Conte de printemps (A Tale of Springtime)

In the first film of the Contes des quatre saisons (Tales of the Four Seasons) cycle, spring not only provides the backdrop but also subtly influences the characters’ behaviour. Philosophy lecturer Jeanne (Anne Teyssèdre), inspired by Kant, befriends the young pianist Natacha, who seems keen to set her up with her father, Igor. A playful web of misunderstandings, mistrust and romantic intrigues unravels around a missing necklace. Rohmer weaves philosophical ideas about truth and knowledge into a light-hearted marivaudage, in which the characters endlessly reflect on their feelings. With gentle irony, he portrays an intellectual milieu without mocking it. With inspired conversations, music by Schumann and Beethoven, and set against the backdrop of a spacious Parisian flat and country homes in Fontainebleau, Conte de printemps is supremely refined and a pure delight to listen to and watch.