The Sign of Leo
Encyclopedia
Le Signe du lion is a 1959
French film directed by Éric Rohmer
, his feature debut. Along with Le Beau Serge
, directed by Claude Chabrol
(who produced The Sign of Leo), it was one of the first films of the French New Wave
. The title refers to the Zodiac sign Leo
, under which the protagonist says he was born. Much of the film's plot is concerned with notions of luck
and fate
. The film was not a commercial success and Rohmer didn't make another feature for 8 years, instead concentrating on short films and his position at the influential film magazine Cahiers du cinéma
.
It stars Jess Hahn
, Michèle Girardon, and Van Doude.
) is an American-born, 39-year-old bohemian
and aspiring composer living in Paris
. One morning he receives a telegram informing him that his wealthy aunt has died. Assuming that he has inherited her factories in Germany
and Switzerland
, he throws a lavish party with his friend Jean-Francois (Van Doude), a reporter for Paris-Match. Pierre borrows large sums of money, believing that he'll be able to pay everyone back with his inheritance; however, he soon discovers that his aunt left everything to his cousin. Penniless and abandoned by his friends, he soon finds himself homeless.
The film was photographed in black and white by Nicholas Hayer and printed at Laboratoires GTC in Joinville-le-Pont
. Most of the shooting, including all outdoor scenes, was done on location
. Rohmer, the eldest of the members of the Cahiers du cinéma circle of the Nouvelle Vague, was 38 at the time of production.
The film was produced by fellow New Wave director and Cahiers du cinéma critic Claude Chabrol
through Ajym Films, which had produced his debut feature, Le Beau Serge
and would go on to produce Paris nous appartient, the debut feature of their colleague and friend Jacques Rivette
.
, 1.66, than most of Rohmer's features; the director has used the 1.37 aspect ratio (also known as Academy ratio
) for almost all of his films. It also features a musical score (rare for Rohmer) by Louis Saguer and a cameo by fellow New Wave director and Cahiers du cinéma critic Jean-Luc Godard
; though the other French New Wave
directors frequently appeared in cameo roles in each other's films (or, as in the case of Godard, cast directors they admired in their films), this is the only instance of such casting in a feature film directed by Rohmer. Writing for the website kamera.co.uk, Chris Weigand notes that in The Sign of Leo "perhaps more than in any other New Wave work," Paris appears to be "a filthy and unattractive city, viewed through the eyes of the desperate and needy."
Also unlike most of the director's films, Rohmer did not write the dialogue for the screenplay
. The work is credited to Paul Gégauff
, and Rohmer is instead only credited with the film's story.
, who put it on his top ten for 1962, The Sign of Leo was a commercial failure, a fact that kept Rohmer from making another feature until 1966.
The film is one of Rohmer's least-seen features in the Anglosphere
; it did not screen in the UK until 1966, and didn't show until 1970 in the United States
, where it has never been available on home video
(an English-subtitled DVD is available in the UK). Because of this, critical writing
on the film is relatively scarce. Writing for the British film website kamera.co.uk, Chris Weigand notes that "the film is littered with painful moments" and that "with its depiction of one man's long physical and spiritual decline, Le Signe Du Lion recalls the great naturalist
novels of Emile Zola
as well as the works of American realists such as Theodore Dreiser
. It marks Rohmer out as one of the most literary of New Wave directors - always devoting particular attention to his characters' complex emotions and inner thoughts."
The film influenced German director Rainer Werner Fassbinder
, who paid homage
to it with his first short film, Der Stadtstreicher.
1959 in film
The year 1959 in film involved some significant events, with Ben-Hur winning a record 11 Academy Awards.-Events:* The Three Stooges make their 190th and last short film, Sappy Bull Fighters....
French film directed by Éric Rohmer
Éric Rohmer
Éric Rohmer was a French film director, film critic, journalist, novelist, screenwriter and teacher. A figure in the post-war New Wave cinema, he was a former editor of Cahiers du cinéma....
, his feature debut. Along with Le Beau Serge
Le Beau Serge
Le Beau Serge is a French film directed by Claude Chabrol, released in 1958. It is often considered the first product of the Nouvelle Vague or "French New Wave" film movement.-Synopsis:...
, directed by Claude Chabrol
Claude Chabrol
Claude Chabrol was a French film director, a member of the French New Wave group of filmmakers who first came to prominence at the end of the 1950s...
