A French Woman 1995

Shortly after marrying Daniel Auteuil as Louis, Emmanuelle Béart as Jeanne must cope with loneliness as World War II pulls him away to the front. While waiting for his return from a POW camp, Jeanne begins to have affairs with his comrades-in-arms. When he finally comes home and discovers the cheating, he forgives her and offers her freedom, but she refuses to accept and they come back together. Looking for a new life, the family — now with two twins — moves to Berlin, where Gabriel Barylli as Matthias Behrens meets Jeanne and falls in love with her. A third child is born, and shortly after, Louis is summoned to the First Indochina War, forcing the family to return to France.

During Louis’s absence, Jeanne’s relationship with Matthias deepens, and he has followed her to France. They attempt to escape with the children, but their plan is thwarted by Louis’s brother. Louis returns home, and in an effort to get Matthias out of her life, Jeanne uses her influence to move the family to Damascus. Despite her apparent success, she asks Matthias to go to Damascus and take her with him. When he shows up, Louis fights him but is severely injured by Jeanne. The family returns to France, where Louis is asked to fight in Algeria. Haunted by loneliness and despair, Jeanne once again seeks Matthias, but he breaks up with her for good. Louis returns and meets his family, but he has to part again. During his absence, Jeanne dies without a cause, but he later finds in her purse a newspaper clipping informing of Matthias’s death.