Comedies and Proverbs Ranked

Flowing dialogue. Serene imagery. Chatty characters. Still camera. Love-smitten protagonists. Éric Rohmer’s Comedies and Proverbs series spanned six films from 1981 to 1987. They all deal with love and relationships, and they all share the same instantly recognisable style, yet they are quite different from each other. Most of all, they all manage to somehow be very affectionate despite Rohmer’s somewhat cynical views towards relationships. Here they are from worst to best:

Full Moon in Paris

Despite its fairly strong and likeable characters, Full Moon in Paris lacked the other films’ more interesting scenarios. Louise decides to move away from her boyfriend into an apartment in Paris where she contemplates their relationship. This edition in the series meandered around much less engaging subject matter than the other entries, though it’s not to say it was boring. It’s not a bad watch but it was fairly lacking.

The Aviator’s Wife

One of the slightly more tragic films on the list. A student decides to stalk his girlfriend who he suspects of cheating on him, before deciding to start following a different woman. It is the quintessential Rohmer romance, featuring great characters, beautiful dialogue, and new ideas on romance that you might not have thought about.

The Green Ray

If you’re a fan of down-in-the-dumps protagonists, then you’ll like this one far more than I did. Delphine deals with her loneliness by trying to distract herself by going on a vacation. Though she was a complex and well written character, this was the only film where I didn’t like the main character. Despite that, it still managed to be a bit more visually adventurous than Rohmer’s other entries, and it retained many of his strong points, including an excellent ending.

Pauline at the Beach

One quote from this film that stuck out to me was: “Love is a form of insanity.” I think Rohmer pretty much hit the nail on the head there. Marion is about to divorce her husband, and goes on holiday with her niece where she meets an old flame. Pauline at the Beach features some very fun characters and a strange love square of sorts, as well as some characteristically elegant dialogue. This entry probably features some of Rohmer’s more out-there takes on romance, so it’s basically guaranteed to get you thinking at least.

Boyfriends and Girlfriends

Featuring another love square of sorts, Rohmer yet again is able to unpack the intricacies of love, lust, and friendship in this fun and engaging story of Blanche who gets tongue-tied around her crush and doesn’t seem to know what she wants. I think the ending is what edges this over Pauline at the Beach for me because it is very satisfying.

A Good Marriage

While its premise of a woman trying her hardest to marry the first man she sees might sound a bit ridiculous, it makes for the second most enjoyable film on this list. Blanche is a brilliant, outspoken protagonist, and watching her chase after a man who is clearly far from interested is highly entertaining. Excellent characterisation and interesting perspectives make this a great watch.

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