Casting Klaus Kinski as Thomas was a stroke of dangerous genius. Kinski, famously volatile and terrifying in Aguirre, the Wrath of God , brings a simmering, intellectual menace to the role. He does not play Thomas as a monster. He plays him as a poet convinced of his own purity.
: Their friendship is built on silence and small domestic wonders, like Marcel knitting her a sweater or caring for his pet bunny. la femme enfant 1980 movie
The film is not available on mainstream streaming platforms (Netflix, Amazon Prime, MUBI) due to its controversial subject matter. It occasionally appears on European "art-house archive" sites, though often without English subtitles. Casting Klaus Kinski as Thomas was a stroke
Rather than a traditional romance, La Femme Enfant walks a razor’s edge. Delpard frames the relationship not as predatory exploitation, but as a mutual, almost mythological "awakening." Elisabeth actively pursues the man, using her burgeoning sexuality as a tool for power. The tagline in French posters read: "Elle n’était plus une enfant, elle n’était pas encore une femme" ("She was no longer a child, she was not yet a woman"). He plays him as a poet convinced of his own purity
This is the only directorial credit for Raphaële Billetdoux , who is primarily known as a novelist and screenwriter.
La femme enfant (1980), also known by its German title Die Stumme Liebe and English title The Child Woman , is a French drama directed and written by . The film is noted for its quiet, atmospheric approach to a controversial subject. Essential Movie Details Release Year: 1980. Director/Writer: Raphaële Billetdoux. Cast: Klaus Kinski as Marcel. Pénélope Palmer as Élisabeth. Michel Robin as Le père. Hélène Surgère as La mère. Music: Vladimir Cosma. Runtime: Approximately 1 hour and 40 minutes. Plot Overview