"April 1919" "It was the 1st spring after the war." "The night before, they escaped from a boring party." "They drove across the countryside to this inn." "They drank, they danced." "Everything seemed delightful." "They were young." "Marianne..." "Antoine..." "I like you." "How I like you!" "Solange..." " I've lost a stocking." " You weren't wearing any." "What's that then?" "Will you come?" "To my place." "Whenever you like." "Can I use your brush, Marianne?" "Leave them alone." "I wouldn't mind another drink." "What about you?" "I'd like to die here." " Let's go." " Gilbert, leave us alone." "But I don't want to go." "I don't want to!" " Let's go, Solange." " No!" "I don't want to." "TWO" " I can't see Régine." " Get closer." "Of course you can't, with that dress she's wearing." "Odile, please." "Are we ready now?" "Evelyne, your hair." "Is this better, Daddy dear?" "Marianne, please, look at the camera." "Great." "Now don't move." "What's wrong now?" "Come on, Daddy." "It doesn't matter." "What if I painted you instead?" "Oh, no!" " It won't do." " Yes, it will be great for dancing." "He's Dominique's friend." "What does he do?" "I don't know." "Nothing." "They fought together." "Your baron doesn't work either." "A baron never works." " What do you think?" " Yes." " Well?" " I preferred the other." " I mean Antoine." " How would I know?" "You love him, then." "What about him?" "It never works with the first one anyway." "Since the war ended," "Antoine Carmontel had been sharing a flat with Dominique Hériot, his best friend." "Antoine lived from day to day, carefree." "Dominique spent his money on paintings and African masks." "What's that?" "I know, it's awful." "Worse than that." "It's by Segré." "I was at his house tonight." "Solange was there." "And Marianne, of course." "Did you have to buy it?" "He did nice paintings, a long time ago." "What was the evening like?" "Quite ordinary." "Fruit cocktails, Hawaiian music..." "The daughters are deadly dull, except for Marianne." "There's something about her mother too." "Do you know what Solange told me?" "She slept with Gilbert." "You're very silent." "There you go, sir." "Thank you." "In the Shadow of Young Girls in Flower" "I heard you come here often." " It's been a while." " I know, I come every day." "Really?" "You were waiting for me?" "I wasn't bored, you know." "I read," "I chatted with some friends..." "I drank too." "You seem surprised." "It's true." "I had given myself a week." " "A week"?" " Yes, to bump into you." "What if you hadn't?" " You wouldn't have seen me again." " Why?" "You didn't try to." "I didn't think of it." " You didn't want to." " I didn't say that." "Marianne," "I liked you as soon as I saw you." " Do you love me?" " Of course." "No, you don't." "Not yet." "How would you know?" "No." "You're right, I don't love you." "I'm unable to love." "My mistress keeps telling me that." "I'd like to meet her." "So you're single tonight?" "Well, yes, I am." "You did promise." "The lines." "So..." " There's a heart line." " Really?" " You're going to meet someone." " Someone..." "I wonder who." ""A heart, mine, follows you in your northbound journey," ""up there." ""Love is free," ""fate never reaches it." ""Lou," ""mine is even stronger than death." ""A heart, mine, follows you in your northbound journey," ""Love..."" " Goodbye." " Goodbye." "Thank you." " Thank you for coming." " See you." "I'm really glad you could make it." "See you." "Take care." "Take care." "Lucien, I'll walk you." " See you." " See you." "Goodbye." "Beautiful." "Bye." " Take care." " Thank you." "I'm going home." " Goodnight." " Nice seeing you." " Goodbye, Marianne." " Goodbye." "You stayed?" "What do you think of Nicole?" "She's beautiful." "Will you come back?" " Bye, pal." " Bye." "See you soon." " Goodnight." " Goodnight." "Sorry." " Where are we going?" " No idea." "The one who lost the card game gets to choose." "That's easy." "Next month, you'll see." "Next month." " Are you OK?" " Better than that!" " What's on your mind?" " Why, you of course!" "Yes, of course." "What's that look?" "I watched you all evening." "And...?" "Nothing." "The trip to Florence you keep talking