leplatypus
Well, it's not an erotic movie but the thematic is highly sensual however : adults vacationing during a hot summer in a isolated villa with a pool. Sure, they dress light and short and their desire goes up as well as tension. In a way, it was expected as it's hard to stay alone and promiscuity was unavoidable. The remarkable facts here are first the historic value of the movie : as it has nearly 50 years, you can appreciate how France looked in the swinging sixties, especially in the infamous spot of French Riviera ! If the vigor of a country can be traced in its fashion, i can understand then the may 68 revolt as everyone is dressed with colorful, vivid clothes. It's a change from nowadays black and gray.Next, the cast is rather interesting : Romy and Delon exudes passion a bit like Belluci and Cassel would do it again in the new millennium as it's a bit a bit special to watch a real couple being intimate on screen. If Romy is always thin skinned with her feelings, Delon is really this unpleasant, narcissist guy media depicted (looking a bit like coach Mourinho) but he did a great job when he becomes crazy, very feline, very leopard as the title of one of his masterpiece. Birkin was a charming teen and his father was really good even if for me he is a total stranger.At last, the story is a bit wicked as if you consider Romy as absolute purity and that criminal laws are superior to heart laws, well, you could be surprised.
vostf
La Piscine stands out the atmosphere of a quiet summer vacation in Saint-Tropez, that is away from all the tourists and partying. A dull vacation? Not for the happy ones who can be content with "love and fresh water" (as we say in French). That's the starting point. The opening shots establishing this are probably the best part of the movie. Yes, once in a while the first reel contact is not on a part with the rest.The first time I saw it, La Piscine left me with a good impression. The atmosphere was sufficient for my pleasure, the whole plot consistent and above all you felt on holiday with the characters. Now on second viewing you can't but feel sorry for Delon as Romy Schneider and Maurice Ronet clearly are in charge there. Even with the sometimes (very) weak lines they shine. On second viewing you also notice that the furniture in the house are ugly, that the director does a poor job (ah those awful zoom shots and unnecessarily moving camera...).On the whole it could have been quite a bit better. Still worth watching for the opening scene, Romy, Maurice Ronet, and Romy again.
austrianmoviebuff
After a string of commercial flops and the birth of her son, Jacques Deray's "La piscine" marked the turning point of Romy Schneider's ill-fated career and made her a major star in French cinema. A massive box-office hit by its release in 1968, the movie achieved rave reviews and turned producer Gérard Beytout into a multi-millionaire.Though extraordinarily photographed and nicely acted, "La piscine" is not very good. The story holes are too big, the film itself about thirty minutes too long. Like most French films, it's a love-triangle. This time, it turns into some kind of thriller. Set in a beautiful Saint Tropez villa, "La piscine" takes a lot of time to visualize the sexy relationship between Jean-Paul (Alain Delon) and Marianne (Schneider) which experiences an unpleasant twist when Marianne's ex-lover (Maurice Ronet) shows up and joins them with his 18-year-old daughter (Jane Birkin). Jealousy leads to murder and distrust, and by the end, the relationship between our good-looking protagonists are not the same.Michel Legrand's jazzy music and several shots of Miss Schneider wearing a black bikini make this slow-moving, talkative piece of film bearable. It might have been an erotic sensation back in the 1960s, but it's now outrun by sexier and more entertaining movies.
dbdumonteil
After ten years .Their last and only movie together(Schneider had only a cameo in "plein soleil")was "Christine".That movie helped Delon become a star when his partner was famous (the "Sissi saga").But Schneider's career ran into difficulties when she tried to get rid of her image of a very nice Austrian empress.And in the late sixties ,when her success was waning,Delon returned the favor,in a gentlemanly manner.He was right:Schneider soon gained critical acclaim again and became one of the biggest actresses of the seventies in France till her tragic death.We still miss her now.And Maurice Ronet too."La piscine" is a psychological detective story.There are only four characters well portrayed by the four leads.Almost all the action takes place around a pool (hence the title) in the middle of a desirable villa(I wish I could spend my vacation here).Tempers rise as it appears that Jean-Paul (Delon) is a wash-out professionally and that his guest (Ronet)is a show-off ,and Jean-Paul's lover's (Schneider) 'ex -partner.It's a cat and mouse play,not always original ,but where the actors can display their skills.The murder can remind people of "plein soleil" ,mainly because it's the same actors.
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