Word: swann
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...within what seems a short span of time, Swann must plead for Odette's affections. He pursues her as the rejects him in favor of the wealthy bourgeoise, Madame Verdurin (Marie-Christine Barrault). In desperation, Swann searches Odette's room for elusive voices. He torments himself with details of her lesbian attachments. Foreboding music adds to the tension. Swann's frustrations build to such a pitch that a crash seems inevitable...
There is a twist to this oft-told tale. Swann, who avoids love because he is afraid of suffering, steps out of the role set by his clique. Odette longs to play a part denied to the demimondaine; "should I play the piano or be tender?" She asks the anguished Swann. Yet Swann is wracked by his own questions; he sees no future with Odette, but can not bring himself to break with her. He remains mired in a belief that love is a "sickness" he cannot cure until it has done its damage...
SCHLONDORF gives an almost relentlessly depressing view of relations between the sexes. Neither Swann nor Odette seem to transcend their own emotional needs when together. Curiously, though, Schlondorf ignores some avenues that might have shed light on such sexual politics. He spends very little time, for example, on the homosexual relationship between Baron de Charlus (Alain Delon) and a young Jew-potentially fertile ground for some parallels...
...most part, however, Schlondorf's direction is skillful filmmaking as well as a compelling adaptation of Proust's novel of the same name. He focusses the camera carefully and uses voiceovers sparingly to reveal Swann's thoughts...
...Revisited. Playing a neurotic isn't easy, but playing him in another language is a real test of skill. To be sure, in the version released in France, Irons' voice was dubbed in, but the American version displays Irons speaking a remarkably fluent French. His accent only adds to Swann's vaguely foreign origins...