Based on the novel The Return by Joseph Conrad, Gabrielle is one of the most fascinating stories of the stormy breakup of a loveless marriage. Since the original Conrad story was told entirely from the husband’s point of view, Chéreau and Trividic rewrote the story to create a dramatic equilibrium between husband and wife. The first shots in the film follow wealthy Parisian publisher Jean Hervey, as the husband, descends from a train into the heart of teeming Paris during La Belle Époque. While walking home, he reminisces about his fortunate marriage to Gabrielle, and the socially prominent life he has built for her. However, when he arrives home that day, she is gone. He finds a note from her telling him that she has left to be with another man. Jean is devastated, but within minutes she returns, telling him that her resolve has failed. Over the next two days, he questions, demands, begs: why did she leave, why did she return, does she love him, did she ever love him, who is her lover, is she passionate with her lover? Gabrielle is a film of an eccentric beauty and feeling of wildness directed by the consistently inventive Patrice Chéreau, best known for Queen Margot and Those Who Love Me Can Take the Train.