The Compulsive Seducer: Revisiting Truffaut’s L’uomo che amava le donne (1977)
François Truffaut’s 16th feature, L’uomo che amava le donne (The Man Who Loved Women), remains one of the most enigmatic entries in the French New Wave legend's filmography. Far from a simple tale of a womanizer, the film is a deeply melancholic, semi-autobiographical study of obsession and the literary impulse. The Story: A Funeral for One, Attended by Many L'uomo che amava le donne (1977)
As the narrative shifts into a series of flashbacks, we follow Bertrand, an aeronautical engineer in Montpellier, as he writes his memoirs. His pursuit of women is portrayed not as a search for power, but as a vital necessity—a way to feel alive. Key Themes: Legs, Literature, and the "Scopic Drive" His pursuit of women is portrayed not as
The film begins at its end: the funeral of Bertrand Morane (played with a nervous, singular intensity by ). In a striking opening visual, the mourners consist exclusively of women—the many lovers, friends, and "conquests" Bertrand accumulated throughout his life. the film is a deeply melancholic
Truffaut uses Bertrand’s obsession to explore several layers of the human experience:
