Children of the Century
Encyclopedia
Children of the Century is a 1999 French film
based on the true tale of the tumultuous love affair between two French literary icons of the 19th Century, novelist George Sand
(Juliette Binoche
) and poet Alfred de Musset
(Benoît Magimel
).
quits her marital home and arrives in Paris with her two children. Meanwhile the young poet and dandy Alfred de Musset
is busy making a name for himself both as a womaniser and a talented poet and critic. Sand and Musset first meet at a literary dinner and quickly recognise in each other a like minded love of literature. At first their relationship remains platonic, but soon the pair embark on a tumultuous affair that will lead them to Venice and the creation of their finest works of literature.
, Nohant and Venice
from August to December 1998. In an interview with The Irish Times
entitled "Playing with Sand", Diane Kurys
revealed that she was shooting in the actual rooms Sand and Musset had occupied in the Hotel Danieli
, while Juliette Binoche
revealed that Sand's estate had loaned the production some of her possessions including a sapphire ring and jewel-encrusted dagger. When asked her inspiration for the film, Kurys mentioned that Musset's account of the affair in his book La Confession d'un Enfant du Siècle was her starting point. Binoche said that her attraction to the part was due to "Sand's combination of strengths and weaknesses".
before being released in French theatres on September 22 1999.
The film made its North American debut at the 1999 Toronto International Film Festival
.
The film made its UK debut as part of the Martell French Film Tour in September and October 2000, followed by a conventional cinematic run starting on April 6, 2001.
, Robert Schumann
, Franz Liszt
among others. The score was recorded in January 1999 by the Rome Symphony Orchestra
and featuring Fabio Zanon on guitar and Leonid Kuzmin
on piano. The album was supervised by Murray Head
.
. A shorter version was released in Germany and the UK and other territories which runs at 105mins. It begins at the literary event at which Sand and Musset met and ends with their final meeting. The longer version goes on to show Sand's attempts to see the dying Musset, and ends with her reading her letters to him by his tomb.
Les Enfants du Siècle was released under the English language title Children of the Century in the US by Koch Lorber Films, but retained its French language title while on release in the UK, Canada and Australia. The film was distributed in the UK by Film Four, in Canada by Alliance Atlantis
and in Australia by AE Classics.
Cinema of France
The Cinema of France comprises the art of film and creative movies made within the nation of France or by French filmmakers abroad.France is the birthplace of cinema and was responsible for many of its early significant contributions. Several important cinematic movements, including the Nouvelle...
based on the true tale of the tumultuous love affair between two French literary icons of the 19th Century, novelist George Sand
George Sand
Amantine Lucile Aurore Dupin, later Baroness Dudevant , best known by her pseudonym George Sand , was a French novelist and memoirist.-Life:...
(Juliette Binoche
Juliette Binoche
Juliette Binoche is a French actress, artist and dancer. She has appeared in more than 40 feature films, been recipient of numerous international accolades, is a published author and has appeared on stage across the world. Coming from an artistic background, she began taking acting lessons during...
) and poet Alfred de Musset
Alfred de Musset
Alfred Louis Charles de Musset-Pathay was a French dramatist, poet, and novelist.Along with his poetry, he is known for writing La Confession d'un enfant du siècle from 1836.-Biography:Musset was born on 11 December 1810 in Paris...
(Benoît Magimel
Benoît Magimel
Benoît Magimel is a French actor. A prolific actor who was 14 when he appeared in his first film, Magimel has starred in a variety of roles in French cinema....
).
Plot summary
The story begins as George SandGeorge Sand
Amantine Lucile Aurore Dupin, later Baroness Dudevant , best known by her pseudonym George Sand , was a French novelist and memoirist.-Life:...
quits her marital home and arrives in Paris with her two children. Meanwhile the young poet and dandy Alfred de Musset
Alfred de Musset
Alfred Louis Charles de Musset-Pathay was a French dramatist, poet, and novelist.Along with his poetry, he is known for writing La Confession d'un enfant du siècle from 1836.-Biography:Musset was born on 11 December 1810 in Paris...
is busy making a name for himself both as a womaniser and a talented poet and critic. Sand and Musset first meet at a literary dinner and quickly recognise in each other a like minded love of literature. At first their relationship remains platonic, but soon the pair embark on a tumultuous affair that will lead them to Venice and the creation of their finest works of literature.
