Those Who Love Me Can Take the Train

Plot

The film follows the friends of a recently deceased minor painter, Jean-Baptiste Emmerich, as they take a train from Paris to Limoges, where he is to be buried, attend his funeral, then gather at the home of his twin brother, Lucien. The mourners include François, who spends the journey listening to a series of taped conversations with the painter; Jean-Marie and Claire, a couple whose marriage has broken down; Emmerich's former lover Lucie; Louis, a close friend of François; and Bruno, a young man with whom he has fallen in love. As the train heads south, the travelers watch the car carrying Emmerich's coffin being driven recklessly alongside the train by their friend Thierry.

At the funeral Jean-Marie makes a speech condemning family life, and declares, to Claire's anger, that he will never become a father. At the gathering after the funeral the guests argue about which of them was closest to Emmerich. Claire discovers that a young woman present, Viviane, was actually Emmerich's son Frédéric, who has become a woman.

Background and filming

The inspiration for the film, and its title, came from a request the documentary filmmaker François Reichenbach made to those attending his funeral.

The sequences on the train were filmed over 14 days in two carriages on trains running between Paris and Mulhouse. Chereau said: "You cannot really fabricate the movement of a train in a studio - the actors and the camera moving at the same time. We needed to have the real energy of that journey". Reviewing the film for Sight & Sound, Chris Darke wrote: "the journey to Limoges is a triumph both of exposition and choreography.....Gautier's use of handheld 'Scope cinematography gives the feeling of both buffeting movement and swooping detail."

Cast

Pascal Greggory as François

Valeria Bruni Tedeschi as Claire (as Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi)

Charles Berling as Jean-Marie

Jean-Louis Trintignant – Lucien Emmerich / Jean-Baptiste Emmerich

Bruno Todeschini as Louis

Sylvain Jacques as Bruno

Vincent Perez as Viviane

Roschdy Zem as Thierry

Dominique Blanc as Catherine

Delphine Schiltz as Elodie

Nathan Kogen as Sami (as Nathan Cogan)

Marie Daëms as Lucie

Chantal Neuwirth as Geneviève

Thierry de Peretti as Dominique

Olivier Gourmet as Bernard

Awards and nominations

British Independent Film Awards (UK)

Nominated: Best Foreign Language Film

1998 Cannes Film Festival (France)

Nominated: Golden Palm (Patrice Chéreau)

24th César Awards (France)

Won: Best Actress – Supporting Role (Dominique Blanc)

Won: Best Cinematography (Eric Gautier)

Won: Best Director (Patrice Chéreau)

Nominated: Best Actor – Leading Role (Pascal Greggory)

Nominated: Best Actor – Supporting Role (Vincent Perez)

Nominated: Best Actor – Supporting Role (Jean-Louis Trintignant)

Nominated: Best Editing (François Gédigier)

Nominated: Best Film

Nominated: Best Production Design (Sylvain Chauvelot and Richard Peduzzi)

Nominated: Best Sound (Guillaume Sciama and Jean-Pierre Laforce)

Nominated: César Award for Best Original Screenplay or Adaptation (Patrice Chéreau, Danièle Thompson and Pierre Trividic)

Étoiles d'Or (France)

Won: Best Actor – Leading Role (Charles Berling)