"Thérèse Desqueyroux" - Unhappy married woman in the 1920's

Prod.: France, 2012

Dir: Claude Miller

Starting: Audrey Tautou, Gilles Lellouche, Anais Demoustier, Stanley Weber

Runtime: 110 mins

Last film of Director Claude Miller (who passed away in April of 2011, during production), "Thérèse Desqueyroux" is based on the book of nobel prize  Author: François Mauria. First turned into film in 1962, (played by Emmanuelle Riva, this year's oscar nominee actress for "Amour"), is reborn 50 years later by Audrey Tautou.



Thérèse Desqueyroux is the story of the same character name, Thérèse, a free thinker, different than the people living in a small village in France, in the 1920's. As the only heiress of her parent's land, she marries Bernard Desqueyroux, a tedious huntsman (Gilles Lellouche) to bring unity in both family values and their lands.   

When her sister-in-law Anne (Anaïs Demoustier) falls for a Jewish outsider, Jean Azevedo (Stanley Weber)- therefore unacceptable, Thérèse questions her motives of marriage, and is jealous of her beloved best friend for having something she will never have in life. The non passion for her husband gradually turns into annoyance, until the drastic moment where she tries to poison him.  The "why" motives is never objectively answered, but it is clear that Thérèse tries to free herself of all the conventions she has put herself in.

What freedom represents to the main character is explored throughout the film, her quest for independence is being indifferent at times, as a fire that destroys the huge acres of Land, her relationship with her own daughter and the letters she writes to Anne's love.



"Thérèse Desqueyroux" closing film at the Cannes Film Festival in 2012, opens in theaters in NYC.

Review by L. Fietz