(who produced The Sign of Leo), it was one of the first films of the French New Wave
French New Wave
The New Wave was a blanket term coined by critics for a group of French filmmakers of the late 1950s and 1960s, influenced by Italian Neorealism and classical Hollywood cinema. Although never a formally organized movement, the New Wave filmmakers were linked by their self-conscious rejection of...
. The title refers to the Zodiac sign Leo
Leo (astrology)
Leo is the fifth astrological sign of the Zodiac, originating from the constellation of Leo. In astrology, Leo is considered to be a "masculine", positive sign. It is also considered a fire sign and is one of four fixed signs ruled by the Sun.Individuals born when the Sun is in this sign are...
, under which the protagonist says he was born. Much of the film's plot is concerned with notions of luck
Luck
Luck or fortuity is good fortune which occurs beyond one's control, without regard to one's will, intention, or desired result. There are at least two senses people usually mean when they use the term, the prescriptive sense and the descriptive sense...
and fate
Destiny
Destiny or fate refers to a predetermined course of events. It may be conceived as a predetermined future, whether in general or of an individual...
. The film was not a commercial success and Rohmer didn't make another feature for 8 years, instead concentrating on short films and his position at the influential film magazine Cahiers du cinéma
Cahiers du cinéma
Cahiers du Cinéma is an influential French film magazine founded in 1951 by André Bazin, Jacques Doniol-Valcroze and Joseph-Marie Lo Duca. It developed from the earlier magazine Revue du Cinéma involving members of two Paris film clubs — Objectif 49 and...
.
It stars Jess Hahn
Jess Hahn
Jess Hahn was an American actor who mostly starred in French films....
, Michèle Girardon, and Van Doude.
Plot synopsis
Pierre (Jess HahnJess Hahn
Jess Hahn was an American actor who mostly starred in French films....
) is an American-born, 39-year-old bohemian
Bohemianism
Bohemianism is the practice of an unconventional lifestyle, often in the company of like-minded people, with few permanent ties, involving musical, artistic or literary pursuits...
and aspiring composer living in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. One morning he receives a telegram informing him that his wealthy aunt has died. Assuming that he has inherited her factories in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, he throws a lavish party with his friend Jean-Francois (Van Doude), a reporter for Paris-Match. Pierre borrows large sums of money, believing that he'll be able to pay everyone back with his inheritance; however, he soon discovers that his aunt left everything to his cousin. Penniless and abandoned by his friends, he soon finds himself homeless.
Production
Joinville-le-Pont
Joinville-le-Pont is a commune in the southeastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris.-History:The commune was created in 1791 under the name La Branche-du-Pont-de-Saint-Maur by detaching its territory from the commune of Saint-Maur-des-Fossés...
. Most of the shooting, including all outdoor scenes, was done on location
Location shooting
Location shooting is the practice of filming in an actual setting rather than on a sound stage or back lot. In filmmaking a location is any place where a film crew will be filming actors and recording their dialog. A location where dialog is not recorded may be considered as a second unit...
. Rohmer, the eldest of the members of the Cahiers du cinéma circle of the Nouvelle Vague, was 38 at the time of production.
The film was produced by fellow New Wave director and Cahiers du cinéma critic Claude Chabrol
Claude Chabrol
Claude Chabrol was a French film director, a member of the French New Wave group of filmmakers who first came to prominence at the end of the 1950s...
through Ajym Films, which had produced his debut feature, Le Beau Serge
Le Beau Serge
Le Beau Serge is a French film directed by Claude Chabrol, released in 1958. It is often considered the first product of the Nouvelle Vague or "French New Wave" film movement.-Synopsis:...
and would go on to produce Paris nous appartient, the debut feature of their colleague and friend Jacques Rivette
Jacques Rivette
Jacques Rivette is a French film director. His most well known films include Celine and Julie Go Boating, La Belle Noiseuse and the cult film Out 1....
.
Style
The film is often noted for the differences in tone and cinematic style it has from the work Rohmer is best known for. The film is shot in a wider aspect ratioAspect ratio
The aspect ratio of a shape is the ratio of its longer dimension to its shorter dimension. It may be applied to two characteristic dimensions of a three-dimensional shape, such as the ratio of the longest and shortest axis, or for symmetrical objects that are described by just two measurements,...
, 1.66, than most of Rohmer's features; the director has used the 1.37 aspect ratio (also known as Academy ratio
Academy ratio
The Academy ratio of 1.375:1 is an aspect ratio of a frame of 35mm film when used with 4-perf pulldown. It was standardized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences as the standard film aspect ratio in 1932, although similar-sized ratios were used as early as 1928.The Academy ratio is...
