Un Coeur En Hiver movie review (1993)

It is a crucial point, I think, that "Un Coeur en Hiver" begins with a narration by Stephane describing the relationship of these two men. They are not homosexual - indeed, by the end of the film they will have come to blows over the same woman - but Stephane's life is defined by the fact that he works for Maxime, admires him, envies his social skills, and depends on him as a shield against the world. Maxime has those gifts which Stephane lacks, and so by staying close to him, he can make use of them. It is a symbiotic relationship.

One day a beautiful young woman, Camille, a gifted violinist, comes into the workshop. She needs advice on her violin, which the two men are able to give her. Soon she is dating Maxime, as Stephane looks on from a distance. Then Camille and Stephane have a conversation about her playing, and two things become evident: Stephane hears a great deal when he listens to music, and Camille has fallen in love with him.

She tells Maxime. It is regrettable, and messy, but there it is: She loves his partner, and must leave him. She goes to Stephane.

He is flattered, and overwhelmed; he finds her beautiful, and desires her. That would be the end of the story, except that it gradually develops that Stephane is in no mood to commit himself to their relationship. He is not physically incapable, but it's as if his personality is impotent. Or almost as if Stephane is more comfortable when Maxime takes care of those kinds of details.

"Un Coeur en Hiver," directed by Claude Sautet, has the intensity and delicacy of a great short story. It reveals how superficial most movie romances are - because they make love too simple, and too easy a solution. The heart has needs that love does not understand, and for Stephane, perhaps the comfort of his routine and the consolations of his craft are more valuable than the risks of intimacy.

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7s7vGnqmempWnwW%2BvzqZmq52mnrK4v46upWabn5rCs3nEp2Shoaaav259mHJq