©-DR-JULES ET JIM de François Truffaut (1962) p24 par tellurikwaves blog (75 Paris)

One of the earliest foreign films to be distributed in the US by two Harvard students, Cyrus Harvey and Brian Halliday, under their newly formed company, Janus Films. Janus went on to distribute all sorts of classic foreign films and is now owned by Criterion.

Francois Truffaut was so nervous on the opening night, he decided to see a Marx Brothers film instead of his own.

Jean Renoir was a particular fan of the film and wrote a letter to François Truffaut expressing his pleasure. Truffaut carried that letter with him for years afterward.

François Truffaut hated filming love scenes, which is why Jim and Catherine's big scene is shot in half darkness.

In Jean-Luc Godard's picture Une femme est une femme (1961), Jeanne Moreau appears as herself. This becomes obvious because Jean-Paul Belmondo's character, while meeting her at a café, asks her: "How is 'Jules And Jim' coming?" Une femme est une femme (1961) was released in 1961, while Jules et Jim (1962) in 1962, but the reference exists because François Truffaut and Godard were friends at the time, and often collaborated in each other's movies.

Jeanne Moreau had to jump into a river because her stunt double turned up drunk. Moreau then had to spend 2 days ill in bed.

Henri-Pierre Roché's original novel was based on his own experiences as a young man. The original Catherine was still alive when the film was released and even attended the premiere incognito.

The production was so small and had so little money that Jeanne Moreau was often called upon to lend her Rolls Royce for ferrying around props. She even did some of the catering, particularly in the scenes where Jim visits Jules and Catherine in Germany.

Made with a crew of only 15.

François Truffaut came across the original novel by Henri-Pierre Roché in the mid-50s whilst browsing through some secondhand books in Paris. He later befriended the author.

Director of photography Raoul Coutard used lightweight photographic equipment that hadn't been used before to create a fluid style to the camerawork, even mounting some of the cameras on bicycles.

François Truffaut was greatly saddened when Henri-Pierre Roché died before he could see how Truffaut filmed his novel.

Henri Serre was an unknown actor performing comedy in a club when he was cast as Jim. He was cast because of his physical resemblance to Henri-Pierre Roché.

When the production ran out of money, Jeanne Moreau bailed it out with her own personal financial contribution.

Jeanne Moreau kept a lot of her wardrobe.

François Truffaut wanted to make a film with Jeanne Moreau as far back as 1957. He told her this when he bumped into her at Cannes at a screening of Ascenseur pour l'échafaud (1958).

When Jim first visits Jules' home in Austria, Catherine shows him a picture of Jules costumed as Mozart. Oskar Werner, the actor who plays Jules, also portrayed Mozart in an earlier film.

Oskar Werner was cast because François Truffaut wanted someone who spoke French with a slow delivery.

Provided the band Jules et Jim with their name.

François Truffaut's script also drew on material from the diaries that Henri-Pierre Roché kept for nearly 60 years.

CINEMA :Les blessures narcissiques d'une vie par procuration

©-DR-JULES ET JIM de François Truffaut (1962) p24