Passion and madness: Hélène fights for love with Alexandre!

Passion and madness: Hélène fights for love with Alexandre!

On Saturday at 11:15 p.m. a film awaits us on the 3sat channel that will captivate viewers with its gripping story. “Passion Simple”, the film adaptation of Annie Ernaux's autobiographical novel, brings the audience into the world of Hélène, played by Lætitia Dosch, who has been waiting since September for her lover Alexandre, played by Sergej Polunin. The film addresses the complexity of relationships and the limits of one's own world and deals with intense and deep emotions. Meanwhile, Hélène closely follows Alexandre's rules of the game, which are characterized by secrecy and sacrifice, which ultimately plunges her into a serious crisis when he withdraws.

A desperate wait

Hélène, a 40-year-old divorced literature lecturer, has increasingly lost sight of her life and her priorities. She is obsessed with the younger, married diplomat and is willing to risk everything for the passionate affair. However, Alexandre, who works in the Russian embassy in Paris, always remains unreachable. The once beautiful moments quickly give way to doubts and insecurities. In her desperate attempts to be close, Hélène even travels to Moscow, which not only demonstrates her tendency to self-sacrifice, but also shows the fragile boundaries between love and madness.

• Regisseurin: Danielle Arbid
• Hauptdarstellerin: Lætitia Dosch
• Filmstart: 3sat – Samstag, 23.15 Uhr
• Premiere: Toronto International Film Festival 2020

A critical look at toxic relationships

Passion Simple is not just a film about a passionate affair, but also reflects a broader social phenomenon. The way toxic relationships are portrayed has changed since the days of books like “Twilight” and “Fifty Shades of Grey,” not least because of the romanticization of problematic behaviors. Often such stories paint a dangerous picture of love and obsession. Experts warn that the portrayal of boundary crossing and emotional manipulation trivializes and can influence many people's perceptions of romantic relationships. Studies show that such fictional media can influence behavior and attitudes, which can lead to dangerous and harmful patterns in reality.

“Passion Simple” highlights the dark side of such conflicts and the emotional impact on Hélène. Her obsession leads not only to a threat to her responsibilities as a mother, but also to a serious loss of self-esteem. These themes are tangible discussions that go beyond the scope of the film and point to the need to think about healthy relationships.

The emotional depth of the film, coupled with the critical examination of toxic relationships, will make viewers think and raise many questions. An evening not to be missed!