Antoine and Colette (1962) - full transcript

This short film is the first segment of five in the multinational feature L'amour à vingt ans (1962), all five segments on the theme of first adult love. After indulging in much delinquency in his youth, seventeen year old Antoine Doinel, having been provided opportunity to get out of that delinquent life, is now an upstanding member of society working for Philips Records, which allows him to indulge in his love of music. At the Youth Concerts, he has noticed the same young woman at several performances, she who he would like to get to know. She is Colette, the two who do begin to date. Colette treats Antoine like a buddy, while Antoine has fallen in love with her. His pursuit of getting Colette to be his exclusive girlfriend is helped on the surface in the fact that Colette's parents like him and encourage their dating. He uses grand romantic gestures to try and prove his love. Will Colette ultimately fall under Antoine's romanticism?

foodval.com - stop by if you're interested in the nutritional composition of food
---
In the morning I wake up singing.

In the evening I go to bed dancing.

In the morning I wake up singing.

In the evening I go to bed dancing.

I have no interest

in stopping the avenging bomb,

Which will blow us all up one day.

"Gather ye rosebuds while ye may"

Antoine Doinel is now 17 years old.

The "400 Blows" of his youth led him
in front of the Children's Court.

Five days after escaping from
the Centre for Delinquent Minors,



he was caught and transferred
to a more secure facility.

There, a young psychologist
took an interest in his case,

and he was finally released on probation.

He organised a solitary
and independent life for himself.

Passionate about music,
he works for a record company.

He has achieved his adolescent dream:
to live alone, work, earn a salary,
depend only on himself.

How's it going?

I'll soon be qualified.

I'm changing to production.

Are you coming to hear Shapiro?

Remember when you were
hiding out in my house...

...and my father came in?

The old man!

Help me shake the cover
and get rid of this smoke.



That's enough!

It reeks of tobacco in here.

Just like a gambling den.

I'll buy three cigars
with your pocket money.

What's this?
Bucephalus is not a clothes-horse.

That thing is worth almost a million.

It's a work of art and I wouldn't
part with it for the world.

Now, please put everything out
and go to sleep.

Goodnight, Father.

He almost saw me.

He saw your feet but said nothing.

Why haven't I seen her before?
I really like her.

It'd be convenient if
you liked her friend.

You know I'm in love with
my cousin and her long hair.

The idiot wants to cut it
but I hope I'll still like her.

Is she in love with you?

I don't know
If I like her with short hair,

I'll write her a declaration.

A WEEK LATER

I've seen her three times this week,
and she's noticed me.

The first time was the "Eroica" symphony.

I was sitting behind her, to her right,

and she took off her scarf.
All evening I watched her hair and neck.

I couldn't take my eyes off her.

I decided to speak,
and threaded my way after her.

But she'd met a friend...
I followed them for five minutes.
Then I went home.

Then on Thursday I went
half an hour early to sit next to her.

There was hardly anyone there.
So I went out for...

a cigarette while the hall filled up.

There were quite a few people.

I didn't see her at first,

kneeling on a seat talking to a friend.

I sat down beside her.
She nodded in vague recognition.

But she went back
to where she'd left her coat.

I didn't dare move,
it'd have been too obvious.

The third time was yesterday...

...strolling along with a shopping bag.

She must live near me.

Manoeuvres over, time to attack!

In fact, what did Pierre Schaeffer teach us?

He contributed criticisms
to the theory of musicology...

Normally I get off at Rome or Clichy,
strange I've not seen you.

Do you go there often?

All the Russian ones...

Mussorgsky, Borodin, on Sunday morning.

Perhaps it's not so strange after all.

Just a shame. We'd have
met sooner or later.

I think we live in the same area.
I saw you shopping.

Yes, I live in Rue L?cluse.

What do you do?

I'm a student doing Baccalaureates.
And you?

- I work in the record industry.
- Work?

I work at Philips.

I live alone,
so I earn my living.

How great to be independent.

It depends.

Watch it!

That's my stepfather's car.

Are you coming to Gavoty on Thursday?

Yes, I think so, but if not I might
go to another one.

Why not give me your phone number anyway?

It's better to call in the evening.

It's CARnot 08 32.

I must go up. I've got work to do.

Goodnight. See you soon.

Antoine sees Colette several times a week.
They swap books and records.

They discuss stereos
over coffee and lemon squash...

...take turns to see each other home
and talk for hours in doorways.

How does love begin?

Colette treats Antoine as a friend.
Either he doesn't realise,
or is satisfied for the moment.

This is our second session...

dedicated to experimental music.

The first one is given by Pierre Schaeffer.

And I could tell by the quality of your silence...

...and by the letters I've received...

...the level of interest generated.

- Hello, Colette
- Yes, hallo. It's me.

Hello...

- Oh! My head!
- Were you ill yesterday?

Didn't I tell you?
I was at a party with some friends.

They're so crazy!
We just did silly things all evening.

It was such fun, but by the end
we were totally loony!

It must have been five in the morning
when we finished.

Can I come over this afternoon?

If you like, but I mightn't be there.

We thought we'd all meet again today.

All right. See you later.

Yes, come over just in case.

Is Colette in, please?

- No, why?
- I'm returning these books she lent me.

- I'll give them to her.
- Oh, and a letter too.

All right. I'll pass it all on to her.

- Aren't you Antoine?
- Yes, that's me.

She's often talked about you.
Come in.

- What's up?
It's a friend of Colette's.

- Have you got a minute?
- Yes, of course...

It's Antoine, you know, Colette's friend.

- Hello, sir.
- You're in the same class, aren't you?

Not at all.
They met at the Jeunesses Musicales.
Colette told us all about it.

Antoine works, with records I think?

Yes, I work at Philips.

That's good.

My wife brings up her daughter,
but I think people should start work early.

At fifteen I was a mechanic at
the Laborde Garage,

and now I'm the owner.

No, thank you very much.

Education leads nowhere.
Take Hugo...

No, please - not Victor Hugo again!

Hugo denounced evil
but offered us no alternative.

Don't you agree?

Yes, maybe.

I'm afraid I must go now.

Don't go.
Colette will be disappointed.

You must come to dinner one evening.

- That would be a pleasure.
- We'll arrange it with Colette.

Dear Antoine, your declaration of love
was so nicely put. A man of experience!

Will you go to Maurice Leroux tonight?

Thank you for the books.

My mother thought you romantic.
It's probably the long hair.

Till this evening, dear friend, Colette.

- Do you see what I see?
- It's Antoine!

What a fantastic coincidence!

What's going on?

- Do you live there?
- Yes, I just moved in.

Since when?

This afternoon!

- Can we come up and see?
- Sure.

What a surprise!

Good day, Antoine.

He's all settled in. Look!

Fantastic!

Hot and cold running water!

Amazing!
Washbasin, telephone...

Look, our windows.
Come and see, you two.

...but we have the sun!

Are your parents still alive?

Yes, but I don't see them often.
We don't get on.

What a shame.

That must upset your mother.

Well, it's partly my fault.

When I was at home
I was always running away.

Colette wouldn't dare!

Wanna bet!

Where is one better than with the family?
Answer: anywhere.

Herv? Bazin!

I read that in a book.

Colette pretends to be...

Don't be too sure.

Hey Fran?ois, pour us some wine!

Unbelievable! No respect at all now!

Colette's parents miss their daughter,
who is never at home.

So they adopt Antoine
and often invite him over.

From his window Antoine watches
Colette's comings and goings.

She treats him the same
and doesn't feel any closer to him.

- Hello, Antoine. How are you?
- I'm good.

What brings you here?

I have two tickets for a lecture.
It's Gavoty on electronic music.

Yes, but I must work all afternoon.

Or the cinema?

No, I just can't.
I've got homework for tomorrow.

OK.

Could we talk for five minutes?

No, another day. Goodbye.

I was such an idiot.
I started this all wrong.

I shouldn't be in love with her.
She treats me as a friend.

When I want to be serious
she just laughs at me.

Yet I still freeze for hours at her door.

I'll tell you about my cousin anyway.

Her hair's like Jean d'Arc's.

I love her.
I've written her loads of letters.
It's going well.

Look, this is her reply.

Oh, that's awful!

That's not all. Look at the envelope.

I've moved.
I'm in production now.

- An ice cream?
- No thanks.

In the slalom, it was the Austrians
and the French who shone.

Here we see a descent in
two minutes and five seconds...

by the fourth placed Frenchman...

putting him in front of the Austrian.

The Swiss, who did so well
in the first heat...

...wins the slalom in
two minutes and four seconds.

But it's an Austrian who is
the overall winner.

Forced into second place is...

I've been knocking for five minutes.
You're going quite deaf.

It's so dark.
Are you ill?

Listen, Colette, we must sort things out.

I mean, this little game, all this
blowing hot and cold, is making me ill.

You are a complete idiot!

Of course I know it's my fault.
I shouldn't have moved in opposite.

I'm going back
to where I used to live.

But please leave me alone.

- Get lost!
- Oh, what a bore!

Anyway, you're invited to dinner.

No, I won't go.

This has nothing to do with it.
If you're asked to dinner, come.

If you change your mind, we'll eat
in a quarter of an hour.

How are you?
Fine thank you.

Sit down. Have you eaten?

- Sure?
- Yes, thank you.

Quite sure?

It's easy to make
an omelette and salad.

Honestly, I'll just have a mandarin.

So what's new, Antoine?

Are you going out this evening?

I've two tickets for Schwarzhof,
but I don't know.

- You can both go.
- No, I can't.

Why not?

It's none of your business.

Schwarzhof is being shown on television.
I read it in the paper.

Do you want a plate for the peel?

Don't bother. I'll put it on yours.

- Who's that?
- I don't know.

It's all go, isn't it?

Hello.
Come in.

Come in, come in!

This is Albert. I've told you about him.

Good day, madam.

My stepfather.

And Antoine. I think you
know each other.

Yes, we met once.

Just a minute. I'll get my coat.

Give me a cigarette, please.

Thanks.

That's it. I'm ready.
We're going. 'bye.

- Goodnight
- Have a nice evening.

Should we watch the concert?

A light, please.

First of all, he has conceded a point,
which is always nice...