Bonjour Tristesse
A spoiled teenager spends the summer at the French Riviera with her rich, widower, playboy father, but when his old flame resurfaces, she resolves to keep her frivolous lifestyle at all costs.
Critics Sentiment
Anne drives off and her car is found at bottom of sea
Anne overhears Raymond telling Elsa he only wanted sex
The film's most dramatic shift occurs when Anne discovers Raymond's betrayal, plummeting from 5.5 to 4.2, then surging to 8.5 with her tragic death as critics found the ending powerfully redeemed the shallow material.
Critics appreciated the gorgeous Riviera cinematography and Preminger's visual mastery, but found the first two-thirds somewhat shallow despite strong performances from Kerr and Niven. The film dramatically elevates in its final act when the tragic consequences of the characters' selfish actions crystallize, transforming what could have been mere soap opera into something more profound and emotionally resonant.
Full cast
Deborah Kerr
Anne Larson
David Niven
Raymond
Jean Seberg
Cecile
Mylène Demongeot
Elsa
Geoffrey Horne
Philippe
Juliette Gréco
Juliette Greco
Walter Chiari
Pablo
Martita Hunt
Philippe's Mother
Roland Culver
Mr. Lombard
Jean Kent
Mrs. Helen Lombard
David Oxley
Jacques
Elga Andersen
Denise
Jeremy Burnham
Hubert
Eveline Eyfel
Maid
Tutte Lemkow
Pierre Schube (uncredited)
Maryse Martin
Undetermined Secondary Role (uncredited)
Edouard F. Médard
Bit part (uncredited)
Jackie Raynal
Dancer (uncredited)
Crew
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