about..." " Maybe it's the right time" " You want to get rid of me?" "What's got into you tonight?" "Nothing." "I'm fine." "I'm sorry..." "What are you doing here?" "I was asked to wait." "Who are you?" "Antoine." "Antoine Carmontel." "I've come to see Marianne." "I've been forgotten." "This is a madhouse." "She must've told you." "I'll come back." "Marianne!" "I'm Evelyne." "Marianne?" "Someone's waiting, didn't you know?" "Have you been here long?" "I'm going to the countryside tomorrow." "Would you care to join me?" ""Tomorrow"?" "No, I can't." "We could push it back." "I don't think so." "Listen, Marianne." "I'll be alone and I want to see you." "Hold me." " You're trembling?" " Tighter." "Part of you is always somewhere else." "Do you think we'll be happy some day?" "I don't know." "We're too young to think about happiness." "I think happiness is a choice." "You need to decide to be happy." "Is that so?" "You really believe that?" "You won't discourage me." "Shall I walk you home?" "No, stay." "Stay here." " Don't look so surprised." " I'm not surprised." " I'm noticing you've changed." " I have." "So what?" "The whole world changes." "And you know what?" "Now I believe in happiness." "I hope you'll be very happy, then." "We've spent enough time on the Lucas case." "I'd like to see it again." "You're always so pernickety." " He owes us money." " What's the matter exactly?" " It's not important." " See!" " Let Gilbert explain." " He says it's not important." "Stay out of this." "What do you know about it?" "Yes, what do you know about your brothers' business?" "They're good for nothing, both of them." "I've never seen such a spineless boy." " And Gilbert..." " What are you saying?" "I'm talking about your sons, Berthe, we're heading for disaster because of them." "Who was it?" "I didn't pick up." "Probably Marianne." "What if she calls back?" "She won't call back." "Are you already tired of her?" "Get dressed." "Hello?" "Yes, we're just leaving." "It was Bertholot." "He's waiting at the café near the cemetery." "He was already crying." "And drunk I bet." "Marianne thought:" ""It's over." "He won't come." ""He wants to end it." "He won't come."" "On the way back, her legs and hands were shaking." "She went into the first shop she saw, and wrote:" ""I waited for you again today." ""Enough pain." "I don't want to see you again." ""Goodbye."" "He's in Italy." "Didn't you know?" ""In Italy"?" "I was so stupid." "Yes, of course." "What about you and Dominique?" ""Dominique..."" "He wants life to be more beautiful than what it is." "He only cares about his paintings." "He'll change once you're married." "Marianne," "I'm pregnant." " It's Gilbert's." " Are you sure?" "He did it deliberately to make me marry him." "How far along?" "Four months." "What are you going to do?" "What would you do?" "It's too late now." "It's still possible." "I met a woman at my aunt's." "She'll help me." " There's no other way." " Aren't you scared?" "You could die." "Yes, I am scared." "Of course I'm scared, but what else can I do?" "You could..." "Lie to Dominique?" "Lie my whole life?" " He might look like Gilbert." " Maybe he'd understand." "Maybe." "But what if he didn't?" "I'm so bored!" "Sundays are deadly dull." "Especially when you don't work." "You won't laugh when we're broke." "Why do you always talk about the worst?" "Because I'm the only one who's realistic." "But we still have a good life." "We'll have to sell Dad's paintings soon." "And it won't help much." "We'll marry you off then." "Nothing beats a good marriage." "Look at Régine." "The baroness still hasn't said yes." "And marrying a baron is great but they're more broke than we are." "What about you?" "What, "me"?" "When will you meet someone?" "I'm looking." "What's it like being in love?" " Really in love." " Can we change the subject?" "You're saying this because Antoine left, but when he comes back, you'll be with him, we'll never talk." "Are you his mistress?" "Come on, you can tell me!" "Come on, just that." " It's funny, I couldn't tell." " It's not written all over my face." "I would feel as if everybody knew." "Especially Mum!" "But... in your body..." "I don't know, your gestures, your