L’Important C’est d’Aimer (That Most Important Thing: Love) is a 1975 deeply emotional and tragic love story exploring passion, despair, and sacrifice through the lives of its broken characters. The film is directed by Polish filmmaker Andrzej Żuławski, known for his intense and often surreal approach to storytelling.
The story follows Nadine Chevalier (Romy Schneider), a struggling actress who has fallen into a cycle of despair, appearing in cheap, degrading films to make ends meet. She is a once-promising talent but is now trapped in a world where art and integrity seem unattainable. Her husband, Jacques Chevalier (Jacques Dutronc), is a fragile and depressive man who loves her but is emotionally distant, seemingly incapable of providing the stability and passion she craves.
Nadine’s life changes when she meets Servais Mont, a world-weary photographer (Fabio Testi), who is assigned to take pictures of her on a low-budget film set. Instantly captivated by her, he sees the profound sadness behind her eyes and becomes determined to help her escape the downward spiral of her career. However, Servais is also burdened by his own moral compromises, as he is entangled in a shadowy world of sleazy assignments and criminal debts.
Driven by his love for Nadine, Servais borrows money from underworld figures to finance a theatrical production of Richard III, allowing her to take on a more respectable role. This desperate act, however, only deepens his entanglement with dangerous criminals. Meanwhile, Nadine finds herself torn between her growing feelings for Servais and her loyalty to Jacques, who, despite his weaknesses, remains a significant presence in her life.
As the tension between love, obligation, and self-worth intensifies, the three central characters are drawn into a tragic web of longing and self-destruction. The film builds towards an emotionally devastating climax, exploring the painful choices one makes in the pursuit of love and dignity.
Żuławski’s film is a haunting meditation on love, obsession, and the degradation of artistic integrity in a cruel world. Romy Schneider delivers one of the most harrowing performances of her career, embodying Nadine’s desperation and quiet resilience with heartbreaking depth. The film’s raw cinematography, erratic camera movements, and emotionally charged dialogue reflect the chaotic inner worlds of its protagonists.
Klaus Kinski also makes a memorable appearance as Karl-Heinz Zimmer, an eccentric and deeply disturbed actor, whose presence adds another layer of madness and desperation to the film’s bleak atmosphere.
With its intense performances, melodramatic yet deeply human conflicts, and a profoundly melancholic score, L’Important C’est d’Aimer remains one of Żuławski’s most emotionally grueling works.
The Other Cinema 