A Summer Story (Piers Haggard, 1988)
I remain endlessly fascinated (and mystified) by the way one chance encounter with another person can upend our lives. This film is about many things, and its power only becomes apparent in the final scenes when we watch as the story grows into something darker, deeper, and more heartbreaking than we expected. I was devastated by it.
Ultimately, for me, this is a film about a man who refuses to take responsibility for the desire he stirs in a woman. These are the most cowardly men of all—men who cannot love but who profess words of love without understanding what they mean, what effect they have, or what hearts they shatter.