Mouchette

This article is about Robert Bresson's film. For the Internet art project, see Mouchette.org.
Mouchette
Film poster
Directed byRobert Bresson
Screenplay byRobert Bresson
Based onMouchette
1937 novel
by Georges Bernanos
Produced byAnatole Dauman
StarringNadine Nortier
Jean-Claude Guilbert
Marie Cardinal
Paul Hebert
CinematographyGhislain Cloquet
Edited byRaymond Lamy
Music byJean Wiener
Claudio Monteverdi
Distributed byUGC / CFDC
Release date
  • 26 October 1967 (1967-10-26)
Running time
81 min.
CountryFrance
LanguageFrench

Mouchette (pronounced [mu.ʃɛt]) is a 1967 French tragedy film directed by Robert Bresson, starring Nadine Nortier and Jean-Claude Guilbert. It is based on the novel of the same name by Georges Bernanos.[1] Bresson explained his choice of the novel saying, "I found neither psychology or analysis in it. The substance of the book seemed usable. It could be sieved."[1]

It was entered into the 1967 Cannes Film Festival, winning the OCIC Award (International Catholic Organization for Cinema and Audiovisual).[2]

A coming-of-age story, Mouchette is set in a rural French village and follows the daughter of a bullying alcoholic father and ailing mother. Unfolding in the director's famously sparse and minimalist style, Bresson said that its titular character "offers evidence of misery and cruelty. She is found everywhere: wars, concentration camps, tortures, assassinations.[1]"

Mouchette is among Bresson's more acclaimed films.[3][4] The Criterion Collection DVD release includes a trailer for the film made by Jean-Luc Godard. The Artificial Eye DVD release includes a 29 minute documentary filmed on set about the making of the film.

  1. ^ a b c Sadoul, Georges (1972). Dictionary of films. Berkeley: University of California Press. p. 228. ISBN 9780520021525.
  2. ^ "Festival de Cannes: Mouchette". festival-cannes.com. Retrieved 2009-03-10.
  3. ^ "Robert Bresson's Acclaimed Films". They Shoot Pictures, Don't They. Retrieved August 5, 2016.
  4. ^ "Votes for Mouchette (1966)". British Film Institute. 2012. Archived from the original on September 15, 2016. Retrieved August 5, 2016.