The movie won "Oscar" in 1977. as the best foreign movie that year and Signoret herself was awarded with César Award for Best Actress as well. I vaguely remember the novel which was about elderly retired jewish prostitute who takes care of other prostitutes children, hunted with memories of WW2 and Auschwitz,her savings, money and health long gone - at the end its only herself and little muslim boy Momo taking care of each other. It was heartbreaking, touching story about social outsiders who are surviving helped by other outsiders (prostitutes, transvestites, criminals and immigrants) and I should re-read it again.
I had selected this photo to discuss "ageism" or in other words criticism against people who chose to age gracefully. It seems that particularly in a movie/music industry this is a big problem because public opinion prefers plastic surgery, constant addiction to facial creams, masks and treatments that would somehow desperately keep the illusion of youth as long as its possible (and even longer,when it turns into completely false and tragicomical effect). Diets, gym, anything that would show outside how well we look. Like most of the people, Signoret was beautiful woman in her youth and than later was criticized for "letting herself go" and for getting older. In her autobiography Signoret mentions how often she would hear people telling her openly about it and how disappointed they were that movie illusion did not survive forever.On the other hand, she herself lived interesting, full life with constant traveling, work in theatre and movies so as for herself she never seemed concerned with such trivial preoccupations - she simply accepted it. At the time of "Madame Rosa" she was 56 years old and definitely reached the point when one doesn't care for opinion of others.
To me, she looks beautiful. Yes, she is much older here than in her 1950s movies but so what. People age and its a natural fact. Some look better when they are older, some when younger, some never do. Signoret was intelligent woman and this spirit shines trough her eyes, no matter what chapter of her life you look at. This beauty has nothing to do with proportions or how good one looks in a swimming suit, This is a certain magnetism clearly visible and probably hard to explain to the ones who can't see further than a surface. When we are young and completely unaware of the fact that youth gives us this beautiful glow, we are too concerned with what others tell us. Later we get confidence but naturally this slim look of freshness is gone, replaced with experience, compassion and maturity. There is no point to compete with new fresh spring flowers when we had already turned into something else - I truly believe that we are all beautiful in different ways and maturity, even old age has its own beauty. This is something I would not think when in my teenage years but the realization came with age. Yes, its good to take care of one's appearance in order to stay healthy and flexible - but up to the point. To me personally there are no wrinkles or white hair that could ever hide the intelligence and the spark of the eyes that clearly speaks without words for anybody who can see it. I truly believe that eyes are "the windows of the soul" and Simone Signoret was very spiritual and soulful person, maybe even more as she got older. Just look at this picture.
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