Bonjour tristesse

The Brief

By the late 1950s, Hollywood was at the height of its aesthetic golden age. Within the studio system, a few directors still managed to renew the language of cinema—among them Otto Preminger, who combined formal experimentation with broad appeal. In Bonjour tristesse, based on Françoise Sagan’s novel, Preminger uses CinemaScope in an unexpected way for an intimate drama about love and power. Young Cécile lives a carefree life with her father until his new relationship threatens her place in the world. Preminger portrays Cécile’s hidden pain with great sensitivity, in a role later seen as a precursor to Jean Seberg’s iconic performance in Breathless. Good to know: * Language: English and French * Subtitles: None * Age rating: 12 years