One Deadly Summer

One Deadly Summer (L'été Meurtrier)
original film poster
Directed by	Jean Becker
Produced by	Christine Beyout
Written by	Jean Becker Sébastien Japrisot
Starring	Isabelle Adjani Alain Souchon Suzanne Flon François Cluzet
Distributed by	Universal Pictures
Release date(s)	11 May 1983, France
Running time	130 Min Director's Cut 133 Min Director's Cut
Country	France
Language	French

One Deadly Summer (French: L'été meurtrier) is a French film directed by Jean Becker. Isabelle Adjani won a César award for her performance in this film. The film was a massive hit in France gaining 5,137,040 admissions and was the 2nd highest grossing film of the year. ^[1]

Plot summary

In this tragic tale of misunderstanding, obsession, and increasing madness, "Elle," a beautiful young woman (Isabelle Adjani) settles into a small town in the south of France with her introverted mother (Maria Machado) and physically handicapped father and soon becomes the subject of wild speculation because of her aloofness and at the same time, her obvious sexuality. The young woman is actually caught up in the desire to avenge the long-ago rape of her mother, a rape committed by three Italian immigrants, one of whom is associated with a player piano. An attractive car mechanic (Alain Souchon) is enamored of her, and the woman suddenly sees him in a different light when she learns that his father, now dead, was an Italian immigrant who owned a player piano. Intent on taking action against the mechanic's family to right the wrong suffered by her mother, the daughter begins to lose her grip on sanity when she finds out that the men she suspects of the rape are actually innocent. In fact, her father long ago exacted his own vengeance on the three rapists. This knowledge pushes her over the edge, and she has to be institutionalized. Meanwhile, the young mechanic misunderstands what has happened and sets in motion events that cannot but lead to tragedy. The film ends with him tracking down, shooting and killing the two other men Elle suspected of raping her mother. Believing them to be responsible for Elle's current condition.

Cast

• Isabelle Adjani as Eliane Wieck, known as 'Elle'
• Alain Souchon as Fiorimonto 'Florimond' Montecciari, known as 'Pin-Pon'
• Suzanne Flon as Nine, known as 'Cognata'
• Jenny Clève as Madame Montecciari, the mother of 'Pin Pon'
• Maria Machado as Paula Wieck Devigne, known as 'Eva Braun' and the mother of 'Elle'
• Evelyne Didi as Calamité
• Jean Gaven as Leballech, the boss of the sawmill
• François Cluzet as Mickey
• Manuel Gélin as Boubou
• Roger Carel as Henri, known as 'Henri IV'
• Michel Galabru as Gabriel Devigne, the father of 'Elle'
• Marie-Pierre Casey as Mademoiselle Tussaud, the home nurse
• Cécile Vassort as Josette
• Edith Scob as La doctoresse
• Maïwenn Le Besco as 'Elle' as a child

Soundtrack

The original music was written by Georges Delerue^[2]. Yves Montand sings his Trois petites notes de musique, a song that was originally performed by Cora Vaucaire in The Long Absence.

Awards

1983 Cannes Film Festival

• Nominated Golden Palm - Jean Becker^[3]

César Awards, France, 1984

Winner

• César Best Actress - Isabelle Adjani
• Best Editing - Jacques Witta
• Best Supporting Actress - Suzanne Flon
• Best Writing - Adaptation - Sébastien Japrisot

Nominated

• César Best Actor - Alain Souchon
• Best Director - Jean Becker
• Best Film - Jean Becker
• Best Music Written for a Film - Georges Delerue
• Best Supporting Actor - François Cluzet

References

1. ^ http://www.jpbox-office.com/fichfilm.php?id=6815
2. ^ http://www.groovecollector.com/mp/georges-delerue-yves-montand-l'ete-meurtrier/r/113961560/
3. ^ "Festival de Cannes: One Deadly Summer". festival-cannes.com. http://www.festival-cannes.com/en/archives/ficheFilm/id/1573/year/1982.html. Retrieved 2009-06-14. 

External links

• One Deadly Summer at the Internet Movie Database