The Boat on the Grass
| The Boat on the Grass | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Gérard Brach |
| Written by |
|
| Produced by | Jean-Pierre Rassam |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Étienne Becker |
| Edited by | Claude Barrois |
| Music by | François Rabbath |
Production companies | Cinétel Vicco Films Sinar Films |
| Distributed by | Valoria Films |
Release date |
|
Running time | 90 minutes |
| Country | France |
| Language | French |
The Boat on the Grass (French: Le Bateau sur l'herbe) is a 1971 French drama film directed by Gérard Brach and starring Claude Jade, Jean-Pierre Cassel, John McEnery and Valentina Cortese. The film's sets were designed by the art director Alain Coiffier.[1][2] It was entered into the 1971 Cannes Film Festival.[3]
Plot summary
In this gentle, tragic drama, Olivier (John McEnery) is a wealthy young man. He spends his time building a boat on the lawn with his friend David (Jean-Pierre Cassel), a poor fisherman whom he grew up with. Though hardly idyllic, the relative calm provided by their friendship is disrupted by Eleonore (Claude Jade), a cute and determined young woman who sets her sights on David. She wants to wean David from his friendship with Olivier and plays on David's long-dormant jealousy of Olivier's wealth and easy life. Eleonore also plays the flipside of the jealousy issue, claiming that Olivier has made passes at her.
Cast
- Claude Jade as Eleonore
- Jean-Pierre Cassel as David
- John McEnery as Oliver
- Valentina Cortese as Christine
- Paul Préboist as Leon
- Micha Bayard as Germaine
- Pierre Asso as Alexis
- Jean de Coninck as Jean-Claude
- Carla Marlier as La parasite
Production
Filming took place in Vallon-sur-Gée, in the Sarthe department.[4]
Critical reception
Vincent Canby: "Adorable acting, especially by Claude Jade, who brings the right mixture of conventionalism and self-interest into her role." The film was nominated for the Grand Prix and the Prix du Jury at the Cannes Film Festival.
References
- ↑ Young p.178
- ↑ https://www.unifrance.org/film/1784/le-bateau-sur-l-herbe
- ↑ "Festival de Cannes: The Boat on the Grass". festival-cannes.com. Retrieved 12 April 2009.
- ↑ "Cinéma : ces réalisateurs ont choisi la Sarthe pour tourner leurs films". actu.fr (in French). 12 September 2021. Retrieved 4 August 2026.
Bibliography
- Young, Jordan R. Roman Polanski: Behind the Scenes of His Classic Early Films. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2022.