Romy Schneider Shimmers, Simmers, “Sautets” and “Zulawskis”

Nearly 40 years after her death, Romy Schneider remains the most beloved actress to emerge from postwar Germany. Wikipedia informs us that two awards are named after her, and a 2003 TV show voting on “the greatest Germans” placed her at #78. Her mystique is partly marked by the aura of tragedy, for she died at 43, one year after the accidental death of her 14-year-old son. More happily, her legacy is determined by a busy career with many excellent directors who knew how to channel her beauty, intelligence, and sympathy.

Several recent Blu-rays give us the chance to rediscover these qualities. Three of the films are directed by French filmmaker Claude Sautet, and two of these are combined in a double-disc package from Film Movement Classics called Sautet/Schneider on its spine. We heartily approve of any excuse to double up classic films and make the set more attractive. Really, the product could only be improved by throwing in one or two more for luck. We shall discuss all these films in the order audiences first saw them.