Main Cast: Juliette Binoche, Benoît Magimel, Stefano Dionisi, Robin Renucci, Karin Viard
Release Year: 1999
Country: FR
Run Time: 135 minutes
Plot
While pioneering pre-feminist author George Sand has been the subject of several film biographies focusing on her ten year relationship with Frederick Chopin, Les enfants du siècle looks at an earlier period in Sand's life, in particular her stormy romance with poet Alfred de Musset. In the early 1830's, Baroness Dudevant (Juliette Binoche) has abandoned her husband and arrives in Paris with her children in tow as rioting divides the city. The Baroness decides to reinvent herself and pursue a career as a writer; she renames herself George Sand, begins wearing clothes modeled after men's suits, and smokes cigarettes while penning manifestos denouncing marriage and affirming a woman's right to sexual satisfaction. Alfred de Musset (Benoit Magimel), a noted author, finds her brash nature fascinating, and they become first friends, then lovers as he helps her craft her literary efforts. However, Sand is six years older than de Musset, which leads to a severe conflict with his family; the couple heads to Venice in search of escape and inspiration, but Alfred decides that he prefers the city's brothels to George's company and that they should keep separate rooms from now on. George makes the acquaintance of an Italian doctor, Pagello (Stefano Dionisi), with whom she has a passionate affair; the realization that he's driven her into the arms of another man proves too much for Alfred, who returns to France. Eventually, George leaves Pagello and gives Alfred another chance, a decision she comes to regret. Les Enfants du Siecle had its world premiere at the 1999 Toronto Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
The story begins as George Sand quits her marital home and arrives in Paris with her two children. Meanwhile the young poet and dandy Alfred de Musset is busy making a name for himself both as a womaniser and a talented poet and critic. Sand and Musset first meet at a literary dinner and quickly recognise in each other a like minded love of literature. At first their relationship remain platonic, but soon the pair embark on a tumultuous affair that will lead them to Venice and the creation of their finest works of literature.
Background & production
The film was shot on location in Paris, Nohant and Venice from August to December 1998. In an interview with The Irish Times entitled Playing with SandDiane Kurys revealed that she was shooting in the actual rooms Sand and Musset had occupied in the Hotel Danieli, while Juliette Binoche revealed that Sand's estate had loaned the production some of her possessions including a saphire ring and jewel incrusted dagger. When asked what her inspiration for the film was Kury's mentions that Musset's account of the affair in his book La Confession d'un Enfant du Siècle was her starting point. Binoche said that her attraction to the part was due to "Sand's combination strengths and weaknesses". [1]
Premiere
Les Enfants du Siècle made its world premiere out of competition at the 1999 Cannes Film Festival before being released in French theatres on September 22 1999.
The film made its UK debut as part of the Martell French Film Tour in September and October 2000,[2] followed by a conventional cinematic run starting on April 6, 2001.[3]
Film festivals
Cannes Film Festival 1999 (out of competition - special gala screening)
Toronto International Film Festival 1999
Algerian Summer Film Festival 2000
Budapest French Film Festival 2000
Moscow French Film Festival 2000
Martell French Film Tour 2000 (UK)
Dublin French Film Festival 2001
Warsaw French Film Festival 2001
Soundtrack
The soundtrack album to accompany the film was released by Decca Classics. The original music featured in the film consisting of a guitar and piano score was composed by Luis Bacalov. The film also features music by Ernst Eichner, Robert Schumann, Franz Liszt among others. The score was recorded in January 1999 by the Rome Symphony Orchestra and featuring Fabio Zanon on guitar and Leonid Kuzmin on piano. The album was supervised by Murray Head.
Track listing
All tracks composed by Luis Bacalov unless otherwise indicated:
Les Enfants du Siècle (Guitar)(02:23)
Les Confessions (02:57)
Café Tortoni (02:30)
La flûte désenchantée (01:54)
Concerto in C major for harp and orchestra : Allegro (04:54)(Ernst Eichner 1740-1777)
Arabeske in C, Op. 18 : IV Zum Schluss (01:24)(Robert Schumann)
Le baiser (02:29)
Le cœur qui bat (02:16)
Papillons (01:16)
La première fois (05:50)
Beatrice di Tenda, opera seria in due atti (04:47)(Vincenzo Bellini)
The film was released in 2 versions with different running times. The long version as released in France on September 22 1999 has a running time of 135 mins. It begins as Sand abandons her husband and arrives in revolution torn Paris and Musset's father dies of cholera. A shorter version was released in Germany and the UK and other territories which runs at 105mins. It begins at the literary event at which Sand and Musset met and ends with their final meeting. The longer version goes on to show Sand's attempts to see the dying Musset, and ends with her reading her letters to him by his tomb.
Les Enfants du Siècle was released under the English language title Children of the Century in the US by Koch Lorber Films, but retained its French language title while on release in the UK, Canada and Australia. The film was distributed in the UK by Film Four, in Canada by Alliance Atlantis and in Australia by AE Classics.
