{"id":27601,"date":"2017-08-04T23:03:24","date_gmt":"2017-08-04T21:03:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/french\/?p=27601"},"modified":"2017-11-06T15:27:38","modified_gmt":"2017-11-06T14:27:38","slug":"rip-jeanne-moreau-come-hear-her-most-famous-song","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/french\/rip-jeanne-moreau-come-hear-her-most-famous-song\/","title":{"rendered":"RIP Jeanne Moreau – Come Hear Her Most Famous Song!"},"content":{"rendered":"

On Monday, director, screenwriter, actress, and singer Jeanne Moreau passed away at the age of 89. Jeanne was best known for her portrayal of Catherine in Fran\u00e7ois Truffaut’s 1962 New Wave masterpiece Jules et Jim<\/em><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The plot focuses around 2 friends with opposite personalities who share the same passion for art, literature, and women. Unsurprisingly enough, the two manage to fall for the same woman. Jules wins her hand in marriage, but years later, Jim meets Catherine again and discovers his feelings hadn’t changed at all. I won’t give away the ending since you absolutely have to see this movie, but I promise it’s worth your time!<\/p>\n

The film, which Stephen Hawking has called his “favorite movie of all time,” is based on Henri-Pierre Roch\u00e9’s 1953 semi-auto biographical novel. Truffaut came across the book in a secondhand shop in Paris, loved what he read, and eventually sought out and befriended the author. Roch\u00e9, who was in his 70s at the time, gave Truffaut his blessing to turn his book into a movie. The filmmaker would also adapt Roch\u00e9’s second novel, Les deux anglaises et le continent<\/em><\/strong>, to film in 1971.<\/p>\n

Jules et Jim was a hit and won both the Grand Prix and best actress awards. In fact, it is still being recognized for its impact on cinema in modern times: in 2010, it came in at #46 on Empire magazine’s “100 Best Films Of World Cinema.”<\/p>\n

After the film’s premiere, Truffaut received praise from the real life inspiration of Catherine, Henri-Pierre’s wife, Helen Hessel:<\/p>\n

\u201cI am, at 75, what is left of Kathe, the awesome heroine of Pierre Roch\u00e9\u2019s novel Jules and Jim. You can imagine the curiosity with which I waited to see your film on the screen. On January 24, I ran to the movie theatre. Sitting in that dark auditorium, in the dread of veiled resemblances and more or less irritating parallels, I was soon swept along, gripped by the magical power \u2013 yours and Jeanne Moreau\u2019s \u00ac\u2013 with which you revived what had been lived through blindly. The fact that Pierre Roch\u00e9 was able to tell the story of the three of us and kept it very close to the actual events has nothing miraculous about it. But what disposition in you, what affinity, could enlighten you to the point of making the essence of our intimate emotions perceptible? As far as this goes, I\u2019m your authentic judge, since the other two witnesses, Pierre and Franz, are no longer here to express their “yes” to you. Affectionately yours, dear Monsieur Truffaut.\u201d<\/em><\/h5>\n

On Monday, director, screenwriter, actress, and singer Jeanne Moreau passed away at the age of 89 in Paris. Jeanne may be best known for her portrayal of Catherine, but she was very active in other projects. You may have even seen her in a few anglophone films such as Ever After: A Cinderella Story<\/strong> and Love Actually<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

When I was in graduate school, I did a presentation on this movie and focused on one of the featured songs. “Le Tourbillon”<\/strong><\/em> (The Whirl) focuses on lovers meeting then separating then finding each other again. Stanley Kaufmann, a film critic, mentioned that the song was not pertinent for the action of the film. I remember being very confused reading the words. It’s absolutely necessary for the story’s narrative, especially since it acts as a summary of the relationships!<\/p>\n

I have to admit, though, that upon my first listen, I was more focused on how I could use the song as a teaching tool. Jeanne sings in very clear and slow French, so it’s perfect for learners. You can focus on a number of grammar points from the song (such as why there’s an -s on the end of the certain past participles). You can also study le pass\u00e9 simple<\/strong> and its usage over l’imparfait <\/strong>– see if students can rewrite the lyrics using le pass\u00e9 compos\u00e9<\/strong>. It could also be fun to discuss the idea of la femme fatale. Need some pronunciation lesson ideas? Jeanne is the queen of elision in this song!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Let’s give it a listen!<\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=dcVcwwo8QFE<\/p>\n

Elle avait des bagues \u00e0 chaque doigt,
\n<\/strong>She had rings on every finger
\nDes tas de bracelets autour des poignets,
\n<\/strong>A ton of bracelets around her wrists
\nEt puis elle chantait avec une voix
\n<\/strong>And then she’d sing with a voice
\nQui, sit\u00f4t, m’enj\u00f4la.
\n<\/strong>That immediately seduced me<\/p>\n

