Love in the Afternoon
LOVE IN THE AFTERNOON [1957]
Starring: Audrey Hepburn, Gary Cooper, Maurice Chevalier
Direction by Billy Wilder, Story adapted from ‘Ariane, jeune fille russe’ by Claude Anet
Language: English
We all have comfort movies that we watch on long flights. Unfortunately, the airline that I was flying on did not have that movie onboard. So, to pass the time, I put ‘Love in the Afternoon’ on. I have never been so impressed by a movie which I saw for the first time on a plane. Having never seen an Audrey Hepburn film before, I was always confused as to why people held the actress in such high regard. Now I know why! She truly is a timeless star.
I can only wish that love stories could be so interesting and pure nowadays, but alas they were a luxury reserved to Hepburn’s era. The movie was just so romantic, from the setting in the city of love to the music. As I grow older, I have started to notice how love in modern cinema has degenerated to such a low standard: it makes me yearn for the times where all movies were made like this.
Gary Cooper had a pretty run-of-the-mill role: a heartthrob actor from America, a place of scandal and drama to Parisians, who cannot understand or act on his feelings for Arianne, a simple French girl so unlike the other vacuous women he seduces. His acting was decent, as was the writing of his character.
Everything surrounding Audrey Hepburn in this production was executed phenomenally. Hepbrun had such a wonderfully nuanced role, that was written with such thought. I found it really interesting how, despite the fact that her character was dependent on the love and affection of a man, that she had her priorities in order for the most part. She continued to help her father and play her cello despite her involvement in the clandestine affair she had with Cooper’s character. This feminism really came through in the script: Arianne did what was best for her, and therefore this movie was miles ahead of its time.
Although this film was not a musical in any sense, the song played by the ‘gypsy’ band was nothing short of perfection. I still get misty-eyed whenever I listen to it.
Finally, the last scene! Although it was quite a cliché, I just thought that it was so special. The moment that Arianne sees her lover on the train and their destinies are essentially sealed will be a moment forever etched in my memory. This is a scene that will continue to be iconic for as long as film lives.
9.5/10