attitude, isn't there a difference?" "Did you get pleasure?" "I don't know." "Yes, probably." "Sorry to disturb you." " May I use your phone?" " Of course." "You never disturb me." "Nothing serious?" "It's my friend Solange." " Dad, the phone, please." " Yes." "There you go." "Hello, number 47 in Montargis, please." "Yes, I'll wait." "Algún problema?" "We'd better leave her." "I need to go to the station." " Now?" " Yes, now." "She'll live." "I know she will." "Yes." "She didn't tell me anything." "Why?" "Don't torture yourself." "She's going to need you." "I'll go and see her, then I'll leave." "You can go up, Marianne." "Solange is waiting." "I knew it wasn't going well." "I could feel the blood." "I lost a lot of blood, you know, as if I were leaving, as if life were leaving." "Yet I was calm, very calm." "A peacefulness I had never experienced." "I missed life a little, of course, but not love." "I knew that if I survived," "I'd be through with love." "I wouldn't love anyone." "And it was great." "Marianne... don't be angry." "I'm not angry." " I thought about you." " I don't want to hear it." "Yes, of course." "You're free." "I didn't ask you for anything." "I should've said I was leaving." "You didn't say, you just left." "We need to be husband and wife, live together." "I want you and nothing else." "Give me your hand." "Are you scared?" "I know you can be cruel." "I know you can be fickle." "Marianne and Antoine got married in the late summer." "That day, the weather was mild, misty, uncertain." "Solange didn't come." "She was recovering away from Paris." "She wrote Marianne regularly." "She said she was regaining her strength." "After a few weeks, Dominique went to meet her." "You're smiling." "Yes, are you surprised?" " Why are you hiding here?" " I'm not hiding." "It's a good life." "I'm resting." "A good life?" "Among the sick?" "Exactly, I'm not alone." "And I'm taken care of." "Did you suffer a lot?" "No." "I'm better." "I came to get you." "I won't leave without you." "Or I'll stay here, on this chair, next to you, under this blanket." "We'll watch the sun rise and set together." "It will never end." "No, Dominique, no." "Forgive me for the pain I caused you." "I might've seemed fickle and harsh." "I probably was, but it wasn't exactly me." " That's not me, you know it." " It's too late." "Why didn't you say anything?" "I would've loved that child." "Here." "Read." "Read it." "Out loud." ""Let me come to you." ""You will see, nothing terrible will ever happen" ""when I'm around." ""I will give you so much love." ""I've marked you more deeply" ""than Dominique ever could."" "That's not true." "You know it isn't." "Tell me it's not true." ""That child was mine." "You are mine." ""When you feel strong enough, we'll get married."" " You won't accept." " "You'll be my wife." "Gilbert."" "Solange, tell me you'll never accept." "He's not the man you love." "Don't you want a honeymoon?" "With what money?" "I could ask my dad for an advance on my allowance." " Where shall we go?" " Everywhere." "We could go to Florence." "No, not Florence." "Alright..." "I love Florence." "Does Nicole like Florence too?" " "Nicole"?" "What..." " Didn't you go there with her?" "What are you saying?" "It has nothing to do with her." "It doesn't matter." "You decide." "I have to leave this here for now." "Good." "I feel naked now." "There wasn't much of my stuff." "This flat was yours." "That will change soon." "You'll be happy here." "Goodbye, corporal." "I'll write from London." "Will you visit?" "I mean both of you?" " When did it happen?" " A week ago." " You're telling me now?" " I just found out." "Mum didn't want us to worry." " It's serious, then." " It may become serious." "The doctor mentioned a gastric flu." "But he was already tired." "Your wedding and Gilbert's were a lot to handle." "What's the connection?" "Take off your coat." "A drink?" "Can I see him?" "Mum is with him." "She never leaves the room." " We also need to talk." " About what?" "His affairs are in bad shape." "If something happened..." "I'm here." "Do you mind the light?" "Tell me." "They checked the accounts, without telling me of course." "They say the