BONNARD: PIERRE & MARTHE

France, 2023, 122 minutes, Colour.

Cecile de France, Vincent Macaigne, Stacy Martin.

Directed by Martin Provost.

Lovers of French art, especially from the 19^th century into the 20^th century, will respond to the title of this film. Those not familiar with the art and the artists will be wondering who this couple are.

Pierre Bonnard was a celebrated artist in the 1890s, friend of other artists, Impressionist like Monet, feted in art circles in Paris. With a number of other artists, he was part of a group who wanted to develop the art movements of the time. And he had, as patrons, some of the business entrepreneurs of the period.

The film opens with him painting a young woman, sitting posing for him, she a worker in the business of making artificial flowers. She finds posing very boring. However, she is swept up by the experience with the painter, beginning an impassioned affair with him. She tells him her name is Marthe with a surname taken from the street where she lives. The audience sees, but the artist, Pierre, does not knows that her real name is Maria, she is one of two daughters of an elderly woman, unwell, angry, demanding of her daughters.

In fact, Pierre and Marthe were together for almost 50 years, their union ending with the death in 1942.

With such a long life together, his success in his work, her becoming his model and muse, the screenwriters had to make decisions about how much of the narrative could be contained in a film of two hours. They have made the option of focusing on four time periods in the life of the couple. The meeting takes place in 1893, establishing the characters, the beginnings of their relationship (not yet marriage because he does not want children and be a bad father, yet her wanting children) and his successful exhibitions. Then there is a 20 year gap, the couple now well-established, home in a country villa, Pierre being a success and acknowledged, 1914.

It is a surprise then to move only four years on, 1918, some months before the end of the war which has affected their lives, Pierre called up and affected by his service, the final months and difficulties in rations and surviving. This time the focus is on another character, a young model at the Art Institute, Renée (Stacy Martin) with whom Pierre becomes infatuated. But this time, Marthe, while still the muse and loving her husband, has turned into the practical housewife.

It is in this period that there is a most drama about the relationship between the two, the infatuation with the model, her being received into the household, Pierre travelling with her to Rome, his painting there, his decisions about the affair.

But this is also a period when Marthe herself starts to paint, something in the style of her husband’s work, yet her own individual perceptions. And, there is an exhibition of her work, well received. But this period in their life is marked by tragedy.

Finally, 1942. The couple are elderly, Marthe who has been a lifelong asthmatic, now very ill. Pierre, as always, continuing to paint. And he does at the end, painting his wife’s favourite almond tree blossoming.

One of the difficulties for appreciating this film is the mostly one-dimensional portrait of Pierre, continually painting, his infatuations, his love for Marthe, his transgressions. On the other hand, Cecile de France brings Marthe to vivid life, making her a very interesting character, multidimensional, eliciting audience sympathies.

1. Audience knowledge of Pierre Bonnard, of Marthe? Their time? The Art? The details of their lives?
2. The French atmosphere, the 1890s, 1914-1918, 1942? The decision to choose these four eras for the dramatisation of the art, the artists and their lives? The musical score?
3. A film for art enthusiasts, knowledge of the background of the Impressionists, the various artists, the sequence with Monet, patrons of the art, the movements, the styles, impressions, colours, subjects, landscapes, women…?
4. The introduction to Pierre, his intensity, age, his glasses, the detail of his painting and his style, brushwork, palette, colours? His choosing of models? Marthe and her sitting, posing, bored, her work making flowers, her age? The sexual encounter, infatuation? The revelation about , Pierre , sexuality, devotion to his art, his ambitions, new movements, collaborations, his patrons?
5. The truth about Marthe, Maria, her surname from the street, visiting her mother, her mother and bitterness, her sister, her sister being supported, the issue of divorce? Marthe and her care for her mother, but her exasperation? Over the years, her mother eventually dying, her grief, with her sister, the funeral?
6. Marthe and her moving in with Pierre, life together, his art, her being a model, finding the house in the country, buying it, the exhilaration, naked and enjoying the water, buying the house, remodelling?
7. The issue of painting and subjects, women nude, the comment about not painting men nude?
8. Marthe and her reticence, unused to society, yet taking her, the artists, the patrons, Misia and her relationship with Pierre, her playing the piano, Marthe’s admiration? The exhibitions, Pierre and success? This continuing over the decades? Misia and her husbands, the clash with Marthe in the river, later appearance?
9. 1918, the war, Marthe looking older, housewife, finding supplies, the limitations, Pierre at the front, the aftermath? More reserved? continuing his painting? Asking Renée to pose, her infatuation with Pierre, her being well-known at the Academy, her American fiance? Marthe and her response, inviting Renée in, to stay with them at the house, the atmosphere of a ménage a trois? The effect on Renée? Her leaving?
10. Pierre going to Rome, his rationalisation, the Gallery, his work, Renée with him, at the station, the knocking on the wall, Marthe seeing Renée? In Rome, the painting, the promise of the marriage, Renée and the wedding dress? The sexuality? The painting of Piazza del Popolo, the insertion of the image of Marthe? Renée and her reaction? Pierre and his reaction? The discussion about his love for Marthe? His decision to break the engagement, the consequences for Renée, anger, the dress, the bath, her suicide?
11. Marthe, beginning to paint, Pierre’s style, brushwork, subjects, her success, the visit of the painters, the happy meals? Pierre’s return, supporting her, the exhibition? The sudden news of Renée’s death, the impact on Pierre, his collapse, blaming himself? The consequences for the couple?
12. 1942, almost 50 years together, Marthe old, he will, her history of asthma? Pierre, continuing to paint? The return of the painting from Rome so long ago? Marthe going out, the arm and tree, blossoming, Pierre beside her, quietly dying? His painting of the blossoming arm and tree?
13. The final information, Pierre’s thousands of paintings, Marthe and her work, her presence in so many of his paintings?