A Man, a Woman, and a Bag

Brad Pitt—clad in a crisp white shirt, gray V-neck sweater, and a raven coat—exchanges feverish glances with Penélope Cruz, dressed in a refined black polo-neck dress and delicate diamonds. Her 11.12 flap Chanel bag rests above the steering wheel as the two drive along the Normandy coast. 

Chanel’s new black and white short, A Cinematic Story, takes its cues from the 1996 classic A Man and a Woman directed by Claude Lelouch. The Palme d'Or, Oscar, and Golden Globe-winning tale of star-crossed lovers centers around a chance encounter that profoundly changes the lives of two widowers. In the film, Anne Gauthier (Anouk Aimée) and Jean-Louis Duroc (Jean-Louis Trintignant) meet by accident on a rainy Sunday evening at their children’s coastal boarding school in Deauville. Serene color palettes, spacious and simplistic shots, and the iconic score by Francis Lai convey the power of this romance lies in its sensuous yet playful touch.

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Over the course of the French classic, Gauthier’s elegance is personified by a small black bag with a shiny golden double strap: one the actress borrowed from her own closet, designed by her close friend Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel. It is this detail that inspired A Cinematic Story, which debuted at the house’s Fall/Winter 2024 fashion show in Paris earlier this month. Directed by Dutch photography duo Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin, long-time brand ambassadors and Oscar-winning actors Cruz and Pitt charmingly inhabit A Man and a Woman’s leading roles—handbag and all. Lelouch himself even makes a cameo, walking his dog on the beaches of Deauville where the tribute was shot. 

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As A Cinematic Story gains momentum, the duo enters a chic hotel restaurant, and Cruz rests her purse at the center of the table. A waitress, played by model and Chanel favorite Rianne Van Rompaey, arrives to take their order, prompting the Spanish actress to cease control and inquire: “Do you have any rooms available?” A timeless line originally uttered by Duroc. By flipping the script, Inez and Vinoodh offer an updated take on the dynamic, where the woman fearlessly takes the lead. 

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True to Chanel’s elegant simplicity, A Man and A Woman depicts the stages of human connection in their purest state. As the protagonists of Lelouch’s magnum opus explore the beauty and mystique of France in Duroc’s bright red Mustang, Gauthier reveals the story of her marriage en mode de séduction with her shy smile and inviting gaze. He, in turn, shares the tragic tale of his wife and how her obsessions led to her untimely death. Flashbacks appear in color while the undecided present is shown in black and white. Ultimately, despite past heartbreaks, the two choose life. They choose to move forward together, to heal their wounds and create new memories. Duroc, in his tailored suits, casual yet refined jackets, sunglasses, scarves, and wristwatches. Gauthier, in her minimalist ensembles, glamorous gowns, and stylish coats. Fifty-eight years later and the age-old question remains: When it comes to love, if you were granted a peek into your future, would you dare to look?

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