Film Comparison: La Femme infidèle (1969) and Unfaithful (2002)
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.
Recommended Citation
Allison, Caleb, "Film Comparison: La Femme infidèle (1969) and Unfaithful (2002)" (2015). Symposium Of University Research and Creative Expression (SOURCE). 59.
https://digitalcommons.cwu.edu/source/2015/oralpresentations/59
Department/Program
Film and Video Studies
Additional Mentoring Department
English
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.
Faculty Mentor(s)
Liahna Armstrong