(Soffio al cuore)
(Herzflimmern)
(Murmur of the Heart)
(a.k.a. "Dearest Heart" and "Dearest Love" -- UK)
Italy-W. Germany-France (1971): Drama/Comedy
With this film, French director Louis Malle manages successfully to make a comedy on the subject of incest! Lea Massari plays the wife of gynecologist Daniel Gélin. Virtually a child herself at the time of her wedding, Massari forms a strong bond with her youngest son, Benoît Ferreux. Feeling as though they're being bullied and belittled by the rest of the family, mother and son are perhaps closer than they should be. When Ferreux, suffering from a heart murmur, is sent to a mountain spa to regain his health, mom Massari goes along. It is here that the affection between the boy and his mother turns physical. When the rest of their family visits, Ferreux's older brothers catch on that he's lost his virginity (though they don't know who with) and begin laughing. No one laughs louder than Ferreux and his mother, who have agreed to keep their little secret from the rest of the world. Despite the potential sordidness of the subject matter, Murmur of the Heart is a warm and wonderful film -- though definitely not for the "family values" trade. (Vides, Seitz-NEF, Marianne / Palomar) (Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide)
1 nomination
· Writing (Story and Screenplay based on factual material or material not previously published) 1972: Louis Malle