Break of Day

In the heat of a Riviera summer, a female writer in her fifties retreats to her Saint-Tropez residence where she tends a garden, stables, and a handful of animals. The days slip by in patient routine as she reflects on choices, loves, and lost moments from her past. The landscape itself seems to respond to her mood, blooming around her with a quiet, almost sensual abundance. Then two younger visitors arrive: a striking, impulsive man who stirs restlessness in the present, and a woman whose energy unsettles the peace she has created. Their arrival unsettles the stillness, awakening desire and questions about what the future might hold. Adapted from Colette's quasi autobiographical work.

Directed by Jacques Demy, Break of Day adapts Colette's work for television with a restrained, visual sensitivity. The cast includes Danièle Delorme and Dominique Sanda, anchoring the film in intimate performances. The production emphasizes luminous Riviera light and quiet, lingering takes that recall Demy's signature sensibilities.

Being a television feature, Break of Day did not have a theatrical box office and thus no widely reported worldwide gross. Its reach was limited to broadcast and home viewing in 1980, with additional airings in select countries later on.

There are no major awards or nominations listed for Break of Day. The project is generally seen as Demy's television exploration of Colette's material, not a contender on the awards circuit. Its reception among critics centered on its mood, its delicate performances, and the way it translates a quasi autobiographical voice into a discreet cinematic tapestry.

Critics praised the film for its sultry, sun drenched atmosphere and its quiet focus on memory and desire. It treats aging with nuance and centers an intimate triangle of longing that never becomes melodrama, instead offering a restrained reflection on love and choice. The performances, especially Delorme and Sanda, lend a restrained confidence that keeps emotion in check while the Riviera setting lingers in the mind.