''Elena and Her Men'' is a 1956 film directed by Jean Renoir and starring Ingrid Bergman and Jean Marais. The film's original French title was ''Elena et les Hommes'', and in English-speaking countries, the title was ''Paris Does Strange Things''. It is the third addition to the trilogy, preceded by '' The Golden Coach'' (1953) and ''

French Cancan ''French Cancan'' (also known as ''Only the French Can'') is a 1955 French-Italian musical film written and directed by Jean Renoir and starring Jean Gabin and Francoise Arnoul. Where Renoir's previous film ''Le Carosse d’or'' had celebrated ...

'' (1955). A restored copy has been released in the 21st century. It was shot at the Billancourt Studios in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...

Location shooting Location shooting is the shooting of a film or television production in a real-world setting rather than a sound stage or backlot. The location may be interior or exterior. The filming location may be the same in which the story is set (for ex ...

took place around the city including in

Saint-Cloud Saint-Cloud () is a commune in the western suburbs of Paris, France, from the centre of Paris. Like other communes of Hauts-de-Seine such as Marnes-la-Coquette, Neuilly-sur-Seine and Vaucresson, Saint-Cloud is one of France's wealthiest tow ...

and the Castle of Ermenonville. The film's sets were designed by the art director Jean André.

Plot

Produced in 1956, and set in 1890 France, ''Elena and Her Men'' tells the story of a young, beautiful, and free-spirited Polish princess in

fin de siècle () is a French term meaning "end of century,” a phrase which typically encompasses both the meaning of the similar English idiom "turn of the century" and also makes reference to the closing of one era and onset of another. Without context, ...

Paris who specializes in granting people good luck. Elena's family has run out of money, and in order to save them, she agrees to marry a wealthy, older family friend. No sooner has she agreed to this engagement, than she meets a handsome stranger during a 14 July celebration, who turns out to be the famous General Rollan's aide, Count de Chevincourt (

Mel Ferrer Melchor Gastón Ferrer (August 25, 1917 – June 2, 2008) was an American actor, director, producer and screenwriter. He achieved prominence on Broadway before scoring notable film hits with ''Scaramouche'', '' Lili'' and ''Knights of the Roun ...

). Sparks fly with the Count, but when he introduces Elena to General Rollan ( Jean Marais), the General is quite taken with her as well. By the end of the day, Elena finds her hands full with her engagement and the romantic interests of two new men. To further complicate matters, General Rollan's political advisers see the General's romantic interest in Elena as a way to influence him to take over the French government, and they employ her to grant him the luck he needs to do so. As the movie progresses, a comical battle of juggling responsibilities develops in each character. Elena feels it is her moral duty to honor her engagement, and to help the General save France, but in her heart she loves the Count. The Count is loyal to his general and country, but is unwilling to concede Elena to the General. The General is in love with Elena but already has a mistress and is preoccupied with his growing political role in France. When the General is deliberately posted to a remote town by the French government to prevent a coup d'état, Elena follows, trying to help save France. The Count pursues her, trying to win Elena's heart. The film concludes with Elena and the Count kissing in a brothel window, impersonating Elena and the General, providing a decoy so that the General and his mistress are able to escape France disguised as gypsies. The General abandons his political obligations and Elena, and the show of affection between Elena and the fake General sparks their love for each other touching the hearts of the people watching, and causing a wave of true love to pass over the town and mend political tension.

Cast

* Ingrid Bergman as Princess Elena Sokorowska * Jean Marais as Général François Rollan *

as Le Comte Henri de Chevincourt * Jean Richard as Hector *

Juliette Gréco Juliette Gréco (; 7 February 1927 – 23 September 2020) was a French singer and actress. Her best known songs are "Paris Canaille" (1962, originally sung by Léo Ferré), "La Javanaise" (1963, written by Serge Gainsbourg for Gréco) and "Désh ...

as Miarka, a gypsy singer * Pierre Bertin as Martin-Michaud *

Dora Doll Dora Doll (born Dorothea Hermina Feinberg; 19 May 1922 – 15 November 2015) was a French actress. Career One of her first screen appearances was as Juliette in Henri-Georges Clouzot's ''Manon'' (1949). She appeared as Lola in Jacques Becker's ...

as Rosa la Rose, madame of the brothel * Frédéric Duvallès as Gaudin * Renaud Mary as Fleury * Jacques Morel as Duchene *

Albert Rémy Albert Rémy (9 April 1921 – 26 January 1967) was a French actor best known for his supporting roles in François Truffaut's first two feature films. He played Antoine Doinel's father in ''The 400 Blows'' and Charlie Koller's (Charles Aznavo ...

as Buchez * Jean Claudio as Lionel Villaret *

Mirko Ellis Mirko Ellis (4 September 1923 – 11 September 2014) was a Swiss-Italian film, stage and television actor. Born Mirko Korcinsky in Locarno to a family of Lithuanian origin, Ellis moved, after his studies, to Italy, where he made his film debut i ...

