A Tale of Springtime (1990) by Eric Rohmer is so curiously bleak that I couldn't help but force myself to sit through it. However, it seems suffice to say that, by the end, I bore the fruit of my own labor.
The deeply problematic nature of the disputes amongst these characters brings raw, untampered human emotion to the surface of this film, making it all the more pleasant.
Said by Roger Ebert: "We can recognize the rhythms of real life, in which personal drama sometimes has to wait while we attend to routine duties."
Indeed, the characters seem self-referential, making this film bring our own personal dramas into measurable thought.
As some sort of blanket theory, I suppose that springtime is quite the confusing one, as if it is merely a post-winter or a pre-summer.
With that in mind, this film's familial dispute seems nothing more than conventional and necessary, like spring cleaning. Every confused family going through trying times has to sweep under the rug once in awhile, figuratively speaking.
Alas, our own personal tales of springtime extrude both the best and worst recollections of familial love and questionable embrace.
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