woensdag 26 april 2006

Project Cinema (11): Romy

"Sissi just sticks to me just like oatmeal", is a famous quote by Romy Schneider. Born Rosemarie Magdelena Albach-Retty in Vienna, she made her acting debut on stage by the side of her mother (like her father an actor too). In 1955 the world fell in love with her, when she played empress-to-be Sissi in the first of three films about the Austrian royal. From that point on, she tried to break away from her saccharine image by taking parts in sombre films like Christine (where she met fiancé Alain Delon), The Process (dir. Orson Welles) and Visconti's Ludwig.
Her life was filled with tragedy: she was dumped by Delon, first husband Henry Meyen committed suicide after the divorce, her son David got into a fatal accident and she got addicted to alcohol in her final years. Officially, she died because of cardiac arrest, but rumour has it she commited suicide. Knowing this, I can only see oceans of schmerz in her eyes.
On a lighter note, she sang as well. In what I think is her best movie, Les Choses De La Vie (although it's been a while since I saw it, or any movie with Schneider in it for that matter), her melancholic, Hardy-like voice is perfect for La Chanson d'Helene, a duet with Michel Piccoli. And for Max & Les Ferrailleurs she sang a short a-capella song in German. Props to composer Philip Sarde too.

Romy Schneider & Michel Piccoli - La Chanson d'Helene
Romy Schneider - Lily et Max

5 opmerkingen:

  1. Merci á Skye and Speenhoff for sending me mp3's by Romy.

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  2. Wow! They're surprisingly good, these 2 tunes. I didn't know that Romy Schneider ever sang...

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  3. Unforgetable Romy !!!
    Thank you

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  4. For everyone who wants to hum along with 'La chanson d'Helene':

    Ce soir nous sommes septembre et j'ai fermé ma chambre
    Le soleil n'y entrera plus
    Tu ne m'aimes plus
    Là-haut un oiseau passe comme une dédicace
    Dans le ciel

    Parlé:
    Je t'aimais tant Hélène
    Il faut se quitter
    Les avions partiront sans nous
    Je ne sais plus t'aimer Hélène

    Avant dans la maison j'aimais quand nous vivions
    Comme un dessin d'enfant
    Tu ne m'aimes plus
    Je regarde le soir tomber dans les miroirs
    C'est ma vie

    Parlé:
    C'est mieux ainsi Hélène
    C'était l'amour sans amitié
    Il va falloir changer de mémoire
    Je ne t'écrirai plus Hélène

    L'histoire n'est plus à suivre et j'ai fermé le livre
    Le soleil n'y entrera plus
    Tu ne m'aimes plus

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  5. I just realised that 'Hélène' was covered by Françoiz Breut.

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