situation is disastrous." "My father speculated on shares that plunged." "There's nothing left." "Absolutely nothing." "Only the flat and my mother's nest egg, a mystery apparently." "I don't expect anything from her." " As long as your dad lives..." " He's dead to them." "Meanwhile, I'm without an allowance." "What will you do?" "Like everyone else, dear," "I'm going to work." "Don't worry." "I'll learn." "You've changed." " Marriage has changed you." " No, you've changed." "Do you like it?" "Edmond spoils me." "So everyone's fine." "Here's the address of the office." "I wrote down the details." " Go as soon as you can." " Thank you." "Don't keep the card It's Edmond's." "He doesn't need to know." "And don't mention us." "Is he jealous?" "He hates favours." "It's an undemanding job." "I know you deserve better, but it's a start." "I have to go." "I'll call you to let you know." "Don't." "Good luck." "Do you remember this service?" "Do you think I can take it?" "None of this is being used." "Take anything you like." " Will it be a big party?" " I don't know." "You'll be there." " Did you invite Solange?" " She won't come." "She says yes and then she finds an excuse." "She doesn't want to see anyone." "Can I bring someone?" "You?" "Yes, of course." "Tell me who it is." "Robert Blachet's nephew." "Robert Blachet is the guy Odile is seeing." "That's how I met him." "Do you see him often?" "What's his name?" "Blachet as well." "Henri." "We're engaged." "Well, not exactly." " You're telling me now?" " I never see you!" "You can't get married at 19!" "But I'm bored here." "It's been so sad since you left." "Happy 1920" "I bumped into Lennart." ""Lennart"?" "One of my friends from the regiment." "He used to come here." "We went for a drink and he casually mentioned that his dad is selling his factory." "He has a rather big nail factory in Ivry and Lennart wants to take it over." "Let's open a bottle." "He needs someone." "So I told him I was interested." " Is he hiring you?" " Better than that, he offered me to be his partner." "We'll talk about it tonight." "I was made to be a boss." " Are you happy?" " What's come over you?" "Can't you just tell me if you're happy?" "Antoine, pour me a drink." "I'll get familiar now." "Dance with me." "Five, four, three, two, one..." "Happy New Year!" "Happy New Year!" "Happy New Year, darling." "Best wishes!" "Hello?" "Yes." "It's really splendid." "You always made shrewd moves." "You didn't come here to admire the machines, did you?" "I wanted to see you." "We never have time." "Why don't you come and have dinner at home sometime, with Marianne?" "Get to the point, Pascal." "Why are you so interested in us now?" " It must be a lot." " What are you talking about?" "About these sudden endearments and compliments." "I thought I was a good-for-nothing dabbler." "Don't say no." "It runs in the family." "As my business is doing well, and yours is declining, you've come to ask me for money." "So how much?" " I'm not that desperate yet." " Good." "Anything else?" "I need Mum's flat." "Just for a few months, a year at the most." "By saving on rent, I think I can pull through." "She would stay with us, naturally." "You have my consent." "I suppose you already have Gilbert's." "Thank you." "What are you doing?" " I was watching for you." " In the stairs?" "I'm going out." "I haven't seen Marianne for months." "She's in no fit state to see you." "When she's given birth then." "I could see the baby." "It will only make you feel bad." "But I'm not ill." "I don't understand." "Solange, dear, everything I do is for you." "I feel as if I were in prison." "In a coffin." "I can't do anything." "I can't see anyone." "I feel as if I were dead." " The doctor will calm you down." " No, please." "I'll calm down." "I'm calm." "See, I'm obedient." "I'm perfectly calm." "Darling..." "It's over, I'm here." "Are you staying for dinner?" "Not with all these people." "Come on, stay." "Evelyne and Henri will be here." "I'll go to the flat and see how the renovations are going." "How are you feeling?" "The baby gets all the attention." "I can't wait to go home." "When will it be ready?" "I'll come earlier tomorrow so I can see her." "We