Bonjour Tristesse (1958) User Reviews

Sagan soaper

[blanche-2 · 7/10 · 3 August 2008]

David Niven and Jean Seberg say "Bonjour Tristesse" in this 1958 film directed by Otto Preminger and also starring Deborah Kerr and Mylène Demongeot. Niven and Seberg are Raymond and Cecile, a father and daughter vacationing on the Riviera and having a superficial blast for themselves. Raymond has his current girlfriend Elsa (Demongeot) living with them as well. When a good friend of Raymond's late wife, Anne (Kerr) comes to visit, things change - at first for the better, as the four of them continue the party atmosphere. Later, when Anne becomes Raymond's fiancée and begins to discipline Cecile, the fun stops. Cecile decides that Anne will have to go.

The film is told in flashback, black and white representing the present and glorious color used to tell the story, which is narrated by Seberg.

There's lots about this movie that is fascinating, and some of it just sort of falls flat. The idea that a deep-thinking, responsible career woman comes into the lives of two bon vivants is an interesting one, and you couldn't ask for a better cast. The beginning of the film, and even Cecile's plan to get rid of Anne that she brings Elsa and her own boyfriend Phillipe in on has a lighthearted feel to it. What Raymond and Cecile never considered is that there are ramifications for actions, Cecile due to her immaturity and Raymond because he's Raymond.

David Niven is terrific as the dashing Raymond, who loves a party, and Deborah Kerr gives a warm performance as Anne, who truly loves him and wants to ground both him and his daughter. The curiosity here is Seberg. She is as always the perfect gamine. Any time she's in a scene, you can't take your eyes off of her. She's so darn beautiful. Yet I don't think I've ever heard her say one line that I believed. And she's one actress where it just doesn't seem to matter. We hear a lot about "it" - well, she really had it.

Gorgeous scenery - you want to leave for the Riviera immediately. And, truth to tell, spending some time with Raymond, Cecile and Elsa before the arrival of Anne wouldn't be bad either.

Another study in a teenage girl's destructive dislike for her widowed father's lover

[Nazi_Fighter_David · 7/10 · 21 May 2007]

The films of Otto Preminger share for the most part a detached objectivity in their attitudes to character and moral issues…

In "Bonjour Tristesse," his gamine protégé Cecile (Jean Seberg) is a very peculiar girl, maybe spoiled and willful and arrogant and lazy…

Anne (Deborah Kerr) had made her look at herself for the first time in her life…And that turned her against her… And now, her father is not having fun anymore, which was probably another reason she decided to get rid of her… How carefully and how seriously she went about that decision, is the tale of Françoise Sagan, published in 1954, by the time she was nineteen…

Raymond (David Niven) is a bundle of surprises… For him, it's such a wonderful fun to have Cecile for a daughter… And loving Anne doesn't mean that he loves his daughter any less… The wealthy playboy becomes serious from the moment that Anne arrived… He could never think of her as just someone to have fun with… He does have fun with Elsa (Mylène Demongeot) but that's a long way from being all he wants… Now, he has never wanted any woman the way he wants Anne…

Anne spent her honeymoon by the sea 12 years ago… She had quite a debate with herself before coming down to the French Riviera… For knowing that Elsa was there, she got stupidly angry and decided to leave…Then the prospect of packing and looking for a hotel was too much after that long drive so she decided to stay…

Being too sophisticated (maybe for discovering occupied territory), Anne was as suspicious of summer as she was of Raymond in spite of the fact that she knew him 15 years ago, and was quite sure that with him, nobody is safe…

For Cecile, Anne is prim and prissy and prude… For a woman who hates vulgarities—even when they're funny—she could never be seriously interested in a man like her father… So part of her was angry, part was happy, all of her was excited… Her father had brought a girl to the seashore, made her go out in the sun and then when she was a mess of peeling, dropped her like a hot lobster… It was unfair… Yet even while she was angry at him, she was proud that he had gotten the unattainable Anne… Anne looks now softer… She moves easier… In the morning, she seems as though she had the most wonderful secret in the world…

Suddenly she becomes aware of a great responsibility towards Cecile, as it would be good if she stops seeing Philippe (Geoffrey Horne) and studies for her philosophy examination…

Cecile becomes furious at her interference… Anne wants her to study and not to see Philippe… So what shall it be? For her, there'll be a man to take care of her…And she doesn't need a diploma for that…

Now she hates Anne… For her, she has changed her father…She'll change her and will change everything

A curiously passive, unmoving experience...

