LA COLLECTIONNEUSE Cinema's Legacy

Set in an idyllic, sun-drenched villa on the Riviera, Eric Rohmer’s third of his “Six Moral Tales” centers on two male friends, an art dealer and a painter, whose summer of relaxation is upended when Haydée, a carefree, rules-be-damned woman arrives. The men, casually arrogant and womanizing, meet an unexpected match in Haydée, who’s rumored to be a “collector” of the opposite sex. Gender roles and double standards get a whip-smart treatment in LA COLLECTIONNEUSE, which was co-written by Rohmer and his three lead actors. Shot by the great Néstor Almendros in rich color (this was Rohmer’s first time working beyond black and white), the film is not only a masterpiece in its own right, but the perfect entry point to Rohmer’s later tales of complex relationships. – Beth Hanna