JULES AND JIM (1926) FILM ANALYSIS

 JULES AND JIM (1962)

Released in 1962, Jules and Jim is a French film directed by François Truffaut. This film is a french new wave film and it basically centers on a love triangle between two best friends (Jim and Jules) and a woman they love (Catherine). Let’s talk about the characters. Jules is an Australian immigrant in France. He is very intellectual and shy. Jim is a french man who is very straightforward. Catherine is a modern woman and is difficult to read and she does what she wants. She doesn't try to let any rules or social norms hold her down. Catherine’s character especially is redeemed by the strength of her affections. She changes her mind as easily as the weather, conforming to an incomprehensible code of ethics all her own. These three are carefree youthful spirits full of playfulness.  Jules and Jim both have playful personalities. They do everything together, like going to the gym, having massages, visiting the local bars. These two also bond over art, poetry, and especially over their love for women. 

Everything seemed to be perfect when Jules and Catherine got married until Catherine started to have affairs with other men. We all know that Jules was madly in love with her and he adored her a lot, but after seeing what Catherine did, Jules started feeling that he is not the man for Catherine, and instead of showing frustration, Jules accepts it Catherine is really unpredictable. She is prepared to bear Jules with a child but is not ready to be either a responsible wife or a mother.

Later in the movie when the war breaks out, this is a major turning point for both Jules and Jim when they were separated by their uniforms as they are both enlisted in opposing armies. During the war, Jules writes a letter to Catherine about how he misses her but how he also wishes not to fight Jim. Here he openly writes about how much he loves Catherine but this scene also makes us understand that he loves his friend Jim as much as he loves Catherine and wishes no harm upon him on the other side of the war.

After the war, Jim comes to visit Jules at his new home in the countryside. After meeting, Jules congratulates Jim on winning the war. 

Later Jules admits to Jim that Catherine had run away and has had numerous affairs and Jules is used to her being unfaithful but he couldn't stand to see her go. Jim still has his affection for Catherine and is later granted permission by Jules to marry her if he still wants to. The fact that Jules shared his feelings with Jim shows us how pure their friendship was because I don't think that Jules could have shared all these things with someone other than Jim. Later Catherine asked Jim to move into the house. "Careful, Jim -- careful for both of you," Jules says. Jules wanted Catherine to be happy and he could have done anything for her, so he wondered if perhaps it would be best to divorce Catherine so Jim can marry her. 

The style of the film came as a revelation in 1962. One aspect that I really admired in this film was Jules and Jim’s friendship. As we know, when Catherine enters their lives, she tries to change their allegiance and in their alliance but they never stop being friends. Even when Catherine betrayed Jules for Jim, it didn't affect their friendship at all. Rather than getting mad at Catherine, Jules encourages Jim’s interest in her because Jules knows that even if she became Jim's lover she would still be around and Jules is content with Catherine's mere presence. In the end, when Jim and Catherine die, I feel what Jules misses the most is their friendship. “Jules and Jim’s Friendship” Sometimes it is hard to comprehend how gracious and loving they are to one another and that's what the beauty of their relationship is!

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