The Long Absence

1961 1h 38m FR

👍

6.7

SOLID

★6.7TMDB · 46

Drama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Therese, a café owner, mourns the mysterious disappearance of her husband sixteen years earlier. A tramp arrives in the town and she believes him to be her husband. But he is suffering from amnesia and she tries to bring back his memory of earlier times.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Alida Valli
Thérèse Langlois
Georges Wilson
le clochard
Charles Blavette
Fernand, un client du café
Philippe de Chérisey
Marcel Langlois
Jacques Harden
Pierre, un camionneur
Paul Faivre
le retraité
Catherine Fonteney
Alice Langlois
Diane Lepvrier
Martine

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Henri Colpi
Writers: Marguerite Duras, Gérard Jarlot
Languages: French
Countries: France

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

65 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

CRAFT

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Henri Colpi, shot by Marcel Weiss. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Georges Delerue. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Jacqueline Meppiel shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Alida Valli and Georges Wilson and Charles Blavette carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0054426 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

Only 46 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Henri Colpi directs. Marcel Weiss behind the camera. Georges Delerue scores. Jacqueline Meppiel cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in France. Dialogue in French.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

165 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
2Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
3Directed by Henri Colpi, shot by Marcel Weiss. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Georges Delerue. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Jacqueline Meppiel shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Alida Valli and Georges Wilson and Charles Blavette carry the top of the cast.
7IMDB entry: tt0054426 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Only 46 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.