Anchored by their rigorous realism, Stéphane Brizé’s acclaimed character studies profoundly comment on pressing issues without sacrificing their emotional powers. While other class-conscious directors have often gone down the alienating path of didacticism, Brizé’s films draw a profound parallel between external oppression and the corrosion of the human soul. Set centuries apart, the films in our double bill attest to the ways in which wealth and gender inequality have continuously existed throughout history. Starring Vincent Lindon in a Cannes-winning performance. The Measure of a Man (2015) condemns the cruel grind of corporate capitalism, which chews up and spits out workers with startling indifference. Adapted from a Guy de Maupassant classic, A Woman’s Life (2016) also teases out the violent undercurrents that ripple underneath a seemingly placid pond. Charting an unhappy marriage between a long-suffering provincial aristocrat and her philandering husband, this unconventional period drama brings an effortless naturalism to the usually stylized genre. Here, the attentive focus on everyday routines—like the making of one’s personal wardrobe—teases out the limited source of joy and dependence available to the women of 19th-century France. With their keen insight into the insidious ramifications of societal inequality, Brizé’s cinematic portraits alert us to the fragility of the human spirit and the fickleness of morality.

Anchored by their rigorous realism, Stéphane Brizé&#8217;s acclaimed character studies profoundly comment on pressing issues without sacrificing their emotional powers. While other class-conscious directors have often gone down the alienating path of didacticism, Brizé&#8217;s films draw a profound parallel between external oppression and the corrosion of the human soul. Set centuries apart, the films in our double bill attest to the ways in which wealth and gender inequality have continuously existed throughout history. Starring Vincent Lindon in a Cannes-winning performance. The Measure of a Man (2015) condemns the cruel grind of corporate capitalism, which chews up and spits out workers with startling indifference. Adapted from a Guy de Maupassant classic, A Woman’s Life (2016) also teases out the violent undercurrents that ripple underneath a seemingly placid pond. Charting an unhappy marriage between a long-suffering provincial aristocrat and her philandering husband, this unconventional period drama brings an effortless naturalism to the usually stylized genre. Here, the attentive focus on everyday routines&#8212;like the making of one&#8217;s personal wardrobe&#8212;teases out the limited source of joy and dependence available to the women of 19th-century France. With their keen insight into the insidious ramifications of societal inequality, Brizé&#8217;s cinematic portraits alert us to the fragility of the human spirit and the fickleness of morality.

The Measure of a Life: Two by Stéphane Brizé

THE MEASURE OF A LIFE: TWO BY STÉPHANE BRIZÉ

Anchored by their rigorous realism, Stéphane Brizé’s acclaimed character studies draw a profound parallel between external oppression and the corrosion of the human soul. Set centuries apart, these powerful and passionate character studies lay bare the emotional baggage of social inequality.

Anchored by their rigorous realism, Stéphane Brizé&#8217;s acclaimed character studies draw a profound parallel between external oppression and the corrosion of the human soul. Set centuries apart, these powerful and passionate character studies lay bare the emotional baggage of social inequality.