One of the original French New Wave directors of the 60’s, Éric Rohmer’s work was almost singularly focused on the relationships between men and women, particularly at their messiest and most dysfunctional. They are not simple romances though. Rohmer is interested in his subjects through the lenses of psychology, philosophy and literature. Uniquely, he divided his major works into thematic collections, most famously, the “Six Moral Tales” of which we will discuss four. We’ll then move on to his late career statement, “Tales of the Four Seasons,” with each film connecting visually and thematically to the season of its title. The films, listed in (in every sense) calendar order, are:
Moral Tales
• La Collectionneuse - 1967
• My Night at Maude’s – 1969
• Claire’s Knee – 1970
• Love in the Afternoon – 1972
Tales of the Four Seasons
• A Tale of Spring – 1990
• A Tale of Winter - 1992
• A Tale of Summer – 1996
• A Tale of Autumn – 1998
