“The Bride Wore Black has a rather deft sense of humor that raises it above many of the other brightly-lit neo-noirs of the 1960s. The irony does not come from the film’s anti-style, but rather in the brazen reversal of gender roles and Moreau’s deadpan delivery.”
“It is incredible to think that Louis Malle was only 25 years old when he made Les Amants, as it seems to hold the wisdom and erotic impulse of a much older man.”
“For all the beauty of Malle’s classic, Moreau’s half-mad gliding has become the signature image of the film.”
“Celestine is a difficult role in that it relies on a careful balance between sex appeal and misplaced indignation. While Moreau’s Celestine uses her sex as a means to raise her social place early in the film, her priorities seemingly shift as she uses her body in order to expose a murderer and rapist (or so she believes).”
“The difficulty in discussing the work of Antonioni is that his characters thrive on contradictions, and are often pursuing goals and hungers that will ultimately leave them empty.”