Eric Rohmer and his films

An introduction to the French new wave filmmaker

Eric Rohmer is a filmmaker born Jean-Marie Maurice Scherer on April 4th, 1920 in Nancy, France. An exponent of the Nouvelle Vague or French New Wave he was editor of Cahiers du cinéma from 1957-1963 and did not begin directing until late into his career. A contemporary of Jean-Luc Godard and François Truffaut, Rohmer is the only New Wave director who is still making films in that manner today.

Eric Rohmer’s work and style

Rohmer’s style is very distinctive and includes

Long takes

An absence of close ups

Very little music

Characters on public transport

Middle class protagonists

Strong, intelligent and complex female characters

Coastal resort locations

Intellectual/philosophical discussions

Use of natural lighting

Themes of Eric Rohmer

Relationships

Introspection

Faith

Fate

Recommended Eric Rohmer Films

Rohmer’s films can be slow for the uninitiated. His pace of editing seeming dated for the post MTV generation. However if the viewer allows himself to adjust to the pace and is patient then they are engrossing works that will have you returning to watch them again and again. He are some recommendations for the unitiated.

Ma nuit chez Maud (My Night at Maud's)

Pauline à la plage (Pauline At The Beach)

Conte d'automne (Autumn Tale)

Conte d'été (A Summer's Tale)

Rohmer’s body of work contains a lot of films in series. These are

Contes moraux (Six Moral Tales)

Comédies et Proverbes (Comedies and Proverbs)

Contes des quatre saisons (Tales of the Four Seasons)

Of these, the Tales of the Four Seasons is the most accessible and is a good place to begin. Pauline at the Beach from the Comedys and Proverbs series has a very engaging storyline and is a good introduction to Rohmer’s work.

Where can I see Rohmer films?

Rohmer’s films are generally screened in art house cinemas. Some occasionally will do Rohmer seasons but it’s actually quite rare to get to see one of his films on the big screen All his films, however, are available on DVD but avoid the U.K single release (i.e. not with The Four Seasons collection) of A Summer’s Tale. There are some problems with the DVD coding and it won’t work on some players. Check your local art cinema listings.

Eric Rohmer’s influence today

Eric Rohmer’s work has influenced many modern directors including Stanley Kubrick and Quentin Tarantino and his film L'Amour l'après-midi (Love in the Afternoon) has recently been remade as I Think I Love My Wife starring Chris Rock. With the advent of DVD it's become easier to gain access to Rohmer's work and his reputation will only increase with time.

Despite being in his eighties Eric Rohmer is still making films today. He is a true great of cinema.