Murmur of the Heart
Le Souffle au cœur
1971FranceLanguage: frDirected by Louis Malle★ 7
Available in English: subtitled
This loosely plotted coming-of-age tale follows the life of 15-year-old Laurent Chevalier as he stumbles his way over the burgeoning swell of adolescence in 1950s France. After having his first sexual experience with a prostitute and dodging the lips of a priest, Chevalier contracts a case of scarlet fever. When the fever leaves him with a heart murmur, Chevalier is placed in a sanatorium, along with his over-attentive and adulterous mother.
Themes and style
Tone
melancholicwhimsicalsurreal
Pacing
slow burnepisodicdreamlike
Story
journeyunraveling
Emotion
loss of innocenceall-consuming lovefiguring out who you arebelonging
Themes
class and moneyfamily wounds passed downfamily dutymen and women navigating expectations
Feel
cerebraldiscussion starterquietly haunting
Violence
none