“Their heritage of instability, extravagant caprice, and natural elegance was their paternal portion.”Les enfants terribles [The Terrible Children] (Jean-Pierre Melville, 1950)
Nov
13
World Orphans Day
The siblings – children on the cusp of adulthood, played by adults – sharing a bed. Elisabeth (Nicole Stéphane) points up towards the ceiling with one arm wrapped around her brother Paul's (Edouard Dermithe) neck. Both wear dressing gowns. DP: Henri Decaë.
With their mother bedridden, Elisabeth (Nicole Stéphane) nurtures her snowball-fight-injured brother Paul (Edouard Dermithe) back to health.
– Jean Cocteau, Les enfants terribles (1929)
Withdrawn in their family home, they form a strong manipulative bond, drawing others into their games.