[moonspinner55 · 6/10 · 14 December 2007]

Wealthy playboy father and his precocious seventeen-year old daughter share a sassy, flirty relationship with one another while teasing and leading-on potential romantic partners for both. But the fun and games are called to a halt once dad is reunited with an old friend of the family, a chic fashion designer who would like to see both father and daughter get serious about their lives. Talented writer Arthur Laurents adapted his screenplay from Françoise Sagan's book, yet even with Otto Preminger directing a classy cast, this soaper set on the Riviera never comes to a boil. Preminger sees the idle rich as spoiled and decadent, dancing away mindlessly into the night, yet the players (David Niven and gamine Jean Seberg as father and daughter, Deborah Kerr as Niven's fiancée) bring a lot more heart and human interest to the piece than was probably intended. As such, the characters are more embraceable than the writing and handling, and portions of the film are puzzling or awkward. Still, film-lovers of this era in cinema will no doubt bask in the lush surroundings, not to mention in the enjoyable performances and beautiful photography (black-and-white for the present day, color for the past). The script might have benefited from more honesty in the finale--the 'irony' in bringing these dead-end lives full circle isn't very cutting--and there are two supporting characters who are given the shaft by Laurents. There are certainly pleasures to be had here, however, most notably in the scenes between Kerr and Seberg. **1/2 from ****

Sunshine with No Shadow

[dougdoepke · 9 May 2009]

Reviews of this film are more interesting and thought provoking than most. A number of them convey critical insights that certainly deepened my appreciation. Yes, the film is flawed, but it also resonates beyond standard soap opera mainly because of its tragic central premise. That the movie doesn't fully realize its aim, I'm sorry to say, is largely because of limitations in Seberg's performance. I agree, she's a lively and compelling screen presence with a freshness that's genuinely appealing. However, the role of Cecile calls upon more emotional depth than Seberg manages to convey, especially with the absence of troubled emotions. Thus the sense of tragic outcome stems from sources other than Seberg's performance. Now, there are several ways of looking at Cecile's emotional make-up and maturity, but there's one I believe that most strongly recommends itself and also puts Seberg's performance in the best light.

On this view, Seberg has Cecile's character just right during the sunny Technicolor phase. Cecile is simply too immature to realize the potential consequences of her scheming actions. Thus, Cecile (Seberg) attaches no more gravity to breaking up her father's relationship than she does to skipping her studies. She's all spoiled selfishness wrapped in a winsome smile. And it's not until the car crash that she realizes the consequences of her selfish act, and experiences an emotional depth for the first time. Her scheme thus results not from making a wrongful choice but from not even realizing that a choice is being made. This view would vindicate nine-tenths of Seberg's unconflicted Technicolor performance, but not the black- and-white phase where Seberg fails to convey the conflict required. This view would also explain the added features of narration, color change and Saul Bass graphics once Preminger realizes that Seberg's performance is not enough to convey the necessary sense of tragedy.

Despite this central flaw, the movie remains oddly haunting. Maybe it's because of a sun- washed paradise so carelessly lost, or of a summer of such promise turned into a lifetime of regret. I really like the observation that father and daughter behave as though actions have no consequences. As a result, their humanity is only realized once the importance of this lesson is tragically driven home. Only by then, it's too late. In my view, the movie remains regrettably underrated.

Dated, but Still Enjoyable

[claudio_carvalho · 7/10 · 12 October 2005]

In the French Riviera, the spoiled and futile seventeen years old girl Cecile (Jean Seberg) is spending the summer vacation with her father, the widow playboy and bon-vivant Raymond (David Niven), and his girlfriend Elsa (Mylène Demongeot). Cecile has a serious Complex of Oedipus with her father, and they have a quite incestuous relationship. The successful designer and former friend of her mother Anne Larson (Deborah Kerr) arrives in their seaside house invited by Raymond to spend a couple of days with them, and the life of Cecile changes when Raymond proposes Anne to marry him. Full of jealous, Cecile plots with Elsa to separate Anne from Raymond.

"Bonjour Tristesse" is a film that became very dated, but it is still enjoyable, mostly because of Jean Seberg, who is amazingly perfect in her role, and the charming cast. The direction of Otto Preminger is very precise, as usual, using the black and white to picture the present and colors for the past. Jean Seberg, Debora Kerr and Mylène Demongeot are extremely beautiful and David Niven is great in the role of a silly millionaire with no other preoccupation but women and entertainment. In the present days, it can be clearly seem that the story shows, but does not emphasizes, an incestuous relationship between Cecile and Raymond. The costumes of Givenchy and the Cartier jewelries glitter the colored part of the movie. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Bom Dia Tristeza" ("Good Morning Sadness")

It's mediocre cinema yet a great escape for decadent viewers

[Mr_Bucket · 6/10 · 23 April 2020]

Brilliantly filmed on the French Riviera. The cinematography and composition of the shots is exquisite.

There are lots of negatives for me.

I hate Seaborg's short hair. She's lacks the ability to emote. Her face is the same in every scene. I despise her character and I felt another actress could have done a better job in this role.

Niven's character is vain and selfish. He plays the part well.

The music was generic. A great song would have improved the film.

The screenplay needed to be punched up. The characters had a light banter where they were supposedly witty and all of it was flat.

There were several scenes where they repeat themselves and I was saying "cut, cut the scene"

The end is tragically good.

