Olivia (1951)
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
"Olivia" captures the awakening passions of an English adolescent sent away for a year to a small finishing school outside Paris. The innocent but watchful Olivia (Marie-Claire Olivia) develops an infatuation for her headmistress, Mlle. Julie (Edwige Feuillère), and through this screen of love observes the tense romance between Mlle. Julie and the other head of the school, Mlle. Cara (Simone Simon), in its final months. Although not strictly autobiographical, Olivia draws on the author's experiences at finishing schools run by the charismatic Mlle. Marie Souvestre, whose influence lived on through former students like Natalie Barney and Eleanor Roosevelt. Colette wrote the screenplay for the 1951 film adaptation of the novel. - Actors:
- Edwige Feuillère, Simone Simon, Marie-Claire Olivia, Yvonne de Bray, Suzanne Dehelly, Marina de Berg, Lesly Meynard, Rina Rhéty, Tania Soucault, Elly Claus, Nadine Olivier, Sophie Mallet, Hélène Rémy, Michèle Monty, Ludmilla Hols
- Directors:
- Jacqueline Audry
- Producers:
- Jacqueline Audry, Jean Paris
- Writers:
- Colette Audry, Dorothy Bussy, Pierre Laroche
- Others:
- Edwige Feuillère
- Aka:
- The Pit of Loneliness
- Genres:
- Children & Family, Classics, Comedy, Drama
- Collections:
- A Brief History of the Tradition of Quality, Female Filmmakers Who Changed French Cinema, Films by Genre, A Brief History of Film...
- Countries:
- France
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Reviews (1) of Olivia
Unapologetic Gaze, Unscandalised Desire - Olivia review by griggs
Some films whisper; this one speaks plainly—and for 1951, that’s radical. Jacqueline Audry, one of the few women directing in postwar France, treats lesbian desire with frankness and care, steering clear of prurient moralism. Olivia lets that attraction breathe without apology.
What stands out is Audry’s camera: no leering shortcuts, just glances, hesitations, and the subtle power shifts of intimacy. The boarding-school setting could have played as scandal; instead the point of view stays with the girl—her longing, her confusion, her bruised pride. It’s her story, not a cautionary tale told by outsiders.
Formally, Audry shoots a gothic romance—candlelit classrooms, hushed corridors, tempests under manners. The pacing is measured, and a few beats feel dated, but the core lands. Audry made room that later films would occupy more loudly; Olivia got there first, and with grace. Not perfect, but important—and devastating in its quiet way.