The life of a cinephile holds surprises and sometimes these surprises are very pleasant. This is the case with the discovery of a film made in 1969 – ‘La fiancée du pirate‘ (in English it was distributed under the title ‘A Very Curious Girl‘) -, made by a very interesting director (Nelly Kaplan) about whom I knew nothing before, and with a remarkable actress (Bernadette Lafont) once considered considered “the face of French New Wave” about whom I should surely have known more in the lead role. These are completely or almost completely forgotten names, an undeserved forgetfulness in my opinion. ‘La fiancée du pirate‘ is a film that should be taken out of the archives and re-released for today’s audiences because it deserves to be seen, known and discussed by film lovers, now, 50 years after its first launching.
After seeing the film, which was a revelation for me, I looked for information about the director. Nelly Kaplan is a writer of fiction and film books, and began her career as an assistant to Abel Gance in the 1950s. A few ‘art’ short films followed in the 1960s. ‘La fiancée du pirate‘ was her first feature film, after which she directed several more films, but none seems to approach its level. A unique career peak? Why? Has she been categorized as a ‘daring’ filmmaker close to soft-porn? ‘La fiancée du pirate‘ has a dose of nudity and eroticism that today seems ‘standard’ but even in 1969, at least in French cinema, I don’t think it was a very shocking film. However, her career as a ‘serious’ writer seems to have overshadowed that of a director. What a pity.
The story of the film takes place in a French village on the edge of which the main heroine, Marie, lives in a hut, performing the derisive work of a maid, being economically and sexually exploited by many locals, men and women. The shock of her mother’s death and the visit of a friend, an itinerant film projectionist (the excellent Michel Constantin), determine her to decide that it was time for her life to take a turn. She will start charging for sexual services and will take revenge on those who exploited her until then. From the maid without rights she becomes the number one attraction of the gathering of villains who had taken advantage of her until then and the enemy number one of the hypocrites and of the jealous wives. The film can be seen as a social farce, in which a heroine, who reminded me of the unforgettable Giulietta Masina from ‘Nights of Cabiria‘, refuses to continue to be a victim and faces the ridiculousness of evil, taking advantage of the vices and weaknesses of the people populating a world that predicts that of Emir Kusturica‘s films. The lead role is played by Bernadette Lafont, an actress with a rich filmography, an exceptional physique and a talent to match. I also wonder about her, why is she all but forgotten by now? We can see a few more well-known figures from other French films, in a colorful gallery of excellently drawn supporting roles. Georges Moustaki‘s music and Barbara‘s voice are additional reasons to enjoy. The film can now be seen in full on youTube and I recommend you watch it, because director Nelly Kaplan and actress Bernadette Lafont are two artists who do not deserve to be forgotten.