Iconic Film of the 1950s

[robert-temple-1 · 9/10 · 10 March 2009]

The wonderfully fresh and vivacious Jean Seberg here shines in her second film. The previous year she had played Joan of Arc (chosen from 18,000 young girls who auditioned for the role), and here Otto Preminger directs his protégé again to superb effect. The film opens with very dramatic music by Georges Auric. This film is based upon the best-selling first novel by the young Francoise Sagan, which created a scandal then but now is not scandalous at all. What passed for 'decadence' at the time was a life of aimless idling by the rich on the Riviera, some gambling, some boating, some swimming, some affairs, and a great deal of insipid self-indulgence. This we see epitomised in Seberg's father, played to perfection by David Niven, a shallow idler and womanizer who straightens his bow tie self-consciously between seductions in the bushes. He and Jean have a 'father-and-daughter-thing' because her mother died long ago, and they really don't want anybody else in their lives apart from casual partners with whom they can romp, only to throw them away when used, joking about them to each other as they get ready to have an evening out. As the film opens, Niven's girlfriend of the moment is Elsa, a charmingly empty-headed creature played delightfully by Mylene Demongeot, who shows such talent as a restrained comedienne. Juliette Greco makes a full-throated appearance in a club, singing the film's theme song all the way through as the dancing and whirling Jean stares at her glassy-eyed over men's shoulders, lost in haunted visions of regret. In 1958, the teenage girls of Britain all swooned over and identified with Jean Seberg, who seems to have originated the shorn boyish haircut which Mia Farrow later copied. Niven as the amiable cad was pretty much what one would expect. But into this mix comes Miss Straight, in the form of Deborah Kerr, who says to Niven when he gets flirty: 'I don't want to be casual.' That's for sure. When Niven finally decides he wants to marry her, she becomes a Little Hitler in no time, bossing Jean around, stopping everyone having 'fun', and generally making herself odious with her control-freakery. This leads to a campaign to drive her out by Jean and Elsa, who has been unceremoniously dumped. Meanwhile, Kerr has fallen hard, and in a revealing shot in the harsh sun we even discover that her true complexion was rather gingery and freckly, something concealed in her other films. Tragedy is not long in coming, hence the 'tristesse'. This is a social document of the 1950s which people interested in knowing what things were once like should watch. The film is directed by a master, Preminger, and Jean Seberg 'makes it' entirely. She is so refreshing, natural, young, real. Poor Jean Seberg. By the age of 40 she was dead. But she left much to remember her by: no one who has seen 'Breathless' (1960) can ever forget her. This film too keeps her wonderful memory alive. Her best acting performance was probably in 'Lilith', but she does well enough here, wholly dominating the screen and acting circles round the old pros. Oh yes, and then there's the inside joke about Eveline Eyfel playing three identical sisters who act as the maid, which is an amusing touch. The Mediterranean sparkles in the sunshine, the pine trees along the beach are exuding their aroma, swim suits dry in minutes: come on in, the water's fine!

It's time for a do-over

[rgcustomer · 6/10 · 23 August 2010]

Normally I hate remakes, but I think it would be hard to make this film worse than it already is, so I say "Go for it!" because the story might be worth telling.

The story actually isn't much, and deserved a better script and tighter editing to keep the audience interested, not to mention better direction, and acting (including Seberg). I was constantly having to replay scenes, because my mind would drift away from the film, as it was so dull.

Even the music was bad. I mean, by the zillionth time they play a variation on that theme ... good grief, we get it already! It must have been a bargain.

The characters never really evolve one way or another. They just sort of change (or not) for no particular reason. It's devoid of feeling, even when there should be feeling. We're just supposed to assume it makes sense, without actually taking that journey with the characters.

The narration was a big negative as well. Sure, the character may be annoying and childish, but that's no reason to subject us to annoying and childish ramblings.

I did enjoy the cinematography, and the use of colour.

Even in the 6.5 - 7.0 range, this film is overrated. The pity is that it could have been done well, and wasn't.

Preminger in transition

[tentender · 9/10 · 18 July 2006]

