Year: 1963
After releasing some classic material in the late 1960s and early 1970s, Aretha Franklin, the "Queen of Soul," disappeared into the wilderness. She returned full-bore though in 1985 with what was, surprisingly enough, the first-million selling album of her career. The title was "Who's Zoomin' Who?" and that's the thought that kept running through my head after twice watching the second film in Eric Rohmer's Six Moral Tales series, "Suzanne's Career."
Suzanne (Catherine See) is certainly not what she first appears. Much like Jacqueline, the girl at the Monceau bakery, Suzanne is not beautiful in the classic sense. But she is a charmer, does have a good heart and is certainly not unappealing to look at. She wears glasses, which add to her imperfect good looks, is smart and sweet-natured. As the film opens (after some brief opening narration from the character of Bertrand, another similarity to "Bakery Girl") Suzanne is in a cafe across the street from her office at the Tuberculosis Institute. Immediately she is set upon by the womanizing Guillame (Christian Charriere). Guillame represents the kind of guy that I have disliked all my life--smarmy, disingenuous and willing to say or do whatever it takes to bed his latest conquest and add another notch to his belt. In tow is his best mate, Bertrand (Phillipe Beuzen), the narrator. While Bertrand is altogether more likeable than Guillame, he is not without fault himself. Shyer and more retiring, he allows himself to be, as one character puts it later in the film, "led around the nose" by Guillame. It's an understandable position--Guillame represents what Bertrand is not (confident, glib, urbane) and has what Bertrand undoubtedly would like to have (the power to make women swoon, even when he is treating them pretty deplorably).
Soon, a triangle of sorts develops. Guillame, who successfully got Suzanne into bed early on, seemingly can't wait to dump her. She detests him but is drawn back into his arms. Bertrand, meanwhile, has obvious feelings for Suzanne too but is also carrying a flame for the true object of his desire, the tall, willowy Sophie (Diane Wilkinson). The boys are quite glad to let Suzanne pick up the tab on their nights out. Soon though, the gravy train runs out of steam and Suzanne informs Bertrand that even though it's only the 12th of the month, she's quite tapped out. As luck would have it, Bertrand has been given 400 francs by his parents, which he secrets away in the pages of a book in his room at the Hotel L'Observatoire. Three hundred eventually goes missing--and both Guillame and Suzanne had the opportunity to steal it. The movie never makes clear "whodunnit." Bertrand is sure he knows and it's left to the viewer to decide. I suppose your choice will be predicated on how you feel about the particular character and Rohmer leaves the resolution wonderfully ambiguous.The ending is pure class too. Like I said above, Suzanne is not what she appears it first. She can handle her own business. Like the kids say now days, "you can't play a player," and Suzanne definitely knows how to play the game. The ending--well, I didn't see it coming to be honest--but I was really glad to see it. Rohmer strikes again!
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