In the name of the Gothic father: Francois Truffaut's L'Histoire d'Adele H. (1975)

The reception of Francois Truffaut's 1975 film L'Histoire d'Adele H., dealing with the obsession and descent into madness of the daughter of Victor Hugo, has recurrently focused on its critical engagement with Romantic melodrama, as well as its literary and 'romanesque' dimensions. This article argues that the term 'romanesque' has camouflaged the film's active engagement with both cinematic and literary Gothic heritage. This engagement is shown to be inextricably linked to dynamic tensions of paternal influence. Both Truffaut as director and Adele Hugo as film character actively renegotiate the Father's artistic heritage of violent passions and dark metaphysical forces, with differing results. The article proposes a double analysis: (a) a close reading of the film's Gothic tropes, shedding light on Truffaut's intertextual dialogue with Hitchcock, his favourite 'Gothic' father and (b) an examination of the character Adele H.'s intertextual performance, in which she contends with the powerful Gothico-Romantic myth embodied by the literary patriarch Victor Hugo. This will lead to extended insight into Truffaut's brand of filmic Gothic as a vehicle of haunted intensity and on his distinctive exploration of the torments of female subjectivity, haunting and neurosis.

Automated summary

This article analyzes the elements of Romantic classicism in Francois Truffaut's film "L'Histoire d'Adele H." and examines the interaction between the director and the protagonist regarding paternal influence. It closely examines the film's Gothic imagery, highlighting Truffaut's intertextual dialogue with Hitchcock, and discusses the character of Adele H.'s intertextual performance, providing insights into Truffaut's filmic exploration of female subjectivity, torment, and neurosis.