as Marbeau *

Jacques Hilling Jacques Hilling (26 May 1922 – 16 February 1975) was a French film actor. He appeared in more than 90 films between 1949 and 1975. Selected filmography * ''Return to Life'' (1949) - Un soldat (segment 4 : "Le retour de René") (uncredite ...

as Lisbonne *

Jacques Jouanneau Jacques Jouanneau (3 October 1926 – 19 July 2011) was a French actor. He was born in Angers, France. Biography Filmography *1953: ''Capitaine Pantoufle'' - Le barman du Goéland (uncredited) *1954: ''Les Intrigantes'' - Le Reporter (un ...

as Eugène Martin-Michaud *

Elina Labourdette Elina Labourdette (1919–2014) was a French film actress An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as fil ...

as Paulette Escoffier * Olga Valéry as Olga * Jean Castanier as Isnard *

Magali Noël Magali Noëlle Guiffray (27 June 1931 – 23 June 2015), better known as Magali Noël, was a French actress and singer. Biography Actress career Born in İzmir to French parents in the diplomatic service, she left Turkey for France in 1951, a ...

as Lolotte, Elena’s maid * Grègory Chmara as Elena's maid *

Jim Gérald Jim Gérald (4 July 1889 – 2 July 1958) was a French actor. Gérald was born Gérald Ernest Cuénod in Paris. He died in Paris in 1958. Selected filmography * ''La légende de soeur Béatrix'' (1923) - Un soudard * ''The Imaginary Voyage' ...

as the waiter serving coffee *

Gaston Modot Gaston Modot (31 December 1887 – 20 February 1970) was a French actor. For more than 50 years he performed for the cinema working with a number of great French directors. Biography Modot lived in Montmartre at the beginning of the 20th cen ...

as Bohemiens chief *

Francine Bergé Francine Bergé (born 21 July 1938, Neuilly-sur-Seine, Hauts-de-Seine, France) is a French film and stage actress. Filmography Theater Awards * 2018 - Prix du Brigadier d’honneur * 2016 - Molière Award The Molière Award recognise ...

as a maid *

Paul Préboist Paul Préboist (21 February 1927 – 4 March 1997) was a French actor. He appeared in more than hundred films, mostly in supporting roles, and is best known as a comic actor. Filmography Theater References External links *Paul Préboista ...

as The groom

Background

This was Bergman's first film after leaving her husband, director

Roberto Rossellini Roberto Gastone Zeffiro Rossellini (8 May 1906 – 3 June 1977) was an Italian film director, producer, and screenwriter. He was one of the most prominent directors of the Italian neorealist cinema, contributing to the movement with films such ...

. The character of General Rollan was based on the historic

General Boulanger Georges Ernest Jean-Marie Boulanger (29 April 1837 – 30 September 1891), nicknamed Général Revanche ("General Revenge"), was a French general and politician. An enormously popular public figure during the second decade of the Third Repub ...

. In 1886, Boulanger had much popular support personally despite the French defeat in the Franco-Prussian War, and some supporters urged him to conduct a ''

coup d'état A coup d'état (; French for 'stroke of state'), also known as a coup or overthrow, is a seizure and removal of a government and its powers. Typically, it is an illegal seizure of power by a political faction, politician, cult, rebel group, m ...

''. (He did not.)

Reception

Ingrid Bergman's performance was highly praised. Roger Ebert wrote that she played a Polish princess who could affect the future of France, but he said, that's just what the plot is about.

"The movie is about something else - about Bergman's rare eroticism, and the way her face seems to have an inner light on film. Was there ever a more sensuous actress in the movies? François Truffaut, reviewing this film, observed that 'sex is the only focus of attention'."

He says that "Renoir preserves a strong erotic and romantic thread (the love between Bergman and Ferrer) all the way through the movie's farcical elements." Christopher Faulkner described the film as a farce dealing with many issues and incidents similar to Renoir's well-known '' Rules of the Game''. But he wrote that it is somewhat "cynical," despite its lightness. He says that "the point is made that a woman can only find (provisional) power within representation, on a stage, playing a part. At the end of the film, as coup d’état dissolves into coup de théâtre, the suggestion is that all effective power is actually a function of performance."

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Elena And Her Men 1956 films 1950s romantic comedy-drama films 1950s French-language films French romantic comedy-drama films Films directed by Jean Renoir Films set in the 1880s 1956 comedy films 1956 drama films 1950s historical films Fictional couples French historical comedy-drama films Italian historical comedy-drama films Italian romantic comedy-drama films Films shot at Billancourt Studios Films shot in Paris Films set in Paris Films scored by Joseph Kosma 1950s Italian films 1950s French films