A fascinating, frustrating, though ultimately deeply satisfying film. Many readers have commented on the frustrations, and they are hard to deny. My experience of this movie goes back to the early 70s, when I first encountered it in ideal circumstances, at the Museum of Modern Art during its complete Preminger retrospective, and in a gorgeous, perfect print. A great introduction to a film whose very meaning resides in its glossy surface. The first few minutes of the film powerfully set up the tragedy that is to come: Saul Bass's dripping teardrop titles underscored with Auric's deeply tragic music, followed by the first black and white scenes depicting Cecile's current active but deeply disengaged life. Then, as Cecile arrives home and begins remembering "last summer", the blue Mediterranean sea begins to invade the frame, little by little -- a striking effect, to say the least --, we are there, in the midst of a carefree vacation with Cecile, Raymond and Elsa, and quite successfully invited to forget the tragedy that seems to be in the making and enter a carefree, sunlit world where nothing, seemingly, could ever go wrong. Masterful film-making, and, thus far, perfectly pitched: Seberg's perfectly expressionless and beautiful face has no small part in making it work. That she is less secure in the flashback scenes is unfortunate, but her physical presence at least gives the right signs: this is a very young girl, happy but extremely shallow. (Yes, I will admit that the line readings are quite stiff -- no question she is "acting." But, if one is already in the proper frame of mind they are not all that damaging.) What's important is the holiday mood, and the performances of Niven and Mylene Demongeot are sufficiently effervescent to evoke it. (Demongeot is a real charmer -- beautiful beyond belief and full of joie de vivre.) The arrival of Deborah Kerr on the scene changes all this: a dignified Lady coming into the midst of a world she finds immoral, distasteful and, in the deepest sense, unacceptable: her reaction to realizing that Raymond is, shall we say, shacking up with Elsa is the turning point of the film, the crossroads of comedy and tragedy. And from this point we are invited to see how, step by step, comedy turns to tragedy. What's most wonderful about this film is how diverting that progression is. The world of the French Riviera is, after all, a world of carefree bliss (at least on the surface), and we are given ample opportunity to enjoy that along with the characters in the film: a delightful casino scene (enlivened by the presence of that wonderful actor, Walter Chiari, a truly handsome man with a wonderful flair for comedy, and here, playing opposite Demongeot, particularly delightful) and a visually stunning dance at the dock, a masterpiece of costume design in delicious color and Cinemascope, worthy of a Minnelli musical (and, in its delirious scale, surpassing most of them). Finally, let me just say that the final moments of the film (and I will refrain from spoiling them) are among the most moving in all cinema: an evocation of self-loathing and emptiness that remains unrivaled in its beauty. Yes, beauty. Caveat emptor: It is useless to see this film in the pan&scan version (I have had the experience, and it is horrible). The Columbia DVD edition looks great (absolutely NO extras, by the way; it appears to have been simply dumped on the market -- odd treatment of a masterpiece). Oh, yes, my title heading: Preminger's previous films had mostly dealt with "little" events -- noirs, small comedies, etc.; most of his subsequent films ("Exodus," "The Cardinal," "Advise and Consent," "In Harms Way") with Big Events. This one is still on an intimate scale, but has much in common visually (particularly the masterful use of CinemaScope, to which Preminger took like a fish to water) with the later films.

Bonjour tristesse's reputation and mojo as a level-headed cinematic raconteur endures the test of time

[lasttimeisaw · 7/10 · 1 June 2016]

Adapted from Françoise Sagan's debut novel published in 1954 when she was merely eighteen- years-old, Otto Preminger's BONJOUR TRISTESSE thrives on weaving its melodramatic tenor through the flippant precociousness of its protagonist, Cécile (Seberg), a 17-year-older gamine living with her affluent but roué father Raymond (Niven).

The film starts in Paris, in her all-out glamour and allure reflected through the monochromatic lens, Cécile and Raymond appear to be the perfect father-daughter pair, no generation gap, neither is too clingy to each other, they are like-minded and incredibly compatible, thoroughly luxuriate in their bourgeois dalliances as if nothing could ever faze them.

However, elicited by Juliette Gréco's terribly sensuous and lugubrious rendition of the titular theme song BONJOUR TRISTESSE, written by Georges Auric, Cécile's memory hacks back to one year earlier, in French Riviera, while the movie flashes back into its varicolored richness, it is a guilt- ridden recollection, - seven, is my lucky number, murmurs Cécile, but exactly, what happened last summer?

Tragedy happens, certainly, bonjour tristesse literally means hello sadness, but before that, there were happy moments, Cécile was on vacation with Raymond and his young lady friend Elsa (Demongeot, a blonde bombshell in Marilyn Monroe-ish chicness) in his villa, soon they were joined by Anne (Kerr), an old friend of Raymond's late wife, Cécile's godmother, now a divorcée, whereas Cécile found herself a new beau, Philippe (Horne), an open-faced, handsomely-built young man living nearby.

The cast must have such a great time in making this film, sunbathing, swimming, water-skiing, dining, drinking, gambling and wiggling, everything sounds like a paid holiday. Then, bang, Raymond expresses his affections to Anne and proposes to marry her, and suddenly Elsa being kicked out of the picture. The match seems perfect, even in the eyes of Cécile, maternity endearment is something very healthy for her growth and nobody could be more suitable than Anne to assume that role. But soon, the spoiled side of her nature eggs her to defy Anne's matronly discipline, and an apparently naive plan (with the help of Philippe, a fool in love, and the "brilliant" Elsa) to scuttle Raymond and Anne's marriage will go haywire and the aftermath will make Cécile rue the day.

