The Lovers (1958)

 Louis Malle's "The Lovers"

Perhaps one the most notable pieces of information about Louis Malle's 1958 film "The Lovers" is that it resulted in one of the most memorable line delivered by a member of the U.S. Supreme Court. The reason for such an occurrence stemmed from the film's controversial eroticism. The French were more than happy to buy tickets for such an occasion, resulting in 2,594,160 ticket sales. Even the critics who attending the premiere in Italy were thrilled with the film, honoring it with the Grand Jury Prize and nominating it for the Golden Lion. The U.S., however, were none too thrilled.

The film stars Jeanne Moreau as Jeanne, un unhappy wife to a wealthy, but emotionally distant husband. She spends most of her time away from their mansion in Dijon, instead opting to visit her lover in Paris. Starting to get frustrated with the prospect of her affair, her husband invites her 'friends,' including her lover, to dinner. After hitching a ride with a stranger after her car breaks down on the side of the road, Jeanne opts to find sexual romance with the stranger, leaving her husband and lover behind.

What struck me most about Jeanne, above all, was her desire to simply be loved. She has both a husband and a lover, but neither seem to be engaged with the actual desire for love and affection, more so than simply vying her a stake in her attention. It isn't until the stranger, whom lays bare all manner of romantic and sexual attraction to her, that she decides to concede to these affections. I think, above all, it is a film about unhappiness and the desire to be happy, to be loved, and to feel something. 

The film, however, was steeped in immense controversy, particularly in the U.S. This controversy stems from one particular scene in the film. When Jeanne finally succumbs to the stranger's sexual advances, he undresses her. In most films, as director Louis Malle would put it, would pan away from the sex and sit on the window outlooking the nightly visage. In this case, however, Malle remains on the couple, even showing a bit of Moreau's bare breast. The male character goes down below the frame, suggesting an oral sexual act. The camera then pans to Moreau's hand, as it slowly drifts over the bed. It is only after this time has passed that the camera finally pans to the window.

Because of this overtly sexual nature of this scene, a theater manager in Cleveland was arrested for depicting pornography at his establishment. The manager appealed his conviction to the U.S. Supreme Court, who eventually ruled in his favor. The case resulted in one of the most iconic pieces of language in a Supreme Court document. Justice Potter Stewart, on what constitutes pornographic depictions in commercial cinema: "I know it when I see it."

Thankfully, the Supreme Court did not deem Malle's film to be pornographic in any way. However, this case did raise questions about sex and nudity in cinema. Beyond these concerns, Malle himself did not consider "The Lovers" to be that imprudent of a film. The eroticism is evident, but the thematic depth of the story reveal questions about the nature of desire, happiness, and responsibility. Above all, it is a film that forces the viewer to sympathize with Jeanne's frustrations. In these frustrations lie something completely universal to the internal desires of everyone.