''Tous les matins du monde (All the mornings of the world)'' is a 1991 French film based on the book of the same name by Pascal Quignard.British Film Institute page about Tous les Matins du Monde
accessed 10 April 2014. Set during the reign of

Louis XIV , house = Bourbon , father = Louis XIII , mother = Anne of Austria , birth_date = , birth_place = Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France , death_date = , death_place = Palace of Ver ...

, the film shows the musician,

Marin Marais Marin Marais (; 31 May 1656, in Paris – 15 August 1728, in Paris) was a French composer and viol player. He studied composition with Jean-Baptiste Lully, often conducting his operas, and with master of the bass viol Monsieur de Sainte-Colomb ...

, looking back on his young life when he was briefly a pupil of Monsieur de Sainte-Colombe, and features much music of the period, especially that for the

viola da gamba The viol (), viola da gamba (), or informally gamba, is any one of a family of bowed, fretted, and stringed instruments with hollow wooden bodies and pegboxes where the tension on the strings can be increased or decreased to adjust the pitch ...

. Malcolm, Derek. Viol Bodies. Film of the week: Tous les Matins de Monde. ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

'', 30 December 1992. The title of the film is explained towards the end of the film; « Tous les matins du monde sont sans retour » ("all the mornings of the world never return") spoken by Marais in chapter XXVI of Quignard's novel when he learns of the death of Madeleine.

Background

In the same year as the book's release, author Quignard, together with director

Alain Corneau Alain Corneau (7 August 1943 – 30 August 2010) was a French film director and writer. Corneau was born in Meung-sur-Loire, Loiret. Originally a musician, he worked with Costa-Gavras as an assistant, which was also his first opportunity to work ...

, adapted the novel for the film that starred

Jean-Pierre Marielle Jean-Pierre Marielle (12 April 1932 – 24 April 2019) was a French actor. He appeared in more than a hundred films in which he played very diverse roles, from a banal citizen (''Les Galettes de Pont-Aven''), to a World War II hero (''Les Milles ...

, Gérard Depardieu,

Anne Brochet Anne Brochet (born 22 November 1966) is a French actress. Career Brochet has appeared in films such as ''Cyrano de Bergerac'', '' Le temps des porte-plumes'', ''30 ans'', '' Une journée de merde!'' and ''Tous les matins du monde''. She has also ...

and

Guillaume Depardieu Guillaume Jean Maxime Antoine Depardieu (7 April 1971 – 13 October 2008) was a French actor, winner of a César Award, and the oldest child of Gérard Depardieu. Early life Depardieu was the son of actor Gérard Depardieu and his first wife, a ...

. The film revolves around the late-17th/early-18th-century composer

's life as a musician, his mentor Monsieur de Sainte-Colombe and Sainte-Colombe's daughters. The ageing Marais, played by Gérard Depardieu, narrates the story, while Depardieu's son

plays the young Marais. The haunting sound of his instrument, the

viol The viol (), viola da gamba (), or informally gamba, is any one of a family of bowed, fretted, and stringed instruments with hollow wooden bodies and pegboxes where the tension on the strings can be increased or decreased to adjust the pitc ...

(

), here played by

Jordi Savall Jordi Savall i Bernadet (; born 1 August 1941) is a Spanish conductor, composer and viol player. He has been one of the major figures in the field of Western early music since the 1970s, largely responsible for popularizing the viol family of ...

, is heard throughout the film and plays a major role in setting the mood. Though fictional, the story is based on historical characters, and what little is known about their lives is generally accurately portrayed. The film credits the scenes set in the salon of Louis XV as having been filmed in the Golden Gallery (Galerie dorée) of the

Banque de France The Bank of France ( French: ''Banque de France''), headquartered in Paris, is the central bank of France. Founded in 1800, it began as a private institution for managing state debts and issuing notes. It is responsible for the accounts of the ...

