Jeanskynebu the audience applauded

AniInterview Sorry, this movie sucks

Onlinewsma Absolutely Brilliant!

Cooktopi The acting in this movie is really good.

MARIO GAUCI In my view, the reason why this Foreign Language Oscar-winning film is mostly forgotten today is not because it is, as the late British critic Leslie Halliwell opined as early as 1977, "a fashionable film of its time which now has little to offer" but because its director is, unenviably, the veritable cinematic embodiment of a 'one hit wonder'. Unsurprisingly, the accolades which accompanied SUNDAYS AND CYBELE opened for its undeniably talented director Serge Bourguignon the doors of Hollywood but, perhaps just as predictably, his work there never amounted to much and, sadly, 7 years and 3 films later, he dropped completely out of sight and mind. For the record, I did get to see his first Hollywood foray THE REWARD (1965; with Max von Sydow and Gilbert Roland) which, indeed, promised much but delivered very little and, for what it's worth, his next 2 ventures – TWO WEEKS IN September (1967; with Brigitte Bardot and Laurent Terzieff) and THE PICASSO SUMMER (1969; with Albert Finney and Yvette Mimieux) – while also seemingly interesting are, by all accounts, respectively bland and boring!Anyway, the strikingly-directed SUNDAYS AND CYBELE deservedly beat notable competitors like Michael Cacoyannis' ELEKTRA and Nanni Loy's THE FOUR DAYS OF NAPLES (both of which I also own but, so far, am only familiar with the former) at the Oscars, with its moving and, ultimately, tragic story of a misunderstood friendship between an amnesiac 30-year old fighter pilot (Hardy Kruger) and an abandoned, precocious 12-year old schoolgirl (Patricia Gozzi); Maurice Jarre's score was also, rather unaccountably, nominated for an Oscar – in view of the fact that it makes copious use of classical pieces and Gregorian chants. Over the film's opening credits, Kruger is shown mowing down a child during an air raid – a traumatic event which left him so guilt-ridden that the vile abandonment of the little girl by her father at a railway station is unbearable to him…to the extent that he impulsively takes to impersonating him every Sunday, picking her up at her convent school and going on afternoon outings in the woods. Meanwhile, Kruger is being cared for and lives with his nurse (Nicole Courcel) and has bonded with a friendly sculptor (Daniel Ivernel) who, while appreciating the soothing effect the meetings with Gozzi are having on Kruger, also fear that his violent mood swings may eventually endanger the girl. Events come to a head during an enforced wedding party and the subsequent visit to a fairground and, especially, the fatal intervention of the nurse's jealous colleague who brings in the Police when Kruger goes missing on Christmas Eve. As I intimated earlier, the potential sentimentality of the story is kept admirably at bay by the ultra-stylish handling and excellent performances all round; conversely, the main flaws of the film, are a rather deliberate pace and a slightly misjudged ending: while I found the choice to have Kruger's demise occur offscreen effective, I think it would have been even more so had Kruger fallen to his death while trying to steal the all-important (to Gozzi) weathercock off the church steeple rather than being shot dead by the Police for approaching Gozzi with a knife clasped in his hand! The print I saw was a serviceable but very battered one (extremely soft, with a virtually inexistent blackscale and the hard-coded white subtitles occasionally unreadable when appearing against the snowy landscape) – which again points to the unfortunate neglect this film has been subjected to over the years.

jurzua This film is first and foremost beautiful. The beauty of the B&W cinematography is appalling. The composition is perfect. The delicate range of grays achieve a silky texture that has an almost tactile feeling. The music by Jarré is beautiful. The child actress Patricia Gozzi is nothing but angelical in her blooming beauty.The story is simple; a former war pilot with war trauma and amnesia and an abandoned little girl meet by chance and desperately cling to each other so as to find company and salvation. The child becomes the more mature of the couple, the adult goes along innocently and follows her counsel, advancing inexorably to his own destruction. The well intended (well, more or less well intended) adult world does not understand the delicate platonic relation, reads it as sinful and deviant, and proceeds to destroy it. The final scene is one of the most painful and desolate in the history of cinema, even though its beauty is unforgettable.The weakness of the movie is that it has not survived well the end of the sixties. Its aesthetics is too connected to the conventions of the time. The human relations are not real enough for our time. There is a degree of rigidity, idealization and oversimplification that does not allow the film to stay alive, as is the case with the masterpieces of Fellini and Bergman. However, this does not detract the movie from its serene beauty, its evocative power, and all the nostalgic pain of a lost love.

harry-76 When "Les Dimanches de ville d'Avray" first debuted in Manhattan, New York Times Critic Bosley Crowther hailed it as a genuine masterpiece.New Yorkers flocked to see it, and agreed. Serge Bourguignon in only his third film work was predicted to become a major film director. Who could have predicted he would make only three more movies?Lead actor Hardy Kruger went on to a prolific career, but talented eleven year old Patricia Gozzi retired after only a few more films. So this film has become somewhat of an oddity: a brilliantly directed, photographed and acted drama, that has the look and feel of a timeless treasure. Yet, it stands alone without past or future--a fabulous work with nowhere to place it. Unfortunately today, existing video prints are of poor quality; besides, it demands a big screen and pristine print to do it justice. Thus the film has virtually become a lost gem, pleading for restoration and re-release.

maxwellhoffmann A remarkable film with an astonishing capacity to touch your heart and open your mind. A refreshingly original story that doesn't lapse into exploiting potentially "adult" themes.Hardy Kruger succeeds in taking you with his character into his child like view of the world (caused by shell shock in Indochine). Patricia Gozzi is a rare child actress whose performance is completely free of the usual self-conscious effort found in recent films. Entire cast is strong.The black and white cinematography is amongst the best I've ever seen. The camera seems remarkably aware of textures and temperatures. Some images are reminiscent of Ansel Adams' silver gelatin prints. Don't miss any opportunity to see this rare gem of a film. The characters, stories and images will follow you for a long, long time. It will make you wish that Director Serge Bourguignon had a much longer filmography.