There is something inherently vapidly in Sagon's story, but the movie retains magnificently a superficial but bewitching unpretentiousness of Raymond and Cécile, which makes them watchable, they are not intelligent people, Anne is evidently too good for them, but on the other hand, they are very much honest to themselves, the tragedy could have been avoided (there is no clarification it is an accident or a suicide, but the marriage would still hit a bumper road in a long run), in a way, Cécile's scheme only help Anne to see through Raymond's nature, so from a more cautionary aspect, the whole story seems to bear witness that we should never have the illusion that one's unconditional love can change a person, either take it wholly or leave it immediately, there is no grey area here.

Preminger really loved Seberg, after the flop of SAINT JOAN (1957), Seberg's screen debut, he didn't give her up, here he cherry-picks her a tailor-made role and unreservedly puts her in the centre of the narrative, to flesh out her elfin mischief, singular delicacy, all in a continental style, prepares her for the star-making triumph in Godard's BREATHLESS (1960).

The Niven-Kerr pair works side by side twice in a calendar year, compared with a more self- inflicted restraint in Delbert Mann's ensemble piece SEPARATE TABLES (1958), Niven is much more nonchalant as a sybarite, to quote Raymond - is silly and vain, whereas Kerr hops up with a refreshingly relaxed air of being "the unattainable Anne" during her flashy entrance, only not soon would she backtrack to the stereotype of "Raymond, I cannot be casual" seriousness, or, in Cécile's words, "the prim, prissy and prude".

Calling BONJOUR TRISTESSE a high point of Preminger or any these leading stars' coruscating careers is a far-fetched argument, however, its reputation and mojo as a level-headed cinematic raconteur endures the test of time, sleekly orchestrated by Preminger's efficient artifice and Auric's string-heavy score.

Otto Preminger's Rivera

[robertguttman · 5/10 · 16 March 2019]

Film makers love to show off the Rivera, and for good reason. It's one of the most spectacular venues in the world. However, it's interesting to compare Preminger's Rivera with those of Hitchcock in "To Catch a Thief" and Powell's in "The Red Shoes". In "The Red Shoes" the Riviera is merely a setting in which artists work obsessively to create their art while paying virtually no attention to it. For Hitchcock, the Riviera is a lush background for intrigue. In Preminger's "Bonjour Tristesse" the Riviera represents the lifestyle that the characters desire; luxurious, sensual, hedonistic and, ultimately, empty. "Bonjour Tristesse" is worth seeing for the Riviera, which looks fabulous, and Jean Seberg, who looks fabulous. However, the story is as shallow as the characters.

I do not think that it would be giving away the plot to say that the viewer is led to believe from the very beginning that he is seeing a tragedy. After all, the title translates as "Hello, Sorrow". Furthermore, the opening exposition, filmed in somber black-and-white, leads one to believe that the lives of the protagonists have been devastated by some great tragedy. However, from the very beginning it is also obvious that this impression is not true at all. The father and daughter are depicted as a pair of shallow, selfish, hedonists who care nothing for anything or anyone beyond each other and their own immediate gratification.

The story does not even mention exactly what, if anything, it is that the father does for a living. He is obviously extremely wealthy, but is never seen to do any sort of work or transact any business. It was apparently sufficient for the author that he should be nothing more than a rich, idle, middle-aged playboy who changes his cars as frequently as his daughter, who never wears the same outfit twice, changes her clothes.

In short, not only are the characters in this story not real people, they are not even sympathetic unreal people. It's bad enough having to put up with an hour and a half movie about mannequins without them having to be unlikable mannequins.

Jean Seberg weaves her magical charm on the viewer like none other.

[ztruk2001 · 9/10 · 15 November 2004]

Jean Seberg is an absolute joy. I just wanna give her a big fat hug and kiss... well that's just two things anyway. What makes Otto Preminger's film so wonderful is that Seberg is the right age to play the part of a spoiled rich girl coming of age. Also the film is given an authenticity and heart because it was written by Françoise Sagan when she was the same age as Cecile (Seberg). That's right, this amazing and brilliant work was penned by a 17-year old.

The plot is fairly standard. A young girl living with her playboy father becomes jealous of his new love and when marriage is proposed she does her best to break it up. Gee nothing remarkable there. What is remarkable is the characters and their relationships. They have an extra amount of depth and the situation between Cecile and her father, Raymond (David Niven) borders on the incestuous. This gives it an added dimension and depth when Anne (Deborah Kerr) threatens to "steal" her father away. Another place where it avoids clichés is dealing with Anne. Kerr plays her magnificently and with a warm passion. She is not the wicked step mother here, but a sympathetic and self sacrificing woman who wants to bring love and stability into Cecile and Raymond's morally ambiguous and flighty lifestyle. This film while a modest success in America was a huge hit in Europe and inspired Jean-Luc Godard to work with Seberg.

Bonjour Tristesse also foreshadowed the films dealing with the idle rich that quickly popped up in its wake including two masterpieces, Antonioni's L'avventura and Fellini's La Dolce Vita. Preminger directs Bonjour Tristesse with a sure hand and I love how the flashbacks are in color and the present day scenes are in a somber black and white to fit with the mood. Oh and yes the story is told in flashback for the most part and the technique along with Seberg's narration gives a heightened sense of loss that Cecile and Raymond feel towards the events that transpired concerning Anne. Remarkable film and Seberg is so delightful and hot running around in her bathing suit practically the whole time.

