Storyline

In the French countryside, Agnes (Patricia Gozzi), a withdrawn teenager, lives in relative seclusion with her hermetic ex-judge father, Frederick (Melvyn Douglas). Agnes, who longs for male companionship, falls in love with Joseph (Dean Stockwell), an injured escaped convict her family has taken in and nursed back to health. When Frederick expresses his disapproval of their romance, the two run off to Paris, where the perils of the city soon catch up with both of them.

Plot Keywords

father, daughter, escaped convict, teen girl, fugitive, brooding, melodramatic, tense, brittany, france, coast, house, big city, paris, doomed romance, helping others, escaped criminals, solitude, life lessons, father/daughter relationship, forbidden love, growing up, transformation, escape, 1960s

Short Review

I can't for the life of me, figure out why this one is so underrated and so little talked about. The camerawork is outstanding and unusually intimate for that period, Patricia Gozzi's feral performance is truly memorable(she was only 14, btw). "Rapture" is a small, yet multi-layered film, one which manages to treat delicate topics with care, without neither cheapening or idealising them, one that looks at its characters with a sheer and quiet kindness, so it never actually becomes sappy. Dean Stockwell delivers a great performance also, one which reminded me of a more reserved James Dean and also it was a pleasure to see Melvyn Douglas(The Tenant, Changeling). There are more things I could say about the story, but I don't want to give any spoilers, so I'll leave it at that.One more thing: the protagonist's commitment made me think of some of Lars von Trier's female protagonists(Bess & Selma in particular) so I wonder if Lars had seen this at some point in his life.

Trailer

Streaming Service

1. Amazon Video : Rent from $1.99, Or $0.00 with a Prime membership