The Letter (La Lettre) 24 years old

The Letter

A well-bred, lovely, spiritual, sad young woman marries an attentive physician who loves her. She feels affection but no love. Soon after, without design, she falls in love with Pedro Abrunhosa, a poet and performance artist. He also loves her. She keeps her distance from him, confessing her love to a friend who is a nun and, later, to her husband. Hunger for her love and jealousy consume him; she attends him as he wastes away. With his death, she can marry and express her passion, but what she does and how she explains herself, particularly to her cloistered friend, is at the heart of the film. Glimpses of convent life and of Abrunhosa on stage give contrast and mute comment.

Credits

The Letter Cast

Name Character
Stanislas Merhar He was 28, now 53 years old as François de Guise
Françoise Fabian She was 67, now 91 years old as Mme de Chartres
Antoine Chappey He was 39, now 64 years old as M. de Clèves
Anny Romand She was 49, now 74 years old as Mme de Silva
Ricardo Trêpa He was 26, now 51 years old as Intrus
Chiara Mastroianni She was 27, now 51 years old as Mme de Clèves
Pedro Abrunhosa He was 38, now 63 years old as Pedro Abrunhosa
Luís Miguel Cintra He was 50, now 74 years old as M. da Silva
Leonor Silveira She was 28, now 53 years old as La religieuse

The Letter Crew

Name Department
Ann Chakraverty as Set Decoration. Art
Jean-François Auger as Sound Mixer. He was 78 (now 103) years old Sound
Emmanuel Machuel as Director of Photography. He was 65 (now 89) years old Camera
Jean-Paul Mugel as Sound Designer. Sound
Valérie Loiseleux as Editor. She was 0 (now 24) years old Editing
Madame de La Fayette as Writer. Madame de La Fayette was 365 (59) years old when Madame de La Fayette died Writing
Judy Shrewsbury as Costume Design. Costume & Make-Up
Emmanuelle Fèvre as Makeup Artist. Costume & Make-Up
The Letter poster
The Letter (24 years)

  • Release day: Wednesday, September 22, 1999
  • Runtime: 107 minutes