Bed and Board (1970)

 Francois Truffaut's "Bed and Board"


I don't have much time to comment on Francois Truffaut's 1970 film "Bed and Board," but what I will say is that I always thoroughly enjoy re-entering the world of Antoine Doniel. He is such a flawed, yet endlessly interesting fellow whose triumphs and downfalls I'm deeply invested in. With "Bed and Board," we are focused thematically on Antoine's domestic responsibilities. 

After getting married to his Christine, Antoine works as a courtyard carnation dyer while Christine maintains their small apartment. The typical circumstances of life happens: Christine gets pregnant, they have a baby boy, and Antoine gets a higher paying job. However, Antoine fails in his responsibilities after having an affair with the Japanese daughter of one of his company's business patrons. 

As mentioned before, Antoine's foibles make him more human and relatable. He is an interesting character to follow the life of, and I will keep coming back for more. I will say that "Bed and Board" has less of an interesting thematic point that its predecessor, "Stolen Kisses." But, this stage of Antoine's life is valuable for study and his means of dealing with domesticity and longer-lasting love is just as engaging as any other film dealing with any other topic.



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