A Man and a Woman

"A Man and a Woman" or "Un Homme et Une Femme" is a 1966 French film produced and directed by Claude Lelouch. Starring Anouk Aimee & Jean-Louis Trintignant, this film set in locations such as Paris, Deauville, and the 24 hours of Le Mans; tells the story of Anne and Jean-Louis.

A love story that began in Deauville after Anne, who works as a film script, leaves her daughter in a boarding school and looses her train. She ends up returning to Paris with Jean-Louis, a sports car racer, who also has his son at the same school. Jean-Louis and Anne both lost their spouses years before.

After travelling to Deauville and spending a day there with their children, Anne & Jean-Louis fall in love. Jean-Louis participates in a car rally and after the race he goes immediately to Anne who happens to be again in Deauville. However despite being in love with Jean-Louis, Anne can't forget her late husband. She decides it's better to end their relationship and goes back to Paris. At the end of this film, Anne's train stops in a nearby town and she sees Jean-Louis waiting for her. The final sequence is quite a memorable one in cinema history.

"Un Homme et Une Femme" besides its plot is remembered for its shots in color, black & white, and sepia; and the great soundtrack composed by Francis Lai.

This film won the Grand Prix at 1966's Cannes Film Festival, as well as the Academy Award for Best Foreign Film and Academy Award for Best Writing, Story, and Screenplay in 1967.




Photo: Flickr