Analysis
Despite receiving very mixed reviews upon release, La Peau douce is considered by some Truffaut specialists to be one of his strongest efforts. Strangely, the director's own life followed the same path as the uncertain Lachenay's when Truffaut left his wife for Fanny Ardant. For the expectant audience, it was quite afar from the kinetic joie de vivre of Jules et Jim and possibly perceived as overly serious for a director who had tended towards lighter films up to that point.
Read more about this topic: The Soft Skin
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