is very much like the late '70's slasher films. Better made, of course, with a better plot and acting, but it does pretty much come down to "how is she gonna do this bad guy in". As an audience we care nothing about her "victims" and really not so much about her, when it comes down to it. Unlike Mr. Arkadin's thought-provoking insights, I'm unsure if we, the audience, would think the murders justified if Moreau were more human. (And certainly not if her victims were more human.) I need to think about that some more, but my gut reaction is that we'd sympathize with her, but not empathize.

The key here is I never saw The Bride Wore Black as a noir. I'm a mere novice in the genre, however, so the fault is mine. I keep wresting with what the definition of film noir is, and can't seem to nail it down. It's hard, though, to think of TBWB and another Moreau film (that I do think of as noir), Elevator to the Gallows as being in the same genre. In that film, I think you are absolutely right about the lack of empathy putting the viewer in an uncomfortable moral position. It's actually been awhile since I watched TBWB, so I'm interested in watching it as a noir.