Grade: A

Not much of a movie...

[hemisphere65-1 · 3/10 · 19 July 2021]

Unless your into the great locations and cinematography.

I'll start by saying that Niven does a pretty good job despite the script/story. I assume Kerr was cast to make Seberg appear as if she could act. It didn't work! They were both awful.

Demo grit is probably the best, or most convincing, performer n the film.

Garbage characters from an overrated novel make for a lousy movie.

Bonjour Tristesse

[Smalling-2 · 23 May 2000]

A good-for-nothing, unhappy high society girl recalls a summer when she destroyed the love of her rich playboy father and his respectable bride, because she was afraid of finishing their hedonistic lifestyle.

Well-acted, starry cast and very graciously made but, in atmosphere, oddly faithless adaptation of a sharply cynical novel, which tends to glamorize and ennoble its originally unlovable characters against luxurious backgrounds. It holds the interest, however, and the glossily colorful photography of the sunlit French Rivera in the past alternating with the bleakly black and white present, is particularly excellent.

pretty to look at

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 20 June 2021]

Cecile (Jean Seberg) is a 17 year old party girl and her widower father Raymond (David Niven) is a fun loving playboy in the south of France. He has his empty-headed girlfriend Elsa. Family friend Anne Larsen (Deborah Kerr) returns into their life and threatens Cecile's carefree existence.

This is directed by Otto Preminger. It's beautiful people in a beautiful place. I do wonder if Otto is doing something deeper or shallower than what it appears to be. Niven and Seberg are appealing enough to root for. It would be fine to take this straight. Elsa is trying to be comedic. This exists in a kind of 50's sunny France decadence. This could be a fun Disney movie if Cecile is much younger in a duel with the evil stepmother figure. This is pretty to look at but I don't find this that much fun.

Oedipus Alive And Well On The Riviera

[bkoganbing · 6/10 · 19 April 2009]

The trio of David Niven, Deborah Kerr, and Jean Seberg star in Otto Preminger's Oedipal drama Bonjour Tristesse. With those Givenchy gowns featured, how did Audrey Hepburn miss this film?

Based on the Francoise Sagan novel, this is one strange tale of a playboy father, the daughter who adores him and the woman who threatens to come between them. Niven is the playboy who must have inherited his wealth because he doesn't look like he worked a day in his life. At one time he was married and had Seberg with his late wife. Anyway she travels with him and enjoys life and its vices the same way he does.

It's all right when Niven's fooling around with Mylene Demongeot, the latest in a string of flings, but when old flame Deborah Kerr shows up and wants to marry Niven, that puts Seberg off.

Truth be told Kerr had no right acting like a stepmother before the wedding. Still it didn't justify what Seberg set in motion that ends in tragedy.

The novel is French based of course and I think the French should have filmed it. I think Otto Preminger was just the wrong director for this kind of material.

Geoffrey Horne plays Seberg's boyfriend and Martita Hunt is his mother round out a stylish cast. But with only one actual person of French nationality among the main cast. that was a big mistake.

what's not to like?

[muerco · 9/10 · 6 February 2007]

Yes, it's a soap opera, and yes, it's in some ways derivative of Sirk. But I just love this movie, as much as any movie of its type from the '50s. Short, swift, luxuriously filmed, and perfectly cast, "Bonjour Tristesse" is the best of Preminger's many best-seller adaptations ("Advise and Consent," "Exodus"). On a formal level, the movie is beautifully constructed throughout; the blocking and movement in and out of the frame is practically balletic, especially in the black-and-white sections. Even with her bland affect, Seberg is simply magical (and completely believable), with one great outfit/swimsuit after another. Niven and Kerr fit their roles exquisitely well, with the exactly right degree of self-awareness and (to some degree) self-loathing. I saw this movie recently 20 years after I first saw it (and was charmed then) and was not disappointed--it was exactly as good as I remembered. I can't think of any Preminger film more entertaining or more worthy of reaching a wide public. Enjoy!

The book is better.

[marc-herbert · 7/10 · 14 November 2008]

First, one of your commentators remarked that the Riviera looked great. I do not believe Preminger filmed it there. The site was probably Lake Tahoe, with a few shots taken in the south of France, of course, to add authenticity. Interiors were all made on Hollywood sound stages. The book is far more subtle and carefully crafted than the screenplay. Near the end, when Anne discovers Raymond and Elsa together, she overhears him saying several deceitful and insensitive remarks, remarks that portray him as shockingly depraved. The book does not reveal those remarks to us; we continue to think of Raymond as, well, yes, promiscuous, but basically charming and decent.

One of the most beautiful films ever made; see it on the big screen only

[Aw-komon · 10/10 · 5 July 2000]

I'll never forget seeing a pristine print of this magnificently shot (entirely on location in the French Riviera) Preminger classic on the huge screen of the Egyptian theater in Hollywood (I refuse to watch the cut-up video version currently available), and let me tell you, there is no more poetic or romantic film in existence. Forget the silly, soap-opera pretext of a Francoise Sagan plot, just sit back and let the 'real' story, the visual poetry drift over you and take you away. Now, I'm not saying this because I'm in love with both Jean Seberg and Deborah Kerr (how can you not be, the way they look on the screen here), but because this is the quintessential Otto Preminger film, where he takes the trashiest of romance novels and proceeds to make a case study demonstration of how irrelevant 'standard' plot devices can be in the cinema by making a visual masterpiece out of it.

Flirty young girl has a moody vacation on the French Riviera.

[michaelRokeefe · 6/10 · 28 December 2007]

BONJOUR TRISTESSE, translated into English, HELLO, SADNESS. this movie caused two immediate sensations. The novel was written by eighteen year old Francoise Sagan. And twenty year old Jean Seberg, in only her second movie, had men of all ages panting. Otto Preminger directs this enjoyable film. Seventeen-year-old and decadent Cecile(Seberg)is spending her summer with playboy father Raymond(David Niven)on the French Riviera. Raymond is sharing part of the summer with a girlfriend Elsa(Mylene Demongeot). Cecile is a tad naive, but hides this well by attempting to attract men the same age as her father. The quiet summer suddenly becomes a little rocky when another of Raymond's girlfriends arrives by a previous invitation. Anne Larsen(Deborah Kerr)is so different from the parade of Raymond's other beauties. Anne is cultured, intelligent and classy. When Raymond announces his desire to marry her, the jealous Cecile plans on ways to eliminate her. And the seventeen-year-old beauty realizes that she will always be daddy's little girl; but she doesn't foresee a wonderful life for herself. She must come to grips with the funk of stepping into a desolate future. Also in the cast: Geoffrey Horne, Jeremy Burnham, Elga Anderson and Juliette Greco.

Teen Fantasy Soap Opera

[Piafredux · 4/10 · 7 June 2006]

Jean Seberg had not one iota of acting talent. Like all her films, 'Bonjour tristesse' suffers not at all from her looks (though she is perhaps the first of those modern women whom Tom Wolfe gleefully, accurately describes as "boys with breasts": publicists, of course, use the word "gamine") but suffers grievously from Seberg's dull, monotonous, killing voice. In all her films when had to play anger, Seberg played it with grossly audible, distracting, gasping panting between her monotonously droned verbalizations. Oy.

Preminger's adaptation of Françoise Sagan's breathlessly juvenile, fantasy soap opera plot is noteworthy only for his lush cinematography - but then that's difficult to funk on the photogenic French Riviera, and perhaps for his apt, but certainly not groundbreaking, employment of black & white for the present day scenes from which Seberg's monotone narration delivers us to the flashed-back-to color past.

Juliette Gréco has a brief moment, as a nightclub chanteuse in the black & white spotlight, delivering in smoky Dietrichesque voice the bleak existentialist lyric of the title song. This moment is nowadays, in retrospect, more than a wee bit drôle. Except, of course, if you're French - particularly if you're a French "68-er" longing for the glorious days of the barricades roundabout the Sorbonne - and your kids riot to retain the lifelong sinecures which have blighted and emasculated France's economy: then you still believe in Sartre and Foucault and all such arcane, irrelevant theorists.

David Niven has the hardest role, having to play with sufficient gusto an aging hedonist who's yet to grasp that life isn't all about Sagan's teenybopper notions of a hip, cool, swingin', "mon copain!" Papa. Deborah Kerr delivers her usual, consummately professional presence, convincingly playing the woman who suffers undeservedly Seberg's spiteful teenaged snot-nose jealousy (fulfilling Sagan's shallow teen fantasy of the Classical theme of "there can be only one Queen Bee in the hive"); in fact, to Kerr belongs this film's sole great and memorable on-screen moment.

The dialogue is unnatural - I agree with an earlier reviewer who said that it sounds to be "badly translated" from French; combine the unnatural scripting with Seberg's incomparably dull, unendurable monotone and you can save that Valium for another night. Atop all that the ineptly synched post-production voice dubbing is, almost throughout, obvious and thus much more than irksome: this is especially true of the dubbing for Mylène Demongeot because it spoils her otherwise very pleasing dumb blonde performance.

Hunky Geoffrey Horne gets the short end of the stick here - a very good looking young man who also suffered from a less-than-lovely, uncinematic voice which, when paired with Seberg's drone, yields unconvincing scenes of puppy love. (Horne was, shall we say, merely adequate in 'Bridge On the River Kwai,' perhaps because his end was held up by those great cinema pros William Holden and Jack Hawkins instead of being unsupported by the regrettably ungifted Seberg).

