La Piscine

This newly restored French classic from 1969 is set in a magnificent villa near the equally magnificent sun-drenched St. Tropez, AND it’s back in the cinema!

Here, charismatic Jean-Paul (Alain Delon) and attractive Marianne (Romy Schneider) laze and splash about in the swimming pool (French: la piscine). In fact, the swimming pool of the title is to ‘play’ a significant part later on in the movie.

With precious little to worry about other than not getting sunburned or how to constantly feed each other’s passion, both Jean-Paul and Marianne enjoy a carefree summer holiday. But the mood changes when Marianne invites her former lover Harry (Maurice Ronet) and his gorgeous teenage daughter Penelope (Jane Birkin) to spend some days with them. It’s not just the awkward attitude of Penelope that causes certain uneasiness, but the fact that neither Jean-Paul nor Marianne knew of her existence until her arrival. However, Jean-Paul feels instantly attracted to her while Marianne in turn still seems to hold some feelings for Harry.
What starts of as a pleasant get-together between friends soon descends into a mire of sexual desire, jealousy, revenge and regret.

La Piscine is rather slow burning in the first half, with nothing more going on but idle chitter-chatter, passionate frolicking and dinner parties. It’s during the second half that the movie takes a turn for the dramatic and unexpectedly so. The cast are terrific and Delon and Schneider’s on-screen chemistry in particular sizzles as hot as the St. Tropez sun. It might have something to do with the fact that both actors were married in real life, though were no longer together when the film was made.

The movie is sumptuous to look at thanks to cinematographer Jean-Jaques Tarbés, while the music by three-times Academy Award-winning composer Michel Legrand perfectly illustrates the film’s changing mood.

La Piscine opened at the BFI Southbank on Sept. 30th as well as the Filmhouse Edinburgh and other key cities.