Film Comparison: La Femme infidèle (1969) and Unfaithful (2002)

Presenter Information

Caleb Allison

Document Type

Oral Presentation

Campus where you would like to present

SURC Theatre

Start Date

21-5-2015

End Date

21-5-2015

Keywords

Film, French, Hollywood

Abstract

I will be presenting and expanding on my final paper, a film comparison, in French cinema from winter quarter of this year. When a Hollywood director remakes a foreign film, one may expect an experience that is a distant cousin, rather than a close twin, to its original. Loose ends in the narrative are tied up, moral ambiguity is reworked to depict a clear right and wrong, and patriarchal dominance is bolstered and reaffirmed to preserve the structure of American society as a whole. I will compare French director Claude Chabrol’s La Femme infidèle (1969) with Adrian Lyne’s Hollywood remake Unfaithful (2002). While Lyne manages to preserve, in part, certain French qualities of the original, in the end he cannot help but take sides, notably punishing each wrongdoer for his or her moral failings; a stance not taken by Chabrol. My presentation will include visuals via PowerPoint slides, stills and clips from the two films, excerpts from my paper, and additional arguments and insights expanded for the purposes of this talk. I will expound on the qualities characteristic of French film and those unique to Hollywood, examining the work of each director and exploring how they embody the values of their respective markets. Dr. Liahna Armstrong, my instructor in French cinema, has been my mentor throughout this process. I owe the vast broadening of my understanding in cinema studies in no small part to her thought-provoking teachings and the genuine encouragement she lavishes upon the individuals in her care.

Faculty Mentor(s)

Liahna Armstrong

Department/Program

Film and Video Studies

Additional Mentoring Department

English

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May 21st, 1:10 PM May 21st, 1:30 PM

Film Comparison: La Femme infidèle (1969) and Unfaithful (2002)

SURC Theatre

I will be presenting and expanding on my final paper, a film comparison, in French cinema from winter quarter of this year. When a Hollywood director remakes a foreign film, one may expect an experience that is a distant cousin, rather than a close twin, to its original. Loose ends in the narrative are tied up, moral ambiguity is reworked to depict a clear right and wrong, and patriarchal dominance is bolstered and reaffirmed to preserve the structure of American society as a whole. I will compare French director Claude Chabrol’s La Femme infidèle (1969) with Adrian Lyne’s Hollywood remake Unfaithful (2002). While Lyne manages to preserve, in part, certain French qualities of the original, in the end he cannot help but take sides, notably punishing each wrongdoer for his or her moral failings; a stance not taken by Chabrol. My presentation will include visuals via PowerPoint slides, stills and clips from the two films, excerpts from my paper, and additional arguments and insights expanded for the purposes of this talk. I will expound on the qualities characteristic of French film and those unique to Hollywood, examining the work of each director and exploring how they embody the values of their respective markets. Dr. Liahna Armstrong, my instructor in French cinema, has been my mentor throughout this process. I owe the vast broadening of my understanding in cinema studies in no small part to her thought-provoking teachings and the genuine encouragement she lavishes upon the individuals in her care.