ASA Murmur of the Heart (1971) Director: Louis Malle, Stars: Lea Massari, Benot Ferreux, Daniel Glin.

Murmur of the Heart (1971) Le souffle au coeur (original title) Language: French Italian. Synopsis / Plot This is a jolly coming-of-age story about a 15-year-old boy named Laurent Chevalier who is growing up in bourgeois surroundings in Dijon, France. This is France in the mid-1950s rather than America in the 1990s. Thus, Laurent is unharmed by events which would irreparably shatter the self-esteem of a modern American adolescent: he gets drunk, he smokes, he has sex, he is smothered by his mother, he is ignored by his father, a priest makes a pass at him, he gets rheumatoid fever, etc. There’s enough scandalous behavior in this film to make 100 made-for-TV movies, and yet this is a very happy and oddly innocent tale. Awards 1971: Cannes Film Festival: Nominated for Palme d’Or (Best Film) 1972: Nominated for Oscar: Best Original Screenplay