“With a mother’s love, life at dawn makes you a promise it will never keep. Every time a woman takes you by the hand and takes you to her heart, it is nothing but a condolence.”
These few words are among the most famous in French literature. Romain Garry, considered the main author today, was inspired by his own story to write the novel The Promise of Dawn. This fictional autobiography tells the story of his youth with his mother, with whom he maintains a close bond.
A special fate
From his early years in Poland, the man, still called Roman Katzew, saw his mother envision an incredible destiny. The latter, in fact, predicts for his only son a career as an artist whom all admire, irresistible in the eyes of women. Nothing will be too big in his eyes for his romance: a war hero, a writer, a diplomat…
Their departure to the south of France is a turning point in the fate of the novel. Driven by an extraordinary desire not to disappoint his mother’s dreams, he becomes everything he wants to be as an adult.
A companion of liberation at the end of World War II, he is still the only author to have been awarded the Prix Goncourt twice for his novels Les Racines du Ciel and La Vie avant soi (published under the pseudonym Emile Ajar). Romain Gary, an artist with a complex and tragic personality, ended his life on December 2, 1980.
Success was released in cinemas in 2017
An undeniable masterpiece of literature, The Promise of Dawn was released on the screen in 2017. This second adaptation (following movie by Jules Dassin in 1971) stars Pierre Nin as Romain Gary (in scenes where he appears as an adult) and Charlotte Gainsbourg as his mother, Nina Kassev.
Upon release, the film received generally positive reviews. A success in theaters with over 1.1 million viewers), the feature film received several César nominations the following year, including Best Adaptation and Best Actress.
A faithful but still overly classical transposition of the novel, this cinematic version remains one of Pierre Nin’s films that is most appreciated by the public. As evidenced by its audience rating on AlloCiné of 4.1 out of 5 among 5,272 ratings recorded.
The Promise of Dawn with Pierre Niney will no longer be available on Netflix starting April 18.
Discover the list of movies currently available on the platform!
Source: Allocine
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
