Lola (1961 film)
Encyclopedia
Lola, is a 1961 film
, the debut film directed by Jacques Demy
as a tribute to director Max Ophüls
and is described by Demy as a "musical without music". Anouk Aimée
starred in the title role. The film was restored and re-released by Demy's widow, French filmmaker Agnès Varda
.
The names of the film and title character were inspired by Josef von Sternberg's
1930 film Der blaue Engel
, in which Marlene Dietrich
played a burlesque performer named "Lola Lola."
, France
. A young man, Roland Cassard (Marc Michel, who later reprises the role of Roland in the later Demy film, The Umbrellas of Cherbourg) is letting his life waste away until he has a chance encounter with Lola (Aimée), a woman he used to know as a teenager before World War II
and who is now a cabaret dancer. Though Roland is quite smitten with her, Lola is preoccupied with her former lover, Michel, who abandoned her and her seven-year-old son years before. Also vying for Lola's heart is an American sailor
, Frankie (Alan Scott), whose affection Lola does not return.
Struggling for work, Roland gets involved in a diamond-smuggling plot with the local barber. Crossing paths with Roland is a young teenage girl, Cécile (Annie Dupéroux), whose life in many ways mirrors that of Lola's (whose actual name is Cécile also). In the end, against all odds, Michel returns to Nantes for Lola, apparently very successful and hoping to marry her, just as she is leaving for another job in Marseille
and Roland is also leaving town. Their paths do not cross.
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
, the debut film directed by Jacques Demy
Jacques Demy
Jacques Demy was one of the most approachable filmmakers to appear in the wake of the French New Wave. Uninterested in the formal experimentation of Alain Resnais, or the political agitation of Jean-Luc Godard, Demy instead created a self-contained fantasy world closer to that of François...
as a tribute to director Max Ophüls
Max Ophüls
Maximillian Oppenheimer — known as Max Ophüls — was an influential German-born film director who worked in Germany , France , the United States , and France again...
and is described by Demy as a "musical without music". Anouk Aimée
Anouk Aimée
Anouk Aimée is a French film actress. Aimée has appeared in 70 films since 1947. She began her film career in 1947 at age 14. In 1958 she portrayed the tragic artist Jeanne Hébuterne in the film Les Amants de Montparnasse...
starred in the title role. The film was restored and re-released by Demy's widow, French filmmaker Agnès Varda
Agnès Varda
Agnès Varda is a French film director and professor at the European Graduate School. Her movies, photographs, and art installations focus on documentary realism, feminist issues, and social commentary — with a distinct experimental style....
.
The names of the film and title character were inspired by Josef von Sternberg's
Josef von Sternberg
Josef von Sternberg — born Jonas Sternberg — was an Austrian-American film director. He is particularly noted for his distinctive mise en scène, use of lighting and soft lens, and seven-film collaboration with actress Marlene Dietrich.-Youth:Von Sternberg was born Jonas Sternberg to a Jewish...
1930 film Der blaue Engel
Der blaue Engel
The Blue Angel is a film directed by Josef von Sternberg in 1930, based on Heinrich Mann's novel Professor Unrat. The film is considered to be the first major German sound film and it brought world fame to actress Marlene Dietrich...
, in which Marlene Dietrich
Marlene Dietrich
Marlene Dietrich was a German-American actress and singer.Dietrich remained popular throughout her long career by continually re-inventing herself, professionally and characteristically. In the Berlin of the 1920s, she acted on the stage and in silent films...
played a burlesque performer named "Lola Lola."
Story
Lola takes place in the Atlantic coastal city of NantesNantes
Nantes is a city in western France, located on the Loire River, from the Atlantic coast. The city is the 6th largest in France, while its metropolitan area ranks 8th with over 800,000 inhabitants....
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. A young man, Roland Cassard (Marc Michel, who later reprises the role of Roland in the later Demy film, The Umbrellas of Cherbourg) is letting his life waste away until he has a chance encounter with Lola (Aimée), a woman he used to know as a teenager before World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and who is now a cabaret dancer. Though Roland is quite smitten with her, Lola is preoccupied with her former lover, Michel, who abandoned her and her seven-year-old son years before. Also vying for Lola's heart is an American sailor
Sailor
A sailor, mariner, or seaman is a person who navigates water-borne vessels or assists in their operation, maintenance, or service. The term can apply to professional mariners, military personnel, and recreational sailors as well as a plethora of other uses...
, Frankie (Alan Scott), whose affection Lola does not return.
Struggling for work, Roland gets involved in a diamond-smuggling plot with the local barber. Crossing paths with Roland is a young teenage girl, Cécile (Annie Dupéroux), whose life in many ways mirrors that of Lola's (whose actual name is Cécile also). In the end, against all odds, Michel returns to Nantes for Lola, apparently very successful and hoping to marry her, just as she is leaving for another job in Marseille
Marseille
Marseille , known in antiquity as Massalia , is the second largest city in France, after Paris, with a population of 852,395 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Marseille extends beyond the city limits with a population of over 1,420,000 on an area of...
and Roland is also leaving town. Their paths do not cross.
Awards and nominations
- 1963 BAFTA - Nominated for "Best Film from any Source" and "Best Foreign Actress" for Anouk Aimée.
- 2001 New York Film Critics Circle AwardsNew York Film Critics Circle AwardsNew York Film Critics' Circle Awards are given annually to honor excellence in cinema worldwide by an organization of film reviewers from New York City-based publications. It is considered one of the most important precursors to the Academy Awards....
- Won the Special Award (also for the re-release of Demy's second film La Baie des AngesLa Baie des Anges-External links:*...
).