The Bride Wore Black is not my favorite Truffaut film. A mysterious woman stalks Mr. Bliss, a playboy who’s flattered to have a secret admirer. She finds him at a party and intrigues him and entices him out to a balcony where she pushes him off and he falls to his death. Bam.
Next the woman goes after a friend of Bliss’ and poisons him, before going after another man on her list of victims. Julie, the film’s mystery woman, is out for revenge and half way through the film we find out why. Truffaut was a Hitchcock fan and in part the film’s a nod to Hitch. I found it interesting and wanted to find out Julie’s motivation and how she’d complete her mission.
SPOILER
Jeanne Moreau plays Julie, but she given her rationale for her murders, at 40 though she looks great for her age, she seemed old for this part. Are we to believe that she’d wait till she was past 30 to marry the boy next door whom she’s loved since she was five? Thus I think a 20-something would make more sense to be motivated to kill these men.
Yet I wouldn’t watch this one again. Julie was ingenious and dogged, but the film didn’t make me laugh, cry or think. It’s an optional film. If you want to see Truffaut at his best start with 400 Blows or Small Change.
It’s not a thumbs up or thumbs down. My palm’s facing down and my hand’s moving up and down.
smkelly8
No Fixed Plans 