) for almost all of his films. It also features a musical score (rare for Rohmer) by Louis Saguer and a cameo by fellow New Wave director and Cahiers du cinéma critic Jean-Luc Godard
Jean-Luc Godard
Jean-Luc Godard is a French-Swiss film director, screenwriter and film critic. He is often identified with the 1960s French film movement, French Nouvelle Vague, or "New Wave"....
; though the other French New Wave
French New Wave
The New Wave was a blanket term coined by critics for a group of French filmmakers of the late 1950s and 1960s, influenced by Italian Neorealism and classical Hollywood cinema. Although never a formally organized movement, the New Wave filmmakers were linked by their self-conscious rejection of...
directors frequently appeared in cameo roles in each other's films (or, as in the case of Godard, cast directors they admired in their films), this is the only instance of such casting in a feature film directed by Rohmer. Writing for the website kamera.co.uk, Chris Weigand notes that in The Sign of Leo "perhaps more than in any other New Wave work," Paris appears to be "a filthy and unattractive city, viewed through the eyes of the desperate and needy."
Also unlike most of the director's films, Rohmer did not write the dialogue for the screenplay
Screenplay
A screenplay or script is a written work that is made especially for a film or television program. Screenplays can be original works or adaptations from existing pieces of writing. In them, the movement, actions, expression, and dialogues of the characters are also narrated...
. The work is credited to Paul Gégauff
Paul Gégauff
Paul Gégauff was a French screenwriter, actor and director. He collaborated with director Claude Chabrol on 14 films. Among his films are Les Biches, Plein Soleil and the autobiographical Une Partie de Plaisir...
, and Rohmer is instead only credited with the film's story.
Reception and Influence
Though praised by other members of the Nouvelle Vague (including Jean-Luc GodardJean-Luc Godard
Jean-Luc Godard is a French-Swiss film director, screenwriter and film critic. He is often identified with the 1960s French film movement, French Nouvelle Vague, or "New Wave"....
, who put it on his top ten for 1962, The Sign of Leo was a commercial failure, a fact that kept Rohmer from making another feature until 1966.
The film is one of Rohmer's least-seen features in the Anglosphere
Anglosphere
Anglosphere is a neologism which refers to those nations with English as the most common language. The term can be used more specifically to refer to those nations which share certain characteristics within their cultures based on a linguistic heritage, through being former British colonies...
; it did not screen in the UK until 1966, and didn't show until 1970 in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, where it has never been available on home video
Home video
Home video is a blanket term used for pre-recorded media that is either sold or rented/hired for home cinema entertainment. The term originates from the VHS/Betamax era but has carried over into current optical disc formats like DVD and Blu-ray Disc and, to a lesser extent, into methods of digital...
(an English-subtitled DVD is available in the UK). Because of this, critical writing
Film criticism
Film criticism is the analysis and evaluation of films, individually and collectively. In general, this can be divided into journalistic criticism that appears regularly in newspapers, and other popular, mass-media outlets and academic criticism by film scholars that is informed by film theory and...
on the film is relatively scarce. Writing for the British film website kamera.co.uk, Chris Weigand notes that "the film is littered with painful moments" and that "with its depiction of one man's long physical and spiritual decline, Le Signe Du Lion recalls the great naturalist
Naturalism (literature)
Naturalism was a literary movement taking place from the 1880s to 1940s that used detailed realism to suggest that social conditions, heredity, and environment had inescapable force in shaping human character...
novels of Emile Zola
Émile Zola
Émile François Zola was a French writer, the most important exemplar of the literary school of naturalism and an important contributor to the development of theatrical naturalism...
as well as the works of American realists such as Theodore Dreiser
Theodore Dreiser
Theodore Herman Albert Dreiser was an American novelist and journalist of the naturalist school. His novels often featured main characters who succeeded at their objectives despite a lack of a firm moral code, and literary situations that more closely resemble studies of nature than tales of...
. It marks Rohmer out as one of the most literary of New Wave directors - always devoting particular attention to his characters' complex emotions and inner thoughts."
The film influenced German director Rainer Werner Fassbinder
Rainer Werner Fassbinder
Rainer Werner Maria Fassbinder was a German movie director, screenwriter and actor. He is considered one of the most important representatives of the New German Cinema.He maintained a frenetic pace in film-making...
, who paid homage
Homage
Homage is a show or demonstration of respect or dedication to someone or something, sometimes by simple declaration but often by some more oblique reference, artistic or poetic....
to it with his first short film, Der Stadtstreicher.