. Described as a "crossover movie" with the music integrated into the story-line, Derek Malcolm saw Marielle's performance as "matching the music note for note".

Synopsis

Aging court composer Marin Marais (Gérard Depardieu) recalls his former master and unequalled viol player, the

Jansenist Jansenism was an early modern theological movement within Catholicism, primarily active in the Kingdom of France, that emphasized original sin, human depravity, the necessity of divine grace, and predestination. It was declared a heresy by th ...

, Monsieur de Sainte-Colombe. After the death of his wife, Sainte-Colombe buries himself in his music, bringing up his two daughters on his own, teaching them to be musicians, and playing in a

consort __NOTOC__ Consort may refer to: Music * "The Consort" (Rufus Wainwright song), from the 2000 album ''Poses'' * Consort of instruments, term for instrumental ensembles * Consort song (musical), a characteristic English song form, late 16th–earl ...

with them for local noble audiences. His reputation reaches the court of Louis XIV and the king sends an envoy, Caignet, to request him to play at court. Sainte-Colombe curtly dismisses the envoy, as well as the Abbé Mathieu. Offended, the King ensures that very few attend concerts by Sainte-Colombe and his daughters. Sainte-Colombe shuts himself away in a cabin in his garden in order to perfect the art of viol playing, and to indulge in visions of his dead wife. Some years later, 17-year-old Marin Marais visits Sainte-Colombe, seeking to learn from the master. After a short time, Sainte-Colombe sees no musical merit in the young man and sends him away, refusing to teach him. Madeleine, the elder daughter, is saddened as she has fallen in love with Marais. She teaches him what her father has taught her and allows him to listen in secret to her father playing. During this time, Marais is hired to be a court musician. Marais and Madeleine begin a relationship. Marais leaves Madeleine; she is pregnant and gives birth to a still-born child. Marais marries another woman, Madeleine's younger sister marries and has five children, life goes on. Later, Madeleine falls gravely ill. Sainte-Colombe calls Marais to his house where the dying Madeleine asks to hear her former lover play a piece he wrote for her: ''La rêveuse'' or ''The Dreaming Girl''. After Marais leaves, Madeleine hangs herself with the ribbons of a pair of shoes, a rejected gift Marais had given her. Years later, the aged Marais returns to learn from his master; Sainte-Colombe recognises finally Marais's musicianship.

Cast

* Gérard Depardieu as Marin Marais *

as Monsieur de Sainte-Colombe *

as Madeleine *

as Young Marin Marais * Carole Richert as Toinette *

Michel Bouquet Michel Bouquet (6 November 1925 – 13 April 2022) was a French stage and film actor. He appeared in more than 100 films from 1947 to 2020. He won the Best Actor European Film Award for ''Toto the Hero'' in 1991 and two Best Actor Césars for ...

as Baugin *

Jean-Claude Dreyfus Jean-Claude Dreyfus (born 18 February 1946, in Paris) is a French actor, comedian, and author. He began his career in film acting in 1973 in the film ''Comment réussir quand on est con et pleurnichard''. Dreyfus is notable for his portrayal ...

as Abbe Mathieu * Yves Gasc as Caignet * Yves Lambrecht as Charbonnières * Jean-Marie Poirier as Monsieur de Bures *

Myriam Boyer Myriam Boyer (born 23 May 1948) is a French actress. She appeared in more than eighty films and television shows since 1970. At the age of 18, she married with whom she had a son, Clovis Cornillac. From 1975 until his death in 1999 she was marri ...

