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Tous les Matins du Monde

1991 French film From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Tous les matins du monde (English: "All The Mornings of The World")[1] is a 1991 French film based on the book of the same name by Pascal Quignard.[2] Set during the reign of Louis XIV, the film shows the musician Marin Marais looking back on his young life when he was briefly a pupil of Monsieur de Sainte-Colombe,[2] and features much music of the period, especially that for the viola da gamba.[3] The title of the film comes from words of the narrator in Quignard's novel.

Directed byAlain Corneau
Written byPascal Quignard
Alain Corneau
Produced byJean-Louis Livi
Starring
Quick facts Directed by, Written by ...
Tous les matins du monde
Film poster
Directed byAlain Corneau
Written byPascal Quignard
Alain Corneau
Produced byJean-Louis Livi
Starring
CinematographyYves Angelo
Edited byMarie-Josephe Yoyotte
Music byJordi Savall
Sainte-Colombe
Marin Marais
Distributed byBAC Films
Release date
  • 18 December 1991 (1991-12-18)
(France)
Running time
115 minutes
CountryFrance
LanguageFrench
Box office$4 million (US/UK)
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Marin Marais (1656-1728) – Sonnerie de Sainte-Geneviève du Mont de Paris "The Bells of St. Genevieve" from La Gamme et Autres Morceaux de Symphonie (1723)
Performed by New Comma Baroque (Performed by Jordi Savall in the Film)
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Background

In the same year as the book's release, author Quignard, together with director Alain Corneau, adapted the novel for the film that starred Jean-Pierre Marielle, Gérard Depardieu, Anne Brochet and Guillaume Depardieu.

The film's central character, Marin Marais, was a French composer during the late-17th and early-18th centuries who wrote for the viol (viola da gamba), of which he was a master. The story revolves around his life as a musician and his relationship with his mentor Monsieur de Sainte-Colombe and Sainte-Colombe's daughters. The ageing Marais, played by Gérard Depardieu, narrates the story, while Depardieu's son Guillaume Depardieu plays the young Marais. The haunting sound of his instrument, the viol, here played by Jordi Savall, is heard throughout the film and plays a major role in setting the mood. The story is based on historical characters. Although fictional, it generally respects what little is known about the lives of the characters and the worlds in which they lived.[4] The film was shot mainly at the Château Bodeau in Rougnat.[5] The film credits the scenes set in the salon of Louis XV as having been filmed in the Golden Gallery (Galerie dorée) of the Banque de France in Paris.

Described as a "crossover movie" with the music integrated into the story-line, Derek Malcolm saw Marielle's performance as "matching the music note for note".[3]

Synopsis

Aging court composer Marin Marais (Gérard Depardieu) recalls his former master and unequalled viol player, the Jansenist, Monsieur de Sainte-Colombe. After the death of his wife, Sainte-Colombe buries himself in his music, shunning himself away in a cabin in his garden in order to perfect the art of viol playing, and to indulge in visions of his dead wife. Sainte-Colombe is a stern father and brings up his two daughters on his own, teaching them to be musicians, and playing in a consort with them for local noble audiences. His reputation reaches the court of Louis XIV and the king sends an envoy, Caignet, to request him to play at the Palace of Versailles. Sainte-Colombe curtly dismisses the envoy, as well as the Abbé Mathieu. Offended, the King ensures that very few attend concerts by Sainte-Colombe and his daughters.

Some years later, 17-year-old Marin Marais visits Sainte-Colombe, seeking to learn from the master. Marais reveals that he was once a choirboy at the Louvre Palace before losing his position due to voice change, which resonates with Sainte-Colombe and convinces him to take Marais in as a student. After a short time, Sainte-Colombe sees no musical merit in the young man and sends him away, refusing to teach him. Madeleine, the elder daughter, is saddened as she has fallen in love with Marais, and the two begin a relationship. She teaches Marais what her father has taught her and allows him to listen in secret to her father playing, which infuriates Sainte-Colombe. During this time, Marais is hired to be a court musician at Versailles, and he gradually grows indifferent to Sainte-Colombe's teachings.

Sainte-Colombe continues to refine his mastery of the viol, and is visited by visions of his late wife with whom he imagines walking and speaking. One day, Marais leaves Madeleine to chase his career at Versailles, and she becomes pregnant and gives birth to a still-born child. Life goes on; Marais marries another woman, and Madeleine's younger sister marries and has five children. Later, Madeleine falls gravely ill. Sainte-Colombe calls Marais to his house where the dying Madeleine asks to hear her former lover play a piece he wrote for her: La rêveuse or The Dreaming Girl. After Marais leaves, an enraged and broken Madeleine hangs herself with the ribbons of a pair of shoes, a gift Marais had given her.

Years later, a renowned Marais returns to Sainte-Colombe, seeking purpose in his music and recognizing his past faults with the Sainte-Colombe family. He requests one final lesson with his old master, who tells Marais he considers it his first. As Marais accompanies Sainte-Colombe during their playthrough of his unpublished opus Tombeau des regrets or Tomb of Sorrows, Sainte-Colombe finally recognises Marais's musicianship.

The story cuts back to the present day, where a vision of Sainte-Colombe appears in front of Marais. The movie ends with a redeemed Marais playing La rêveuse in honor of his late master.

Cast

Music

As listed in the film's credits, the music heard includes the following:

Apart from Savall, the musicians are Montserrat Figueras and Mari-Cristina Kiehr (sopranos), Christophe Coin and Jérôme Hantaï (viola da gamba), Rolf Lislevand (theorbo) and Pierre Hantaï (harpsichord and organ).

Reception

The film grossed $3,089,497 in the United States and Canada.[6] In the United Kingdom it grossed £793,748 ($1.2 million).[7]

On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 91% based on 11 reviews, with an average rating of 7.5/10.[8]

Awards and nominations

References

External links

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