Director: Claude Miller
Talent: Audrey Tatou, Gilles Lellouche, Anaïs Demoustier, Catherine Arditi
Release Date: 7th June 2013
It’s the subtleties that separate capable directors from inspired ones. On the face of it, Thérèse Desqueyroux ― a story of misguided marriage ― belongs to a long tradition of pretty, well-produced pastoral dramas. But handled by late director Claude Miller, the film boasts an aesthetic sophistication not often seen in this kind of literary genre.
The long-standing obsession of the international art filmmaker has been the desire to capture pieces of lived-in reality ― Miller is no different. The camera lingers on the small details of movement, affectation and environment (rather than the broader panorama) to bring the audience closer to the intimate world of the characters. It’s those details that give texture to memories, and when caught on film they’re the mark of an old-fashioned master.
That’s why the world of Thérèse never feels artificial, but rather populated and unpolished. While the literary plot is unwieldy at times, the mature, understated eye guiding the action holds it all together.
