The Mother and the Whore

1973 3h 39m FR

👍

7.3

SOLID

★7.3TMDB · 206

DramaRomance

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Aimless young Alexandre juggles his relationships with his girlfriend, Marie, and a casual lover named Veronika. Marie becomes increasingly jealous of Alexandre's fling with Veronika and as the trio continues their unsustainable affair, the emotional stakes get higher, leading to conflict and unhappiness.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Where to watch · US

Cast

Jean-Pierre Léaud
Alexandre
Bernadette Lafont
Marie
Françoise Lebrun
Veronika
Isabelle Weingarten
Gilberte
Jacques Renard
Alexandre's Friend
Jean-Noël Picq
Offenbach's Fan
Berthe Granval
Marie's Friend
Geneviève Mnich
Veronika's Friend

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Jean Eustache
Writers: Jean Eustache
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 / 6

RUNTIME

Did you know

At 219 minutes, this is a three-hour-plus commitment — longer than 95% of films ever made.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 6

ERA

Did you know

53 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 6

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Jean Eustache, shot by Pierre Lhomme. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 6

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 6

CAST

Did you know

Jean-Pierre Léaud and Bernadette Lafont and Françoise Lebrun carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 6

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0070359 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Jean Eustache directs. Pierre Lhomme behind the camera. Denise de Casabianca cuts. A long sit — settle in. Produced in France. Dialogue in French.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1At 219 minutes, this is a three-hour-plus commitment — longer than 95% of films ever made.
253 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Directed by Jean Eustache, shot by Pierre Lhomme. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Editor Denise de Casabianca shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Jean-Pierre Léaud and Bernadette Lafont and Françoise Lebrun carry the top of the cast.
6IMDB entry: tt0070359 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
7Classified under 23 themes, including "paris, france", "love triangle", "nurse", "suicide attempt".
8Released under 16 different titles around the world.