Marcel Proust (1871-1922) is on his deathbed. Looking at photographs brings memories of his childhood, his youth, his lovers, and the way the Great War put an end to a stratum of society. His memories are in no particular order, they move back and forth in time.
Marcel at various ages interacts with Odette, with the beautiful Gilberte and her doomed husband, with the pleasure-seeking Baron de Charlus, with Marcel’s lover Albertine, and with others; present also in memory are Marcel’s beloved mother and grandmother. It seems as if to live is to remember and to capture memories is to create a work of great art. The memories parallel the final volume of Proust’s novel.
Time Regained (French: Le Temps retrouvé) is a 1999 French drama film directed by the Chilean filmmaker Raúl Ruiz. It is an adaptation of the final volume of In Search of Lost Time by Marcel Proust. The plot is about the anonymous narrator of In Search of Lost Time who reflects on his past experiences while lying on his deathbed.
The choice to develop the last volume of In Search of Lost Time allows the film to refer to the entire series of books. For example, the film shows an episode of the first novel, Swann’s Way, usually referred to as “the lady in pink”, as a flashback of Time Regained. The film was entered into the 1999 Cannes Film Festival.
Time Regained (2000)
Directed by: Raúl Ruiz
Starring: Catherine Deneuve, Emmanuelle Béart, Marcello Mazzarella, John Malkovich, Marie-France Pisier, Vincent Perez, Chiara Mastroianni, Arielle Dombasle, Elsa Zylberstein
Screenplay by: Raúl Ruiz, Gilles Taurand
Production Design by: Bruno Beaugé
Cinematography by: Ricardo Aronovich
Film Editing by: Denise de Casabianca
Costume Design by: Caroline de Vivaise, Gabriella Pescucci
Music by: Jorge Arriagada
Distributed by: Kino International
Release Date: June 16, 2000
Visits: 63
