Jarenne

Le Genou de Claire (Claire's Knee, 1970) dir. Éric Rohmer 🇫🇷

"Why should I deny myself the pleasure of admiring beauty?"

While spending the summer by Lake Annecy before his upcoming marriage, diplomat Jérôme becomes fascinated by two teenage sisters he meets through an old friend. Although he insists that his interest is merely intellectual, his attention gradually focuses on Claire, particularly on a seemingly trivial detail: her knee. What begins as a harmless curiosity evolves into a subtle exploration of desire, self-deception, temptation, and the stories people tell themselves to justify their actions.

Rohmer's direction is elegant and understated, relying on natural settings, precise dialogue, and careful observation of human behavior. The sunlit landscapes of the French Alps provide a serene backdrop for the film's emotional and philosophical tensions. Long conversations, nuanced performances, and unobtrusive camerawork allow the drama to emerge through gestures, glances, and shifting motivations rather than overt conflict.

The fifth entry in Rohmer's celebrated Six Moral Tales cycle, Le Genou de Claire exemplifies the director's fascination with the gap between thought and action. Jérôme constantly analyzes his own feelings, transforming a minor attraction into a moral and psychological puzzle. The film's wit lies in its ability to expose the contradictions hidden beneath seemingly rational explanations.

Premiering at the Cannes Film Festival in 1970, Le Genou de Claire received widespread acclaim and won the Prix Louis-Delluc. Today it is regarded as one of Rohmer's finest achievements, admired for its intelligence, delicacy, and uniquely perceptive examination of desire and human behavior.

Production Companies

Les Films du Losange

Fida Cinematografica

"Sabían, ahora, que hay una cosa que se desea siempre y se obtiene a veces: la ternura humana"...

Όμως, θυμάμαι όλους τους πόρους στο δέρμα σου, ίσως γιατί από ‘κει αναπνέω, των παρειών σου το πύρωμα, έτσι όπως θα ‘θελα πάντα να είναι ζεστή η ζωή, τους κυματισμούς της κοιλιάς σου, μια κίνηση, που, αν με συνόδευε στο πέρασμα του δρόμου για το αντικρινό πεζοδρόμιο , δε θα την ξεχνούσα ποτέ, της ραχοκοκαλιάς σου το τόξο το ουράνιο, τη μυστική σου σπηλιά, καμίνι που μέσα του λιώνουν όλες οι δεύτερες πράξεις μου, μερικά λυπηρά γεγονότα που σβήνουν εκεί και ξεχνιούνται ολότελα.

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