Search - A Tale of Springtime on DVD

I don't regret watching this film...

M. B. Alcat | Los Angeles, California | 06/14/2006

(3 out of 5 stars)

""A tale of Springtime" is part of Eric Rohmer's "Tales of the four seasons". It is an interesting film, but it is far from being excellent, at least in my opinion.

The plot is not complicated. A philosophy teacher, Jeanne (Anne Teyssèdre), finds herself temporarily without a place to live, due to the fact that she has lent her apartment to a cousin, and also because she has no intention whatsoever of living in her boyfriend's house while he is on holidays. Fortunately, Jeanne meets Natacha (Florence Darel), a young woman that invites Jeanne to her home, arguing that it is a perfect solution for both, because she doesn't like to be alone. Truth to be told, Natacha shares her house with her father Igor (Hugues Quester), but he is almost never there, preferring to be with his young girlfriend, Eve (Eloïse Bennett).

Not much happens during this film, apart from the fact that Natacha constantly tries to connect Jeanne with her father. All the same, I think you will enjoy the long conversations between the characters, and the beautiful countryside scenery. Is that enough to recommend "A tale of springtime"? I sincerely don't know, but I can say that I don't regret watching this film.

Belen Alcat

PS: By the way, my favorite film in "The tales of the four seasons" series is "A tale of winter"."

Small truths are revealed in the warmth of Rohmer's 'Springt

G. Merritt | Boulder, CO | 03/27/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Along with Eric Rohmer's Six Moral Tales, his 1990 Tale of Springtime (Conte d'printemps) ranks among my favorite Rohmer films. The French romantic comedy is the first film in his "Contes des quatre saisons" (Tales of the Four Seasons) series, which also includes A Tale of Winter (Conte d'hiver) (1992), A Summer's Tale (Conte d'été) (1996) and Autumn Tale (Conte d'automne) (1998). A Tale of Springtime stars Anne Teyssedre, Sophie Robin, Florence Darel, Hugues Quester, and Eloise Bennett in a subtly-nuanced love story about Jeanne, a reserved high school philosophy teacher (Teyssedre), who meets a teenage piano student, Natacha (Darel), at a party, who has a hidden agenda. Jeanne is between apartments and living with her absent lover. Natacha, who claims her father is also away on business, invites Jeanne to spend the night at her place. Unbeknownst to Jeanne, Natacha is hoping do some matchmaking for her divorced father (Quester), even though he already has a lover, Eve (Eloise Bennett). Suffice it to say, Jeanne's scheme ignites French fireworks, transforming this film into a bittersweet meditation on relationships and love. This romance tale reveals Rohmer at his best. He understands the complexities of the human heart, and all of the "action" in this film occurs in the brilliant "Rohmeresque" relationship dialogue (which may not be enough to hold the interest of some viewers). Spring marks the transition from winter into summer, and when it comes to the affairs of the heart, Rohmer's film lives up to its title: small truths are revealed in the warmth of Rohmer's Springtime Tale.


G. Merritt"