ABSTRACT
The apparently anodyne moment sketches out a triple process of demystification: it connects love with appearances, economic necessities, and with the unreliability of human subjectivity. If its shortness and autonomy make 'Un Amour de Swann' more adaptable than the rest of the novel, this adaptability is further enhanced by the economy and, at least by Proustian standards, considerable concision of the plot. In terms of film production, the period was characterised by the rebirth of the concept of qualite francaise combining, as the 'cinema du patrimoine' in particular, the popular with the prestigious under the banner of national history and culture. The regime of cruelty and denial that characterises the gaze throughout the film is underpinned by the complex relation between image and text. Arguably, where Volker Schlondorff's adaptation can be seen to succeed is thus precisely in the gaps and fractures that mark his film.