Background and production
The film was shot on location in ParisParis
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, Nohant and Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
from August to December 1998. In an interview with The Irish Times
The Irish Times
The Irish Times is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Kevin O'Sullivan who succeeded Geraldine Kennedy in 2011; the deputy editor is Paul O'Neill. The Irish Times is considered to be Ireland's newspaper of record, and is published every day except Sundays...
entitled "Playing with Sand", Diane Kurys
Diane Kurys
Diane Kurys is a French filmmaker and actress. Several of her films as director are autobiographical. Born in Lyon, Rhône, France, her parents divorced when she was a child. She began as an actress with Jean-Louis Barrault's company. She gained film stardom, but didn't like the roles she was...
revealed that she was shooting in the actual rooms Sand and Musset had occupied in the Hotel Danieli
Palazzo Dandolo
Palazzo Dandolo is a palace in Venice. Now it is home to the Hotel Danieli.It was built in 1400, by one of the Dandolo families, but whether by that of the great Doge, Enrico Dandolo, is not quite certain...
, while Juliette Binoche
Juliette Binoche
Juliette Binoche is a French actress, artist and dancer. She has appeared in more than 40 feature films, been recipient of numerous international accolades, is a published author and has appeared on stage across the world. Coming from an artistic background, she began taking acting lessons during...
revealed that Sand's estate had loaned the production some of her possessions including a sapphire ring and jewel-encrusted dagger. When asked her inspiration for the film, Kurys mentioned that Musset's account of the affair in his book La Confession d'un Enfant du Siècle was her starting point. Binoche said that her attraction to the part was due to "Sand's combination of strengths and weaknesses".
Premiere
Les Enfants du Siècle made its world premiere out of competition at the 1999 Cannes Film FestivalCannes Film Festival
The Cannes International Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals...
before being released in French theatres on September 22 1999.
The film made its North American debut at the 1999 Toronto International Film Festival
Toronto International Film Festival
The Toronto International Film Festival is a publicly-attended film festival held each September in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. In 2010, 339 films from 59 countries were screened at 32 screens in downtown Toronto venues...
.
The film made its UK debut as part of the Martell French Film Tour in September and October 2000, followed by a conventional cinematic run starting on April 6, 2001.
Film festivals
- Cannes Film Festival 1999 (out of competition - special gala screening)
- Toronto International Film Festival 1999
- Algerian Summer Film Festival 2000
- Budapest French Film Festival 2000
- Moscow French Film Festival 2000
- Martell French Film Tour 2000 (UK)
- Dublin French Film Festival 2001
- Warsaw French Film Festival 2001
Soundtrack
The soundtrack album to accompany the film was released by Decca Classics. The original music featured in the film consisting of a guitar and piano score was composed by Luis Bacalov. The film also features music by Ernst EichnerErnst Eichner
Ernst Dietrich Adolph Eichner was a German composer.-Biography:Eichner was born to Johann Andreas Eichner , a court musician to the court of Waldeck. His father provided him his primary musical education. He became widely known as a virtuoso bassoonist throughout Europe as a result...
, Robert Schumann
Robert Schumann
Robert Schumann, sometimes known as Robert Alexander Schumann, was a German composer, aesthete and influential music critic. He is regarded as one of the greatest and most representative composers of the Romantic era....