as Guignotte * Caroline Silhol as (the ghost of) Madame de Sainte-Colombe

Music

As listed in the film's credits, the music heard includes the following: *Sainte Colombe: ''Les pleurs''; ''Gavotte du tendre''; ''Le retour'' *Marin Marais: ''Improvisation sur les Folies d'Espagne''; ''L'arabesque''; ''Le Badinage''; ''La rêveuse'' * Jean-Baptiste Lully: ''Marche pour la cérémonie des Turcs'' * François Couperin: ''Troisième leçon de Ténèbres'' *Savall: ''Prélude pour Monsieur Vauquelin''; ''Une jeune fillette'', d’après une mélodie populaire; ''Fantaisie en mi mineur'', d’après un anonyme du XVIIème Apart from Savall, the musicians are Monserrat Figueras and Mari-Cristina Kiehr (sopranos), Christophe Coin and Jérôme Hantaï (viola da gamba), Rolf Lislevand (theorbo) and

Pierre Hantaï Pierre Hantaï (born 28 February 1964, Paris) is a French harpsichordist and conductor. Career The son of painter Simon Hantaï, he discovered the music of Johann Sebastian Bach when he was ten and first heard Gustav Leonhardt's recordings wh ...

(harpsichord and organ).

Reception

The film grossed $3,089,497 in the United States and Canada. In the United Kingdom it grossed £793,748 ($1.2 million).

Awards and nominations

César Awards The César Award is the national film award of France. It is delivered in the ' ceremony and was first awarded in 1976. The nominations are selected by the members of twelve categories of filmmaking professionals and supported by the French Min ...

(France) **Won: Best Actress – Supporting Role (Anne Brochet) **Won: Best Cinematography (Yves Angelo) **Won: Best Costume Design (Corinne Jorry) **Won:

Best Director Best Director is the name of an award which is presented by various film, television and theatre organizations, festivals, and people's awards. It may refer to: Film awards * AACTA Award for Best Direction * Academy Award for Best Director * BA ...

(Alain Corneau) **Won:

Best Film This is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various film, festivals, and people's awards. Best Actor/Best Actress *See Best Actor#Film awards, Best Actress#F ...

**Won:

Best Music Best or The Best may refer to: People * Best (surname), people with the surname Best * Best (footballer, born 1968), retired Portuguese footballer Companies and organizations * Best & Co., an 1879–1971 clothing chain * Best Lock Corporatio ...

(

) **Won: Best Sound (Anne Le Campion, Pierre Gamet, Gérard Lamps and Pierre Verany) **Nominated: Best Actor – Leading Role (Jean-Pierre Marielle) **Nominated: Best Editing (Marie-Josèphe Yoyotte) **Nominated: Best Writing (Alain Corneau and Pascal Quignard) **Nominated: Most Promising Actor (

) *

42nd Berlin International Film Festival The 42nd annual Berlin International Film Festival was held from 13 to 24 February 1992. The festival opened with '' The Inner Circle'' by Andrei Konchalovsky. The Golden Bear was awarded to American film '' Grand Canyon'' directed by Lawrence K ...

(Germany) **Official selection:

Golden Bear The Golden Bear (german: Goldener Bär) is the highest prize awarded for the best film at the Berlin International Film Festival. The bear is the heraldic animal of Berlin, featured on both the coat of arms and flag of Berlin. History The win ...

(Alain Corneau) * Golden Globe Awards (USA) **Nominated: 1993

Best Foreign Language Film This is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various film, festivals, and people's awards. Best Actor/Best Actress *See Best Actor#Film awards, Best Actress#F ...

Louis Delluc Prize The Louis Delluc Prize (french: Prix Louis-Delluc ) is a French film award presented annually since 1937. The award is bestowed to the Best Film and Best First Film of the year on the second week of each December. The jury is composed of 20 members, ...

(France) **Won: Best Film

References

External links

* * * http://www.medieval.org/emfaq/misc/tlmdm.htm For more details of the film's background {{Authority control French musical drama films French romantic musical films 1990s romantic musical films 1991 romantic drama films 1991 films Films directed by Alain Corneau Films about classical music and musicians Films about composers Films set in the 1670s Films set in the 1700s Films set in France Films based on French novels Films based on historical novels Louis Delluc Prize winners Best Film César Award winners Films whose director won the Best Director César Award 1990s French-language films 1990s French films