Later in 1980 Rohmer embarked on a second series of films : the " Comedies and Proverbs " , where each film was based on a proverb . The first " Comedy and proverb " was '' The Aviator 's Wife '' , which was based on an idea that Rohmer had had since the mid-1940s . This was followed in 1981 with '' Le Beau Mariage '' ( '' A Perfect Marriage '' ) , the second " Comedy and Proverb " . Rohmer stated that " what interests me is to show how someone 's imagination works . The fact that obsession can replace reality . " In his review of the film , film critic Claude Baignères said that " Eric Rohmer is a virtuoso of the pen sketch ... He had not been at ease with the paint tubes that Persival required , but in this film he created a tiny figurine whose every feature , every curl , every tone is aimed at revealing to us a state of soul and of heart . " Raphael Bassan said that " the filmmaker fails to achieve in these dialogues the flexibility , the textual freedom of '' The Aviator 's Wife '' . '' A Perfect Marriage '' is only a variation on the spiritual states of the petty bourgeoise who go on and on forever about the legitimacy of certain institutions or beliefs confronted by problems of the emotions . Quite simply , this is a minor variation on this central Rohmerian theme . " The third " Comedy and proverb " was '' Pauline at the Beach '' in 1983 . It won the Silver Bear for Best Director at the 33rd Berlin International Film Festival . It was based on an idea that Rohmer had in the 1950s , originally intended for Brigitte Bardot . Rohmer often made films that he had been working on his many years and stated " I ca n't say ' I make one film , then after that film I look for a subject and write on that subject ... then I shoot . ' Not at all ... these are films that are drawn from one evolving mass , films that have been in my head for a long time and that I think about simultaneously . " The fourth " Comedy and Proverb " was '' Full Moon in Paris '' in 1984 . The film 's proverb was invented by Rohmer himself : " The one who has two wives loses his soul , the one who has two houses loses his mind . " The film 's cinematographer Renato Berta called it " one of the most luxurious films ever made " because of the high amount of preparation put into it . The film began with Rohmer and the actors discussing their roles and reading from the film 's scenario while tape recording the rehearsals . Rohmer then re-wrote the script based on these sessions and shot the film on Super 8 mm as a dress rehearsal . When the film was finally shot , Rohmer often used between two and three takes for each shot , and sometimes only one take . Alain Bergala and Alain Philippon have stated that " all the art of Eric Rohmer consists of creating on the set avertable osmosis among himself , the actors and the technicians . " Rohmer even encouraged actress Pascale Ogier to design sets for the film since her character is an interior decorator . Ogier later won the Best Actress award at the Venice Film Festival . Alain Philippon called the film " one of the most accomplished films that Rohmer has given us ... and that if the film moves it is because of its own risk-taking . " The fifth " Comedy and Proverb " was '' The Green Ray '' in 1986 . Rohmer explained that " I was struck by the naturalness of television interviews . You can say that here , nature is perfect . If you look for it , you find it because people forget the cameras . " As was becoming his custom in pre-production , Rohmer gathered his cast together to discuss the project and their characters , but then allowed each actor to invent their own dialogue . Rohmer stated that lead actress Marie Rivière " is the one who called the shots , not only by what she said , but by the way she 'd speak , the way she 'd question people , and also by the questions her character evoked from the others . " The film was shot chronologically and in 16 mm so as to be " as inconspicuous as possible , to have Delphine blend into the crowd as a way , ultimately , of accentuating her isolation . " Rohmer also instructed his cinematographer Sophie Maintigneux to keep technical aspects of the shoot to a minimum so as to not interrupt or distract the actors . The film 's only major expense was a trip to the Canary Islands in order to film the green rays there . Rohmer chose to première the film on Canal Plus TV , a pay-TV station that paid $ 130,000 for the film , which was only one fifth of its budget . Rohmer stated that " Cinema here will survive only because of television . Without such an alliance we wo n't be able to afford French films . " The experiment paid off when the film was a theatrical hit after being released three days after its initial broadcast . It won the Golden Lion and the FIPRESCI Prize at the 1986 Venice Film Festival . It was mostly praised by film critics , although Alain Robbe-Grillet wrote an unfavorable review and stated " I did n't like it very much . " The Sixth " Comedy and Proverb " was '' Boyfriends and Girlfriends '' ( '' L'Ami de mon amie '' ) in 1987
33rd Berlin International Film Festival
33rd Berlin International Film Festival
Éric Rohmer