Film Forum

Italy/France, 1962
Directed by Joseph Losey
Starring Jeanne Moreau, Stanley Baker, Virna Lisi
Approx. 107 min. 35mm.

Welsh writer Stanley Baker seems to have it all: an international bestseller, a film version that’s all the buzz at the Venice Film fest, an apartment in Rome and a farmhouse on Torcello, not to mention drop-dead gorgeous (and nice!) fiancé Virna Lisi. But then he meets his match in mod courtesan Jeanne Moreau, never more fatale or iconic, the epitome of damaged glamor in pointy pumps and heavy eyeliner as she listens to Billie Holiday LPs, counts lire, and smokes endless packs of cigarettes in strange bedrooms. Handed the stars and a pulp potboiler, Losey saw this as his breakout into glossy international filmmaking. With photography by the great Gianni di Venanzo, Losey’s camera prowls via repeated circular patterns and extended takes among lavish settings in wintry Venice and Rome, including the Cinecittà studios, the incredibly baroque Danieli hotel, and a funeral by gondola. Ruthlessly cut by the producers, EVA sank to contemporary critical opprobrium and was disowned by the director.  Losey's version of the work he once described as “almost an orgasm” was finally restored in 2000 from the only existing negative, which alas, comes complete with Swedish and Finnish subtitles. 

Reviews

“Losey presents deceptive appearances as the harrowing reality of modern life.”
– The New Yorker

“Moreau is clearly the highlight of the film, her sultry expression and glamorous posture continuously emphasized”
– Eloise Ross, Senses of Cinema

“One of her (Moreau’s) finest performances”
– Time Out

“The film undoubtedly belongs to Moreau”
– Time Out