Diane Kurys knew a lot about women's relationships. Growing up as a daughter of a couple who met on a camp during the Second World War, she examined female psychology in different stages of life through her films. One of the most successful ones was "Coup de foudre", made in 1983. The phrase means "love at first sight" and by seeing the film, I understand why it was chosen as its title.
It's 1942. A woman, Léna (Isabelle Huppert), marries a Jew (Guy Marchand) in order to escape deportation from France. Another, Madeleine, (Miou-Miou) loses her lover to an ambush of the Resistance. Their paths will cross ten years late. Now, Madeleine has a new husband, while Léna still lives with Michelle. They are both free-spirited, spontaneous and smart; in short, kindred spirits. So starts a friendship, a bit different from the others. So different, in fact, that it threatens to destroy the marriages of both.
At the time in which the film is set, women in France had few rights and lots of obligations imposed to them by the conservative society. They were responsible for the household, the children (because, of course they had children, how would France get brave sons and nice daughters?), and generally everything except work, which was the man's job. They couldn't even get a car without their husband's permission! It is evident that the two heroine's were oppressed in this society, which expected them to fulfill their role as prudent, responsible wives, without personal desires.
In the 80's, a lot had changed. Women were more independent, they could work without being discriminated against, except for some jobs, were they still faced criticism because of these professions being considered "masculine", like the police (see for this, "La femme flic" by Yves Boisset, also starring Miou-Miou). Women had it better, and so started to examine their position during these decades of oppression that had preceded their own. "Coup de foudre" was a product of this process.
It is interesting to see how Kurys showed these women's position in the society. The heroines are just expected to give up on their dream of opening a boutique so as to devote their life to their families. And, what about the thought of them being friends, or even something more? How would the civilized French society accept this? Diane Kurys based the character of Isabelle Huppert on her mother, something which makes the story even more interesting. If the character is almost real, this means that her mother was actually treated like how the film showed in the 50's. To think of that now is truly depressing.
As for the performances, they were excellent. Both Miou-Miou and Isabelle Huppert were very convincing and likeable. The way they portrayed their friendship and how it grows was very sweet and kept the film going, since I couldn't wait to see how they would end up. The male actors were also commendable, especially Guy Marchand, who, with his performance as Michel, Léna's husband, represented an archetype of the classic 50's husband, one who is the breadwinner of the family, but doesn't hesitate to punish this family if the other members (especially the wife) don't behave the way he wants. I wonder if Guy Marchand had something with playing strict fathers, since his role in "P'tit con" (1984) was similar to his one in "Coup de foudre", if a little kinder.
The music was admirable for the fact that it transported me to this time. Comprised of French- and English-language hits of the time, it wasn't appealing to me aesthetically, but it retained the realistic character of the film.
All in all, I found the film interesting both from a sociological and an aesthetic perspective. It is admirable for the way it tried to do justice to women in a period when they were not exactly respected, and for its solid performances by capable actors. Watching this in a time when I will not be criticized for wearing trousers in public, or expected to have children by twenty, I felt glad not to have been born back then. Of course, this doesn't means that the 50's were only an oppressing time for women. There's always the other side, and I am eager to discover it.
