A poet falls for a woman who'd rather sleep with her lover in prison than read his verses. Romantic.
After serving as an embassy secretary in London at the end of 1787, a position he didn't exactly enjoy, the poet André Chénier returns to Paris. When the Revolution breaks out, he becomes enthusiastic about it, and never ceases to express his love of liberty and high principles. But he also speaks out against excesses and troublemakers. For her part, the beautiful Aimée de Coigny, who has just divorced the Duc de Fleury, leads a dissolute life. In 1793, the Convention decides to put "the Terror on the agenda". Aimée de Coigny and her new lover, Casimir de Montrond, are arrested. At the Saint-Lazare prison, their life together is preserved. Six months later, Chénier is arrested and imprisoned. Dazzled by the young woman's beauty, the poet dedicates his most beautiful verses to her. But Aimée remains unmoved by his love.
Acting
Anny Duperey's Aimée — bored, cruel, unforgettable.
Production
Saint-Lazare prison's weirdly intimate domesticity before death.
Director
Jean-Paul Carrère
Nicolas Silberg
André Chenier
Anny Duperey
Aimée de Coigny
Jacques Toja
Lauzun
Mireille Audibert
Mme de Bonneuil
Alain Nobis
M. Chénier
Patricia Calas
Fanny
Yves Arcanel
Roucher
Hubert Deschamps
Le marquis de Kermaden
Gisèle Pascal
Mme de Vaudremont
Bernard Alane
Camille Desmoulins
Michel Charrel
Petit rôle
Germaine Delbat
Petit rôle
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The real André Chénier's prison poems weren't published until 1819, long after his 1794 execution. He died at 31, still unpublished.
Anny Duperey became a massive star; this role cemented her as the face of beautiful indifference. The film aired on French TV when historical dramas were state-sanctioned prestige projects.
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