September 2017

The Lurie Language monthly newsletter... Romance languages with a cultural perspective!

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BETH'S PICKS This month we honor the extraordinary life of my favorite French actress, Jeanne Moreau: (1928-2017) who passed away in Paris at the age of 89.An iconic figure of the French New Wave, the actress starred in over 130 films.

Elevator to the Gallows (1958 ) “Life is an accomplishment and each moment has a meaning, and you must use it.” —Jeanne Moreau

Moreau with Marcello Mastroianni in La Notte (1962)

Jules and Jim (1962)

Jeanne Moreau:

Legendary French actress Jeanne Moreau, best known for her roles in "Jules et Jim" and "The Lovers," was distinguished by her unique beauty and strong personality. Born in Paris in 1928, Moreau became one of the most famous actresses of the French New Wave movement of the 1960s, working with renowned directors such as Louis Malle and François Truffaut. During the German occupation of Paris in the early 1940s, Moreau was raised by her father and lived above the restaurant that he managed. Against her father's wishes, she attended the Conservatoire National d'Art Dramatique in Paris and made her stage debut in 1947. By the age of 20, she was the youngest full-time member of the Comédie-Française. Moreau began to receive small roles in minor films. Her breakthrough project was a role in a crime drama titled  Elevator to the Gallows , directed by Louis Malle in 1957. Moreau and Malle both became major figures of the French New Wave movement. Their professional collaboration on the erotically charged drama  The Lovers  in 1959, as well as their personal relationship as real-life lovers, drew the attention of moviegoers and reviewers around the world.

The Lovers (1959)

Moreau's best-known film role may have been Catherine, the free-spirited heroine of François Truffaut's love-triangle drama  Jules et Jim  (1962). She collaborated again with Truffaut in 1967's  The Bride Wore Black . Throughout the 1960s, she worked with many important international filmmakers who appreciated her intelligence, wit and fearless determination as well as her intense beauty. She was directed by Peter Brook in  Seven Days... Seven Nights  in 1960, Michaelangelo Antonioni in  La Notte  in 1961; Luis Buñuel in  Diary of a Chambermaid  in 1964; and Orson Welles in  The Trial  in 1962 and  The Immortal Story  in 1968. Moreau continued to work throughout the 1970s, '80s and '90s, usually on European film projects rather than with Hollywood studios. She appeared in Luc Besson's action thriller  Nikita  in 1990, Wim Wenders's futuristic  Until the End of the World  in 1991 and Antonioni's romance  Beyond the Clouds , with Marcello Mastroianni, in 1995. In 2001 she portrayed French writer and director Marguerite Duras in  Cet Amour-là . She was awarded a Golden Lion for career achievement at the Venice Film Festival in 1991 and a European Film Academy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1997. French President Emmanuel Macron paid tribute to her enduring legacy, describing Moreau as an actress who "embodied cinema" and "always rebelled against the established order.” He added: "What set her apart was she ignored what was expected of her - never letting herself be pigeon-holed as a mindless seducer or femme fatale - to embrace new styles and forms."

Bicerin : a delicious chocolate drink from Torino is now available in NY! Traditionally served in a handle-less glass, the word bicerin is piedmontese meaning "small glass" and is a dialect version of Itallan  bicchierino  (diminutive of  bicchiere , "glass"). The beverage has been known since the 18th century and was actually praised by Alexandre Dumas! The distinctive quality of Bicerin is that the three components are carefully layered in the glass rather than being mixed together. Caffè al Bicerin, a historic coffeehouse in Turin, has been serving the drink in Turin's piazza della Consolata since the 18th century. The city of Torino (or Turin) is one of the great European centers of chocolate. In the early part of 1500, a Italian named Emmanuel Philibert served hot chocolate to celebrate a victory over the French at Saint-Quentin. And in 1763, Al Bicerin opened it’s doors and began making a celebrated coffee-and-chocolate drink called  il bavareisa . The hot drink was a soothing mixture of locally-produced chocolate, strong Italian coffee, and topped with a froth of whipped cream. The good news is that the marvelous Eataly chain, both in the Flatiron and Downtown locations offer Bicerin at their Lavazza coffee counter! It comes in gianduja and a silky dark chocolate. The warm melted chocolate is spooned to order. Clafoutis Summer is over, but you can still prepare clafoutis, a French summer cake traditionally made with black cherries. This simple cake is flavorful and easy to make, and you can substitute plums, peaches, mangoes, or any other stone fruit to use up your summer berries. I enjoy making this recipe in French with my students in the summer at our French camp. Bon appétit! Easy clafoutis Recipe

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