Have you ever wondered how someone who lived through both World Wars might view modern technology, like smartphones with instant internet access? While we worry about small daily decisions, the world keeps changing, and those changes quietly shape how we live. Many modern relationships, for instance, wouldn’t exist without the internet. In 1974, director Claude Lelouch explored themes of fate and societal shifts in And Now My Love, questioning how significant these changes really are in the grand scheme of things.
The film mirrors the passage of time by evolving its cinematic style. It begins as a silent film and, within its first 20 minutes, gradually introduces sound, dialogue, and color, reflecting the progression of cinema itself. Throughout the story, wars break out, societies shift, and technology advances, yet the heart of the film focuses on the intertwined fates of two very different characters: a spoiled young woman, whose mother died in childbirth, leading her wealthy father to dote on her excessively, and a convict-turned-filmmaker who discovers his love for cinema while grappling to find his artistic voice.
And Now My Love is an ambitious, multifaceted film, filled with philosophical dialogues, political reflections, and lavish set pieces. While its grand scale is admirable, it can sometimes feel indulgent, especially with its repetitive flashbacks focused on the young woman’s father. Despite these occasional narrative hiccups, the film is filled with beautifully crafted moments, like the stunning 20-minute opening montage, a memorable birthday party scene with the French singer Gilbert Bécaud, and a fantastic sequence set in an airport later in the film.
Francis Lai’s score, while effective, can become repetitive, and one theme bears a distracting resemblance to Charlie Chaplin’s “Smile.” However, the way the two lead characters’ stories converge in the final act is masterfully done. Just when the film seems to have reached a perfect conclusion, it offers an unexpected coda about the future. Some versions of the movie omit this coda, and many believe it improves the film. However, the inclusion does push the film’s meditation on time and change even further.
Sarah (played by Marthe Keller) can occasionally come across as annoying, but the film’s ambition is clear: it successfully portrays two vastly different characters and convinces us they are destined for one another, even though they remain apart for most of the movie. And Now My Love is a sweeping, multifaceted exploration of love, fate, and the relentless passage of time. While its complexity can sometimes feel overwhelming, it remains a bold and thought-provoking piece of cinema.
- Where to watch
- Not available for streaming
- Where to watch
- Not available for streaming
- Original title
- Toute une vie
- Director
- Claude Lelouch
- Cast
- Marthe Keller, André Dussollier, Charles Denner, Carla Gravina, Charles Gérard, Gilbert Bécaud, Daniel Boulanger, André Falcon
- Rated
- PG
- Screenwriter
- Claude Lelouch, Pierre Uytterhoeven
- Cinematography
- Jean Collomb
- Editor
- Georges Klotz
- Country
- Language
- French