This French film was all about sex and forbidden passion.
“She gave her innocence, her passion, her body. The one thing she couldn't give was her love,” says the tagline on the DVD cover of The Lover.
Set in 1929 French colonial Vietnam, The Lover, or L’Amant in French, is based on Marguerite Duras’s internationally successful biographical novel of the same title. It traces the intense and passionate love affair between a poor 15-year-old French schoolgirl living in French Indochina (Vietnam) and a 32-year-old wealthy Chinese man.
They meet during a ferry ride across the Mekong River while the girl — who has left her impoverished mother and brothers — is returning to the boarding school to complete her studies. Their attraction is instant. The girl — looking to explore her sexuality — accepts the man’s invitation of a ride in his car and thus begins their doomed relationship. They hardly speak inside the car, but touch each other’s hands. The next day the man waits for her near her school. She walks straight into his car and they head to a room for a sexual encounter — the first of many to follow.
Though she becomes his lover, he cannot take her as his wife because he can’t marry someone outside his caste. The girl’s mother sees this as an opportunity to extort money from the man. Refusing to play the part of a prostitute, the girl goes her own way, but continues the passionate affair.
The film was nominated for Best Cinematography at the Oscars. Jean-Jacques Annaud should be given due credit for the bringing this period piece to life with its stunning visuals. The lavish period sets and evocative photography provide an authentic portrait of 1920s Indochina.
The DVD, released by Shemaroo, comes with a price tag of Rs 349. It contains a booklet that has an introduction to World Cinema, a note on Jean-Jacques Annaud and a brief about the movie.
The film starring Jane March as the teenage girl and Tony Leung Ka Fai as the Chinese man is an engaging one. Its crux is the couple’s consistent denial of the fact that there’s anything to their relationship; they both know that knowledge of their affair will bring drastic consequences to each other. Overall, it’s a beautiful portrait of a turbulent love story.
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