Deneuve's manon

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

10-1-2017

Abstract

This article explores Catherine Deneuve's portrayal of Manon Lescaut in Manon 70, Jean Aurel's 1968 cinematic adaptation of the Abb£ Provost's 1731 novel Vhistoire du chevalier Des Grieux et de Manon Lescaut. Analyzing the contrasting valences of Deneuve's cinematic persona at this crucial juncture in her career, I argue that her performance as Manon slyly challenges the moral certainties of the contemporary world just as the novel did in Enlightenment France. Deneuve's aura of innocent beauty and sexual deviancy make her an ideal actress for the modern version of the femme fatale that constitutes the "Manon myth.".

Publication Source (Journal or Book title)

French Review

First Page

93

Last Page

104

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