In sum 'Bonjour tristesse' is pretty to look at but it's shallow, immature soap: thin gruel with suds.

Style over substance. Great anyway.

[ags123 · 8/10 · 20 April 2007]

Very enjoyable film. Easy on the eyes, but not much depth. Soap opera story plays out rather unconvincingly, but the lovely scenery and engaging personalities make it all worthwhile. What a great way to spend 94 minutes: lost in the carefree lifestyle of the French Riviera at a time when the world seemed calm. Pure fantasy now! David Niven is more charming and relaxed than usual, in contrast to the typically tight-laced Deborah Kerr, who tries to impose some decorum upon the hedonists. Jean Seberg is delightful. Though her acting is terrible, she makes up for it with warmth and beauty. It also helps that she spends most of the film running around in bathing suits. She beat Mia Farrow to the short cropped hair by ten years. Preminger's one clever device of using both color and black-and-white photography adds visual interest, but fails to convey the heartbreak it's intended for. Recommend this film for pleasant escapism.

Adieu Entertainment

[krdement · 1/10 · 14 December 2007]

This is shallow hedonism and/or social commentary wrapped in a tragic tale about a jealous young woman's scheme to drive apart her father and his fiancée. Is it incest or just a view through the eyes of a daughter with an Electra complex? Who cares? All of the characters, except for Anne (Deborah Kerr) are vacuous and vile. Seberg is poor (I agree with the "boys with breasts" comment of an earlier review). The plot plodded. This predictable material was sufficient for about 30 minutes of film that unfortunately was stretched over an hour and a half! If you want to see great gowns and jewels on the Riviera, I recommend "To Catch a Thief" - in which you will get the added bonuses of an entertaining story and likable characters.

I like for films to entertain me. I personally don't really care where a film is set. Whatever the time or place, I want a good story - comedy or drama. I also want to see some enjoyable characters. It doesn't hurt if I can relate to them. Poor Deborah Kerr gives a typically good performance, and so does David Niven in a despicable role.

The "2" rating is solely for Kerr and Niven, and for the cinematography - the rich color scenes and the murky, foreboding black and white scenes. Unfortunately, all the great cinematography in the world cannot salvage a poor story with un-enjoyable characters. A sow's ear is still a sow's ear. Consequently watching this mess was a serious waste of my time.

Lushly presented view of love and teen angst.

[Poseidon-3 · 31 January 2007]

Director Preminger (a man who went through many different phases in his work) seemed to have a thing, at least for a time, for precocious young ladies (see also Maggie McNamara in "The Moon is Blue", which also starred Niven.) Here, he directs a story about a playboy father (Niven) and his adoring, but restless, daughter Seberg whose idyllic vacation in the French Riviera turns sour upon the arrival of a motherly fashion designer. Niven and Seberg are frolicking carelessly, along with his current squeeze Demongeot, when word arrives that Seberg's godmother (Kerr), a friend of her deceased mother's, is on her way to visit. At first, Kerr is appalled at the set-up and with the way Seberg behaves, but once she realizes her options are few, she begins to lighten up and enjoy herself. She enjoys herself so much that, pretty soon, Niven is smitten with her and curvy, platinum-blonde Demongeot is out on her tail! Meanwhile, Seberg has fallen for local hunk Horne and they contemplate taking their relationship to the next level. When Kerr begins to assert a degree of control over Seberg and influence over Niven, this sets in motion a plan to wreck her and Niven's relationship, but in fact a great deal more than that is wrecked. In a gimmicky (but reasonably effective) move, the film opens in stark black & white, with Seberg narrating (in an unfortunately pretentious and irritating way) until the film flashes back to the glorious French scenery and Technicolor seeps in, eventually filling the screen with lavish beauty. Occasionally, the action shifts back to the black & white present day, though the bulk of the film concerns the flashback sequences. Seberg, still sporting her close-cropped hair from "Saint Joan", her previous film with Preminger, is a striking and interesting presence. Any lack of seasoning in her acting is compensated for by her exquisite beauty and her radiant energy (which does occasionally stray over the top.) Niven adeptly handles his role, though he is given fairly few close-ups in the film. He and Seberg share an unusual (and controversial) relationship with her calling him by his first name and with both of them frequently kissing each other and interacting physically. Kerr, by now ensconced in ladylike roles, gives an excellent and shaded performance, though her initial costume is ghastly; a big taupe sack, basically. She deftly treads the line between unsympathetic interloper and caring, concerned, sensitive matron. Demongeot gets a rare chance (in English-speaking films, anyway) to play a decent role and she handles it well, bringing much humor and energy to it. Horne, frequently clad in skimpy swim trunks, is delectable and charming. Stalwart character actors Chiari and Hunt appear briefly as amusing casino patrons (and Hunt is Horne's mother in the film.) Greco is shown on screen in the present day section and sings the title song. It's a strangely unheralded film considering how splendidly it is photographed and how charmingly and effectively performed it is. The story is rather captivating as well. It's well worth a look.