Billy Idol's homonymous song
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Archived from the IMDb Discussion Forums — Eyes Without a Face
cls-6 — 21 years ago(March 18, 2005 06:55 PM)
Is Billy Idol's hit "eyes without a face" related in anyway to this film? I find it hard to belive the title of the song could be a coincidence, since the female backing vocals say "les yeux sans visage" during the chorus. But then again, the song lyrics have no resemblance to the movie's plot - at least not to my knowledge.
Has anybody got any information on this? -
Jetfire59 — 20 years ago(August 17, 2005 10:36 AM)
I've always wondered what Billy's backup girls were saying, too. But I can't find the word "yeux' in any French dictionary. i'm assuming it means "eyes", but why isn't it listed? Anyone know?
I think Rasputin put it best when he said,
"Man, those pastries gave me indigestion." -
lantno — 20 years ago(August 20, 2005 05:26 AM)
the lyrics of the song "eyes without a face" :
(chorus)
Les yeux sans visage eyes without a face
Les yeux sans visage eyes without a face
Les yeux sans visage eyes without a face
Got no human grace your eyes without a face.
So the billy's backup girls sings in french "les yeux sans visage"
Billy sings "eyes without a face"
The translation :
les yeux = eyes
sans = without
visage = a face
In french the translation of the word "eyes" or "eye" is complicated :
Plurial :
eyeS = les yeux
Singular :
an eye = un oeil
Indeed it's strange that the title song is the same that the title movie
I never seen the movie : "les yeux sans visage". but i like the billy idol's song
I'm french so my english is not very good
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TemporaryOne — 20 years ago(October 07, 2005 12:36 PM)
The lyrics not only contain a reference to the film title, they also brilliantly capture the film's essence.
I'm all out of hope
Christiane is all out of hope that her face will ever be restored.
One more bad dream could bring a fall
One more bad surgery, they'll go totally mad. Their whole situation is a horrific dream that makes them fall into madness.
When I'm far from home
Don't call me on the phone
To tell me you're alone
Christiane calls her lover Jacques, but cannot say anything to him. Metaphorically speaking, she's far from home, she can no longer be with him. He senses it's herhe tells the unknown caller to not call himthey're both alone.
It's easy to deceive
Father and daughter deceive each other throughout the film.
It's easy to tease
The surgery will work, the surgery will work, her father teases her with a promise that she knows is impossible to keep.
But hard to get release
Of course Billy idol is referring to orgasm, but it also refers to Christiane breaking free, releasing herself from hysteria
Les yeux sans visage eyes without a face
Exactly
Got no human grace, you're eyes without a face.
That perfectly describes Doctor Gnessier, he has no human grace, he has no face.
I spend so much time
Believing all the lies
To keep the dream alive
Perfectly describes Christiane and Gnessier.
Now it makes me sad
It makes me mad at truth
For loving what was you
Perfectly describes Christiane, she hated herself for loving what her father had become. It also describes Gnessier, he hated himself because of what he had become.
Now I close my eyes
And I wonder why
I don't despise
Christiane and her father are left with no emotions, no feelings, no hatred, no pain, only emptiness
Now all I can do
Is love what was once
So alive and new
By the end of the film, that is all Christiane can do. Christiane can only love what her father once was. Also, she only loves herself as she once was. Even though she breaks free, it's unknown whether or not she will be able to love herself as she is.
But it's gone from your eyes
I'd better realise
Gnessier realizes his daughter loves him for what he was, not for what he turned himself into. He realizes that his quest to restore her face has made her lose her love for him, and for life.
And now it's getting worse.
Although she frees herself, she enters the world alone, empty, eyes without a face -
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Thomasina — 10 years ago(November 01, 2015 05:34 PM)
But I can't find the word "yeux' in any French dictionary. i'm assuming it means "eyes", but why isn't it listed? Anyone know?
I know this post is 10 years old, but in case anyone is wondering about the answer to this question: "yeux" is the plural form of the singular word for "eye," which is "oeil" (but with a joined character for "oe"). There is no separate dictionary entry for "yeux" for the same reason there would be no separate dictionary entry for "eyes" (plural) in an English dictionaryit is a subentry or just a subnote under the main singular entry.
il
(j, j )
Word forms: plural yeux
masculine noun
"eye"" Elle a les yeux verts." "She has green eyes."" J'ai quelque chose dans l'il." "I've got something in my eye."
http://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/french-english/œil -
HorrorweenComposerTony — 20 years ago(August 03, 2005 02:05 AM)
He absolutely was. He saw it and was haunted by the movie which inspired the song. And ironically in a full circle, I first heard the song in a haunted house video I have, found the song, then the movie which is a horror movie. And still a truly haunting and beautiful poetic horror movie..
Thank you, Criterion collection.