La Vie d'Adèle – Chapitres 1 et 2

Description

The lesbian love story that made Adèle Exarchopoulos famous, and at the same time the film whose director was criticized for his borderline working methods by Léa Seydoux, the second lead actress. And finally, there is the Palme d'Or that all three won together. High school student Adèle (Adèle Exarchopoulos) has just had her first sexual experiences with a schoolmate when her life takes an unexpected turn after she crosses paths with Emma (Léa Seydoux), a slightly older art student with blue hair. With Emma, Adèle discovers love and passionate sexuality. They move in together, and soon Adèle takes on a central role as a muse in Emma's paintings. As intense as love has entered their lives, it also withdraws just as suddenly. The formative power of social background and differing life expectations drive them apart. Desperately, Adèle searches for her own path. LA VIE D’ADÈLE – CHAPITRES 1 ET 2 is based on part of the comic novel “Le bleu est une couleur chaude” by Julie Maroh. The film allows events to unfold slowly. The camera lingers just as long on scenes in the classroom, at the family table, or among friends, as it does on the explicit sex scenes. Adèle Exarchopoulos's performance impresses with its immediacy and highly credible embodiment of the young woman. The film exists in a tension field of contradictions: a Palme d'Or alongside a publicly fought conflict between Léa Seydoux and Abdellatif Kechiche, after she accused him of the terrible shooting conditions on set, which Exarchopoulos only hesitantly joined. All of this resonates in this film, whose Male Gaze is evident, yet simultaneously tells the passionate love story impressively close to a group of people and develops an irresistible pull with the grand performances of the actresses. At best, this film, with its controversial and unbelievable sex scene, has contributed to strengthening a broader sensitivity for the Female Gaze and appreciating queer directors like Céline Sciamma and her much subtler portrayal of lesbian eroticism even more. Contributors and additional information: Abdellatif Kechiche, F 2013; 180' F/d (DCP, color, scope) Featuring Léa Seydoux, Adèle Exarchopoulos, Salim Kechiouche, Aurélien Recoing, Catherine Salée, Benjamin Siksou.