, Franz Liszt
Franz Liszt
Franz Liszt ; ), was a 19th-century Hungarian composer, pianist, conductor, and teacher.Liszt became renowned in Europe during the nineteenth century for his virtuosic skill as a pianist. He was said by his contemporaries to have been the most technically advanced pianist of his age...
among others. The score was recorded in January 1999 by the Rome Symphony Orchestra
Rome Symphony Orchestra
Rome Symphony Orchestra is a community orchestra located in Rome, Georgia. The organization was founded in 1921, disbanded around 1930, and reestablished in 1948.[ South. The current conductor is Mr...
and featuring Fabio Zanon on guitar and Leonid Kuzmin
Leonid Kuzmin
Leonid Kuzmin is a Belarussian pianist.He won the Belarussian State Competition and the Prague Competition before settling in the United States in the 80s. He subsequently shared the 1991 Liszt-Bartók Competition's 2nd prize with Midori Nohara...
on piano. The album was supervised by Murray Head
Murray Head
Murray Seafield Saint-George Head is a British actor and singer, most recognised for his international hit songs "Superstar" and "One Night in Bangkok" and his album Say It Ain't So...
.
Track listing
All tracks composed by Luis Bacalov unless otherwise indicated:- Les Enfants du Siècle (Guitar) (02:23)
- Les Confessions (02:57)
- Café Tortoni (02:30)
- La flûte désenchantée (01:54)
- Concerto in C major for harp and orchestra : Allegro (04:54) (Ernst EichnerErnst EichnerErnst Dietrich Adolph Eichner was a German composer.-Biography:Eichner was born to Johann Andreas Eichner , a court musician to the court of Waldeck. His father provided him his primary musical education. He became widely known as a virtuoso bassoonist throughout Europe as a result...
1740-1777) - Arabeske in C, Op. 18 : IV Zum Schluss (01:24) (Robert SchumannRobert SchumannRobert Schumann, sometimes known as Robert Alexander Schumann, was a German composer, aesthete and influential music critic. He is regarded as one of the greatest and most representative composers of the Romantic era....
) - Le baiser (02:29)
- Le cœur qui bat (02:16)
- Papillons (01:16)
- La première fois (05:50)
- Beatrice di Tenda, opera seria in due atti (04:47) (Vincenzo BelliniVincenzo BelliniVincenzo Salvatore Carmelo Francesco Bellini was an Italian opera composer. His greatest works are I Capuleti ed i Montecchi , La sonnambula , Norma , Beatrice di Tenda , and I puritani...
) - Désespoir (02:05)
- La guérison (02:16)
- Le Bal (02:51)
- Der Müller und der Bach (05:53) (Franz LisztFranz LisztFranz Liszt ; ), was a 19th-century Hungarian composer, pianist, conductor, and teacher.Liszt became renowned in Europe during the nineteenth century for his virtuosic skill as a pianist. He was said by his contemporaries to have been the most technically advanced pianist of his age...
) - Romanze (Piuttosto lento) (02:22) (Robert SchumannRobert SchumannRobert Schumann, sometimes known as Robert Alexander Schumann, was a German composer, aesthete and influential music critic. He is regarded as one of the greatest and most representative composers of the Romantic era....
) - Chez Delacroix (01:34)
- Le cheval mort (02:31)
- L'amour en fuite (02:30)
- Les Enfants du Siècle (Piano) (02:11)
Alternate versions
The film was released in 2 versions with different running times. The long version as released in France on September 22 1999 has a running time of 135 mins. It begins as Sand abandons her husband and arrives in revolution torn Paris and Musset's father dies of choleraCholera
Cholera is an infection of the small intestine that is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. The main symptoms are profuse watery diarrhea and vomiting. Transmission occurs primarily by drinking or eating water or food that has been contaminated by the diarrhea of an infected person or the feces...
. A shorter version was released in Germany and the UK and other territories which runs at 105mins. It begins at the literary event at which Sand and Musset met and ends with their final meeting. The longer version goes on to show Sand's attempts to see the dying Musset, and ends with her reading her letters to him by his tomb.
Les Enfants du Siècle was released under the English language title Children of the Century in the US by Koch Lorber Films, but retained its French language title while on release in the UK, Canada and Australia. The film was distributed in the UK by Film Four, in Canada by Alliance Atlantis
Alliance Atlantis
Alliance Atlantis Communications Inc. was a Toronto-based media company that operated primarily as a specialty service operator in Canada. Alliance Atlantis also had offices in Halifax, Los Angeles, London, Dublin, Madrid, Barcelona, Shannon and Sydney.Alliance Atlantis was acquired by Canwest...
and in Australia by AE Classics.