Sundays and Cybele
Synopsis
Pierre (Hardy Krüger) is a French Indochina War veteran who is consumed by guilt after having accidentally killed an innocent Vietnamese child when crash-landing his stricken plane. His nurse-girlfriend Madeleine (Nicole Courcel) lives with him on a low-key but potentially romantic basis. Pierre then sees Cybèle (Patricia Gozzi) in distress as she is being dropped off at a small orphanage by an obviously unloving father. Eventually, he pretends to be the girl's father, which allows her to get away from the locked orphanage, and he spends time with her every Sunday, for months. Both are lonely, childlike, and in need of a supportive friend.
A doctor, who has a romantic interest in the nurse, finds out about the ongoing relationship, and out of self-interest interprets Pierre's relationship with Cybèle as sexual. He passes his imagined conclusions on to the police, who also misread the intentions of the young man.
Pierre has nothing to give Cybèle for Christmas, so he takes up her earlier joking challenge to bring her the metal rooster on top of a Gothic church near the orphanage. Being a former pilot, he musters the nerve to climb the 300 foot steeple, and uses his knife as a tool to unscrew and bring down the rooster. He approaches the girl, carrying the metal rooster and his knife. However, at this point, the police arrive and shoot him dead to "protect" the child, whom they think is in danger.
Cybèle, who had fallen asleep waiting to meet Pierre for their Christmas together in the snow covered park's gazebo, is devastated by witnessing the pointless killing of her friend.
Credits
Director (1)
Actors (26)
Production and distribution (2)
- Executive Producers : Films Trocadéro, Fides, Orsay Films, Terra Film
- French distribution : Les Acacias
Full credits (16)
- Executive Producers : Romain Pinès, Walter Rupp, Raymond Froment, Claude Ganz
- Adaptation : Bernard Eschassériaux, Serge Bourguignon
- Dialogue Writer : Serge Bourguignon
- Director of Photography : Henri Decaë
- Music Composer : Maurice Jarre
- Assistant directors : Roberto Bodegas, Christian De Chalonge
- Editor : Léonide Azar
- Sound recordists : Robert Teisseire, Jean Nény
- Author of original work : Bernard Eschassériaux
- Sound assistants : Robert Cambourakis, Jacques Gérardot
- Camera Operator : Robert Foucard
- Production Manager : Jacques Planté
- Assistant editors : Madeleine Bibollet, Pierre Fattori
- Continuity supervisor : Colette Crochot
- Production Designer : Bernard Evein
- Still Photographer : Helga Romanoff
Media Gallery
Technical details
- Type : Feature film
- Genres : Fiction
- Sub-genre : Drama
- Themes : Childhood, Friendship
- Production language : French
- Original French-language productions : Unspecified
- Nationality : 100% French
- Production year : 1961
- French release : 23/11/1962
- Runtime : 1 h 50 min
- Current status : Released
- Visa number : 25312
- Visa issue date : 12/11/1962
- Approval : Unknown
- Production formats : 35mm
- Color type : Black & White
- Aspect ratio : CinemaScope
- Audio format : Mono
Box-office & releases
TV broadcasting
This content is for registered users only.
Are you a member? Please login to view content.
News & awards
Selections (2)
Academy Awards
United States, 1964
Nomination for Best Writing - Adapted Screenplay : Serge Bourguignon, Antoine Tudal
Oscar Nomination in the Best Musical Adaptation category : Maurice Jarre
Academy Awards
United States, 1963
Oscar Nomination for Best Original Score : Maurice Jarre
Nomination for Best Foreign Language Film