miss you." "It's my father's factory." "You know what it used to be like." "Things are better now, thanks to me." "I'm also responsible for it." "Remember what your father told me... told us, when we decided to be partners." "He thought I was good for nothing." "What did you do to prove him otherwise?" "You're going too far." "I was generous to you." "There are two solutions." "Either I sell you my shares, set up my own business and become your competitor." " Or...?" " I buy your shares." " With what money?" "The money I earned and the credits I will get from our customers." "I get on well with the English." "I'm going to London to see them next week." "You're offering me holidays." "Only extending your ongoing holidays." "What don't we go out?" " Aren't you tired?" " A little fresh air." "I just need some fresh air." "I'll put on a nice dress and we'll go out, just the two of us." " And the baby?" " She's with my mother." "Everyone takes care of her here." "Can we?" " I'll just get changed." " You look perfect." "Sorry." "Aren't you at the Blachets?" "I left early." "We were going out." "We can go a bit later." "I have to read a contract." "Come on." "It's you." "You smoke now?" "Only on the sly." "That fiancé of yours..." "Don't marry him if you don't love him." "Alright." "Later that evening, Antoine and Marianne went out for dinner." "Marianne wore the same dress as the first time they met." "Later yet, on Marianne's childhood bed, he took off her stockings and kissed her bare legs." "The legs he saw were Evelyne's." "He understood he would never see anyone else." "You looked at your watch." "You never even take it off." "How do you notice such things?" "Time disappears when you're here." "It's like a dream." "There are no hours, no minutes." "No day, no night." "But you have to go home." "I can't wait until tomorrow." "I want to see you, touch you." "Give me a day, a whole day, or a whole night." "Not one day." "Three days." ""Three"?" "Really?" "Come to London with me." "We'll walk without having to hide." "I'll hold your hand." "We'll hold hands." "We'll sleep side by side." "Is it that pretty outside?" "What are you looking at?" "Nothing." "I'm looking at you." "Antoine realized with dread how much he cared about Evelyne." ""One day she'll leave me," he would think." ""She'll be ashamed of this affair in ten years' time."" "I was mad." "Completely mad." "He knew Marianne." "He could picture her in 10 or 20 years." "Never." "Never, do you hear me?" "She would probably stop loving him, but never abandon him." "Evelyne met Antoine at Le Havre and they both embarked for London." "Until then, they'd never had time to talk." "Only to make love." "The three days went by like a dream." "Is it time?" "Not yet." "I have an errand to run." "No, not now." "Don't leave me." "Just for an hour, while you rest." "I'm not tired." " Stay with me." " Just for an hour." "An eternity." "No." "We shouldn't." "If we kiss, it'll start over." "We'll have to part again, wait for the next time, then part again..." "I won't leave you again." "You know that's impossible." "It's time Marianne knew." "Would you have the courage to tell her?" "No." "I think I'd rather never see you again." "I don't understand you." "I've just had... the most wonderful times of my life." "I want to keep them intact." "I found a woman we had known as kids, my sisters and I." "She lives near Le Havre." "I'm going to visit her." " Aren't you going back with me?" " The fresh air will do me good." "I'll drink black tea all day, we'll talk about the past..." "Who is this woman?" "Miss Stone, an old nanny." "She gave us English and piano lessons." "I wrote her to say I would be in the area." "She's excited to see me." "I told you it would work." "Isn't Marianne with you?" "I'm here on business, to work with an English group." "Well done." "I'm proud of you." " Is she well?" " Yes." "And your daughter?" "Fine." "She's fine." "Evelyne is with me." "Don't look at me like that." "It's not an affair." "I love her." "I never thought it could happen." "We're cursed." "What are you saying?" "We ruined the lives of the ones who loved us, and ours at the same time." "We're only