"La piscine" is not a "ménage a trois" but a "ménage a quattre". Two men and two women and all sorts of love affiars between them, imagined and real, old and new. "La piscine" is a sultry film with sexual freedom at the surface but strong undercurrents of jealousy. Especially the relationship between the two men is peculiar. Under cover of friendship they try to belittle each other as much as possible.
"La piscine" has not aged well. In 1969 is may have been daring, now it is garish at most. Alain Delon and Romy Schneider manage more or less to conceal the datedness of their characters by acting pretty well. The character of Harry (Maurice Ronet), who is supposed to be a playboy, is outright laughable with his shirts and pantalons that are too tight.
Watching "La piscine" made me wonder how well Henri George Clouzot could have visualised jealousy in a film with Romy Schneider in the lead, had he managed to complete "L'enfer" (1964).
"La piscine" has not aged well. In 1969 is may have been daring, now it is garish at most. Alain Delon and Romy Schneider manage more or less to conceal the datedness of their characters by acting pretty well. The character of Harry (Maurice Ronet), who is supposed to be a playboy, is outright laughable with his shirts and pantalons that are too tight.
Watching "La piscine" made me wonder how well Henri George Clouzot could have visualised jealousy in a film with Romy Schneider in the lead, had he managed to complete "L'enfer" (1964).