The Red and the Black

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Audience Member It looks like Woodie Allen wrote and directed this version of Stendahl's romantic novel, The Red and the black. As a side note, Stendahl was in real life one of the world's greatest lovers, at least in terms of volume, and his appetite and understanding of love shows in his novels. Unfortunately, the movie version completely misunderstands Stendahl and instead subjects it's lead character to psychoanalysis. Julien's Napolean becomes not his hero influencing his strategy to conquer the object of his intense desires, Madame de Renal, but an outright hallucination. Julien has been diagnosed and committed. It wasn't to gain social status that Julien sought after Madame de Renal, it was simple, unbridled passion. Of course Julien's social standing as the family tutor is somewhat less than his employer Madame de Renal, and it is one more hurdle he must conquer. Stendhal says many things about things other than love in the novel and his school of thought is not that of the Victor Hugo or Dumas school. None of this is conveyed very much in the movie version, instead it looks like the screenwriters relied on a pop psychologist like Dr. Joyce Brothers as some kind of character consultant. Rated 0.5/5 Stars •  Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 01/17/23 Full Review Audience Member one of my all-time favorites! Kim Rossi Stuart is the true Julien, very handsome and attractive! Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/25/23 Full Review Audience Member Watchable but largely lackluster French TV adaptation of Stendhal's classic novel; Italian actor Kim Rossi Stuart--badly dubbed--is frustratingly bland as Julien Sorel, but Carole Bouquet is luminescent as Mme de Renal--the film's effectiveness is due entirely to her performance. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/12/23 Full Review Read all reviews

The Red and the Black

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