men." "Our desires are stronger than us, more beautiful." "Are you sure?" "Let me go with you at least." "You'll miss your train." " Did you see Dominique?" " I did." "He sends his love, of course." " Is he well?" " I'll tell you about it." "Do you want a coffee?" "No, no." "I'm going to go to bed." "It was a long journey." "You haven't eaten." "I'm not hungry." "So you knew Miss Stone?" ""Miss Stone"?" "Who told you about her?" "One of my collaborators." "She used to give him piano lessons when he was a kid." "That's likely." "She was a real dragon." "When we got her death notice, we celebrated." "What's wrong?" "Antoine!" "What are you doing?" "I have to go to the factory." "You can barely stand up!" "I'm fine." "You're the one who needs to rest." "You're taking your case?" "I have to go away for a few days, or maybe just a day." "Where are you going like this?" "I have to get some papers from my attorney." "Can't he bring them to you?" "He's stuck in the hospital, in Sens." "That's all I know." "It's what I was told on the phone." "Will you keep me informed?" "I will." "Are you sure you're OK?" "Of course." "Antoine returned to Le Havre, feeling sick at heart, certain that he would never see Evelyne again." "For the first time as an adult, he prayed." "All day he went from one hotel to the next." "At nightfall, he was taken to a seedy-looking boarding house by the harbour." "Are you sure?" "She can't have come here." "We'll see." "Not her." "You never really know anyone, sir." "What are you doing?" "Can't you see?" "I'm going out." "Where to?" "I already told you." "The Crémieux evening." "You said you wouldn't go." "I've changed my mind." "Don't leave me." "I'll be back early." "Stay." "I don't want to be alone." "What is wrong with you?" "If you're tired, just rest." "I want to go." "White doesn't suit you." "So what?" "You're not coming." "Evelyne's ghost slowly faded away." "The couple had time on their side." "Words came back." "They could read each other's lips before they were spoken." "The shadow of their past love kept them warm." "They started going out again, cautiously at first, like he who almost drowned goes back to sea." "Then they would go to bed, their bodies huddled together." "Without desire or joy." "But after a while, they felt tiredness leaving them." "You've already helped us a lot." "It doesn't matter." "We can't pay you back anytime soon." "Then let's say it's a fee." "My lawyers can't cope with what's at stake." "If you hadn't checked my contract with the English..." "Let's share our talents." "We're brothers after all." " Dominique..." " Thank you." "You're in Paris?" "I've just arrived." "I hurried to see you." " Are you here for a few days?" " More." "Are you back for good?" "Maybe." "I don't know yet." "I'm in exile in London." "It's time it ended." "We missed you." "You too, Marianne." "I remember a woman, one evening in spring." "I thought:" ""That's the kind of woman I need."" " But she was with someone else." " And so were you." "Solange was slipping away." "I didn't realize." "Nor did she." "Life is senseless." "But out all of us, you're the freest." "I used to be." "I met a woman in London." "She had a little girl, Susan." "I got attached to the child and decided to adopt her by marrying the mother." "Marianne, could you have been happier with another man?" "I don't know." "Maybe." " Are you faithful to Antoine?" " Absolutely." "Your thoughts too?" " Hello." " Hello." "Hello, sir." " Hello." "How are you?" " Fine." "They're in the lounge." "Is that you, Camille?" " Hello, sir." " Hello, Marie." "We can finally sit down to eat!" "Are you coming, Gilbert?" " Hello, Mother." " Hello." "So..." "Gilbert." "It's an old joke but it always works." ""It always works." It does." "You can't tell it to anyone." "No." "The next." "I went there." "I like it for artistic reasons." "I'm not trying to sell paintings just to sell paintings." " It's unpredictable too." "...at the gallery." "She came with the little one..." "Elisabeth and I are settling into a little flat on the 4th floor." "I'm happy." "I'm teaching French to Susan." "She's learning fast." " Antoine..." " Marianne..." "Subtitles:" "Eclair Media"