MovieChat Forums > Ma nuit chez Maud (1970) Discussion > Vidal Character

Vidal Character

posted 8 years ago by allen-406-128450
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Vidal, Jean's childhood friend who meet accidently after 14 years, has a casual sex relationship with Maud obviously. But what was his relationship with Francoise? They knew each other but she seemed very uncomfortable at their chance meeting (with Jean present). Did Vidal & Francoise have a relationship or did Francoise know that he knew about her affair with Maud's now ex-husband? Or did Vidal cooperate with Maud to make Francoise's life uncomfortable out of hate, spite or jealousy. I read about the triangle of Jean-Maud-Francoise but it seems to be a more complicated rectangle with connecting diagonals.

[–] trpdean 8 years ago

I watched it once again recently. I suspect that Francoise knows and suspects that: i) Vidal is a good friend of Maud, ii) Vidal knows well about Francoise's affair with Maud's ex-husband, and iii) Vidal thinks ill of Francoise - for ruining Maud's marriage.

It's certainly possible that Vidal and Maud cooperated to make Francoise unhappy - but I don't think we're meant to believe so. Maud is so open with Jean that night - that if she had ever even confronted the "other woman" Francoise (rather than only Maud's ex-husband), Maud would have told Jean - yet we never learn this.

And I don't think of Maud (or Vidal) as vengeful or vindictive - I think it's Maud's husband's decision to break up with Francoise and move away - and the guilt Francoise feels about the affair - that have made Francoise unhappy. Remember the husband just left Francoise - their affair JUST ended a short time (days) before she met Jean - it's very fresh pain for her.