The first film by André Delvaux already showed his touch : a fascinating blend of dream and reality ;even the most mundane scene looks strange :the hairdresser, the graduation ceremony ;as for that in which the lawyer meets the beautiful woman who's become a famous actress ,it may be only a dream ,or should I say a dream which turns nightmare ...The scene in the cemetery ,the autopsy, which takes place in real time ,is the turning point of the movie ; a somber meditation on life and death follows ;even beauty goes the way of all flesh in what is finally a story of amour fou. The movie in which Govert may (or may not) see Fran,is it reality ?;a fascination for celluloid pictures will come back in "un soir un train" , one of my all time favorite films ; to a person who would like to discover André Delvaux , I suggest he begin with this latter movie, more accessible ; then "rendez-vous à Bray"; and to complete this trilogy of dreamlike movies, this one.
