''Adieu Philippine'' is a 1962 French film directed by Jacques Rozier. Although the film encountered difficulties in terms of production and distribution and was a commercial failure at its release, it has been praised as one of the key films of the

French New Wave The New Wave (, ), also called the French New Wave, is a French European art cinema, art film movement that emerged in the late 1950s. The movement was characterized by its rejection of traditional filmmaking conventions in favor of experimentat ...

. It premiered at the 1962 Cannes Film Festival. The film, Rozier's first feature, portrays French youths at the time of the

Algerian War The Algerian War (also known as the Algerian Revolution or the Algerian War of Independence) ''; '' (and sometimes in Algeria as the ''War of 1 November'') was an armed conflict between France and the Algerian National Liberation Front (Algeri ...

Plot

Michel is a bored young man in Paris about to be sent to Algeria in the army. He works as a camera technician at a TV station. One day he meets two teenage girls, Juliette and Liliane, and begins dating them both separately. Michel purposely gets himself fired from his job and goes on vacation to

Corsica Corsica ( , , ; ; ) is an island in the Mediterranean Sea and one of the Regions of France, 18 regions of France. It is the List of islands in the Mediterranean#By area, fourth-largest island in the Mediterranean and lies southeast of the Metro ...

to enjoy his last days before going into the army. The two girls follow him there and the three search for a commercial film director who owes Michel money. Eventually, Michel chooses Juliette which creates a rift between the two girls. They finally find the film director who manages to elude them again. After both girls become easily frustrated at the rugged environment and annoyed at each other, it becomes clear that they are both upset at Michel's impending departure. Finally, Michel receives word that he is to join his regiment in four days and must catch the first boat back to the mainland. Juliette and Liliane sadly watch Michel sail away on a boat headed for Algeria.

Note

There is no character named Philippine in the film. "The title refers to a wishing game that French children play."

Cast

* Jean-Claude Aimini as Michel * Daniel Descamps as Daniel * Stefania Sabatini as Juliette * Yveline Céry as Liliane * Vittorio Caprioli as Pachala * David Tonelli as Horatio * Annie Markhan as Juliette (voice) * André Tarroux as Régnier de l'Îsle * Christian Longuet as Christian * Michel Soyet as André

Reception

François Truffaut François Roland Truffaut ( , ; ; 6 February 1932 – 21 October 1984) was a French filmmaker, actor, and critic. He is widely regarded as one of the founders of the French New Wave. He came under the tutelage of film critic Andre Bazin as a ...

praised the film and called it "the clearest success of the new cinema where spontaneity is all the more powerful when it is the result of long and careful work." In July 2018, it was selected to be screened in the Venice Classics section at the 75th Venice International Film Festival.

References

External links

* {{French New Wave French drama films 1962 films Films set in Corsica Films shot in Corse-du-Sud Films shot in Haute-Corse 1962 directorial debut films 1960s French-language films 1960s French films Films directed by Jacques Rozier French-language drama films