Elle avait des yeux, des yeux d’opale,
\n<\/strong>She had eyes, eyes like opal
\nQui me fascinaient, qui me fascinaient.
\n<\/strong>That fascinated me
\nY avait l’ovale de son visage p\u00e2le
\n<\/strong>The oval of her pale face
\nDe femme fatale qui me fut fatale (x2)
\n<\/strong>Of a femme fatale who was fatal to me<\/p>\n

On s’est connus, on s’est reconnus,
\n<\/strong>We met, we recognized each other
\nOn s’est perdus de vue, on s’est reperdus de vue
\n<\/strong>We lost sight of each other, we lost sight again
\nOn s’est retrouv\u00e9s, on s’est r\u00e9chauff\u00e9s,
\n<\/strong>We met again, we heated each other up
\nPuis on s’est s\u00e9par\u00e9s.
\n<\/strong>Then we separated<\/p>\n

Chacun pour soi est reparti
\n<\/strong>Each one left
\nDans le tourbillon de la vie
\n<\/strong>In the whirl of life
\nJe l’ai revue un soir, a\u00efe, a\u00efe, a\u00efe
\n<\/strong>I saw her one night, aye, aye aye
\n\u00c7a fait d\u00e9j\u00e0 un fameux bail x2
\n<\/strong>It’s been a long time<\/p>\n

Au son des banjos je l’ai reconnue.
\n<\/strong>At the sound of the banjos, I recognized
\nCe curieux sourire qui m’avait tant plu.
\n<\/strong>This curious smile that pleased me
\nSa voix si fatale, son beau visage p\u00e2le
\n<\/strong>Her voice was so irresistable, her beautiful pale face
\nM’\u00e9murent plus que jamais.
\n<\/strong>Moved me more than ever<\/p>\n

Je me suis so\u00fbl\u00e9 en l’\u00e9coutant
\n<\/strong>I got drunk listening to her
\nL’alcool fait oublier le temps
\n<\/strong>Alcohol makes you forget time
\nJe me suis r\u00e9veill\u00e9 en sentant
\n<\/strong>I woke up feeling
\nDes baisers sur mon front br\u00fblant x2
\n<\/strong>Kisses on my burning forehead<\/p>\n

On s’est connus, on s’est reconnus,
\n<\/strong>We met, we recognized each other
\nOn s’est perdus de vue, on s’est reperdus de vue
\n<\/strong>We lost sight of each other, we lost sight again
\nOn s’est retrouv\u00e9s, on s’est r\u00e9chauff\u00e9s,
\n<\/strong>We met again, we heated each other up
\nPuis on s’est s\u00e9par\u00e9s.*
\n<\/strong>Then we separated<\/p>\n

Chacun pour soi est reparti
\n<\/strong>Each one left
\nDans le tourbillon de la vie
\n<\/strong>In the whirl of life
\nJe l’ai revue un soir ah l\u00e0 l\u00e0
\n<\/strong>I saw her one night, ah la la
\nElle est retomb\u00e9e dans mes bras.
\n<\/strong>She fell into my arms again<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Quand on s’est connus,
\nWhen we met
\nQuand on s’est reconnus,
\n<\/strong>When we recognized each other
\nPourquoi se perdre de vue,
\n<\/strong>Why lose sight
\nSe reperdre de vue ?
\n<\/strong>Why lose sight again?<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Quand on s’est retrouv\u00e9s,
\nWhen we find each other,
\nQuand on s’est r\u00e9chauff\u00e9s,
\n<\/strong>When we heat each other up again
\nPourquoi se s\u00e9parer ?
\n<\/strong>Why separate?<\/p>\n

Alors tous deux on est repartis
\n<\/strong>Then we both we back
\nDans le tourbillon de la vie
\n<\/strong>Into the whirl of life
\nOn \u00e0 continu\u00e9 \u00e0 tourner
\n<\/strong>We kept on turning
\nTous les deux enlac\u00e9s
\n<\/strong>Both of us interlaced
\nTous les deux enlac\u00e9s.
\n<\/strong>Both of us interlaced<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

* You may have noticed this line and the previous are inversed in the song. Jeanne mixed them up during filming (note her hands pointing that out and the slight laugh), but Truffaut decided to keep this for the final cut.<\/p>\n

\n

Here’s something fun! Vanessa Paradis recorded a cover of the song, and in 1995, she performed the piece with Jeanne at the Festival de Cannes:<\/p>\n