Éric Rohmer: Four Summer Films

For a time the editor of Cahiers du Cinéma, as well as mentor to many of the emerging directors of the French New Wave, Éric Rohmer’s place in film history is one that has been well-documented. However, his more literary and philosophical sensibilities differentiate him from his contemporaries — it is possible for a film to be “Rohmerian” in its emphasis on dialogue, its interest in the place of love and desire, and its languid pace and atmosphere. Many of his films therefore have a special affinity with summer, not just in their setting (all four films take place during the summer season), but also in their tone, or the characteristic way in which they address their central problems. Above all, there is a sense of youthful freshness to his images and to his characters' concerns: one gets the sense that summer is a moment of transition, during which his characters learn the lessons that will inform who they will become. In his simplicity of focus, and yet great sense of intimacy and attention to his characters' inner lives, Rohmer's films have a refreshing, restorative effect — perfect for a cool theater on a hot summer day.