Amour (2012)

Michael Haneke’s Amour is not your typical romantic film—it’s a devastatingly honest, deeply intimate portrait of love, aging, and mortality. It’s a movie that won the Palme d’Or at Cannes and the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, but more than that, it leaves audiences shaken with its raw portrayal of what it truly means to stand by someone “in sickness and in health.”

Detailed Summary

A Peaceful Beginning

The film introduces us to Georges (Jean-Louis Trintignant) and Anne (Emmanuelle Riva), a retired couple in their eighties who live in a Paris apartment. They are cultured, warm, and clearly share a deep bond. Their daily life seems tranquil, filled with music, reading, and small routines.

The Stroke

One morning during breakfast, Anne suddenly freezes, unresponsive. This is her first stroke. Georges rushes to get help, and Anne undergoes surgery, but the operation leaves her partially paralyzed. Their lives begin to change dramatically as Georges takes on the role of caretaker.

Decline and Strain

Anne suffers a second stroke, which worsens her condition—she loses her ability to speak clearly and is confined to a wheelchair. Georges tries to honor her wish not to return to the hospital, even as caring for her becomes more demanding. Their daughter Eva (Isabelle Huppert) visits occasionally, urging Georges to consider institutional care, but he refuses, insisting on keeping Anne at home.

Emotional Weight

The film shifts into a study of slow decline. Anne becomes bedridden, incontinent, and increasingly distressed. Georges does everything for her—feeding her, changing her, comforting her. Yet, his exhaustion and grief are palpable. One particularly painful scene has Anne refusing water, Georges pleading with her, and finally slapping her in frustration, only to immediately apologize.

Movie Ending

In the final act, Anne’s suffering reaches its peak. She is incoherent, in constant pain, and barely aware of her surroundings. One day, Georges tries to comfort her by telling her a story from his childhood, but she resists. At that moment, Georges takes a pillow and suffocates her, ending her suffering.

After Anne’s death, Georges carefully prepares her body and seals the bedroom. He then experiences a surreal moment: he imagines Anne alive, dressed elegantly, and together they leave the apartment. This is followed by a sequence where their daughter Eva visits the apartment, now empty, sitting silently in the living room. The film closes on this haunting, ambiguous note, leaving viewers between the harsh reality of death and the comforting illusion of reunion.

Are There Post-Credits Scenes?

No, Amour does not include any post-credits scenes. The film ends definitively, with Eva in the apartment and the credits rolling immediately afterward.

Type of Movie

Amour is a drama—more specifically, an intimate psychological drama dealing with themes of love, mortality, and human dignity. It is also often categorized as part of art-house cinema due to Haneke’s restrained style.

Cast

• Jean-Louis Trintignant as Georges
• Emmanuelle Riva as Anne
• Isabelle Huppert as Eva (their daughter)
• Alexandre Tharaud as himself (the pianist)

Film Music and Composer

Unlike many films, Amour doesn’t use a traditional score. Instead, it integrates classical piano music—particularly works by Franz Schubert and other composers—played diegetically within the film. This choice emphasizes realism and highlights Anne’s past as a music teacher.

Filming Locations

The film was shot almost entirely inside a Paris apartment built on a soundstage. Haneke insisted on this controlled environment to capture intimacy and claustrophobia—the feeling that both Georges and Anne are trapped, both physically and emotionally.

Awards and Nominations

• Academy Award: Best Foreign Language Film (won)
• Cannes Film Festival: Palme d’Or (won)
• BAFTA Awards: Best Film Not in the English Language (won)
• César Awards: Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress (won multiple)
• Nominated for Best Picture and Best Director at the Academy Awards (a rare feat for a foreign film).

Behind the Scenes Insights

• Haneke originally wrote the script with Trintignant in mind; he almost refused to make the film if the actor declined.
• Emmanuelle Riva was 85 during filming; she later became the oldest nominee for Best Actress at the Oscars.
• The Paris apartment was meticulously constructed, with every detail (books, paintings, furniture) chosen by Haneke to reflect the characters’ intellectual lives.
• Haneke avoided melodrama, directing his actors to perform with extreme naturalism, making the film feel almost like a documentary.

Inspirations and References

The story is believed to be partly inspired by Haneke’s own experience watching family members age and decline. While not based on a single book, it reflects existential and philosophical influences consistent with Haneke’s body of work.

Alternate Endings and Deleted Scenes

There are no widely discussed alternate endings. Haneke is known for precision in storytelling, and what you see is exactly what he intended. The suffocation scene and its aftermath were always meant to be the film’s emotional climax.

Book Adaptations and Differences

The film is not adapted from a book, though it has since been turned into a published screenplay. Readers of the screenplay note that it is nearly identical to the final film, reflecting Haneke’s strict adherence to his vision.

Memorable Scenes and Quotes

Key Scenes

• Anne’s sudden stroke at the breakfast table.
• Georges trying to feed Anne water as she resists.
• The shocking slap during a moment of despair.
• Georges suffocating Anne with a pillow.
• Georges imagining Anne alive and leaving with her.
• Eva silently sitting in the empty apartment.

Iconic Quotes

• Anne: “Promise me one thing. Don’t ever take me back to the hospital.”
• Georges: “Nothing will happen to you. I’ll protect you.”
• Georges (to Anne): “You don’t need to worry. I’ve got everything under control.”

Easter Eggs and Hidden Details

• The repeated use of music by Schubert underlines the fragility and beauty of life.
• The final scene with Georges and Anne leaving could be read as a dream, a hallucination, or symbolic closure—Haneke deliberately leaves it ambiguous.
• The recurring motif of doors closing emphasizes isolation and the gradual shutting out of the world.

Trivia

• Emmanuelle Riva passed away in 2017, on the 5th anniversary of the film’s release in France.
• Isabelle Huppert, who plays the daughter, is one of France’s most celebrated actresses and had already starred in Haneke’s The Piano Teacher.
• Jean-Louis Trintignant had considered retiring before Haneke convinced him to return for this role.

Why Watch?

Because Amour is not just a film—it’s an emotional experience. It forces us to confront uncomfortable truths about love, loyalty, and mortality. It’s not easy viewing, but it is unforgettable, a masterpiece that will resonate with anyone who has seen a loved one suffer.

Director’s Other Movies

• The White Ribbon (2009)
• Caché (2005)
• The Piano Teacher (2001)
• Funny Games (1997)
• Funny Games (2007)

Recommended Films for Fans

• Tokyo Story (1953)
• Still Alice (2014)
• Away from Her (2006)
• Iris (2001)
• The Father (2020)