FR333/FC333 MOVIE REVIEWS

TITLE: Le Chateau de Ma Mère

DIRECTOR: Yves Robert

REVIEWED BY: Jenaeth Higgins

Un film de Yves Robert, Le Chateau de Ma Mère, (My Mother's Castle) paru en 1991. Il s'agit d'un garçon, Marcel, (Julian Ciamaca) qui passait l'été dans la campagne avec sa famille pendant son enfance. Quelques événements importants se passent là: il tombe amoureux d'une fille; il obtient un meilleur ami; il voit l'humiliation et la victoire de son père; et finalement, il développe un nouveau respect pour sa mère (Nathalie Roussel). Un drame charmant, Le Chateau de Ma Mère, adapté du roman de Marcel Pagnol, s'addresse aux thèmes de l'amour, de la tristesse, et de la structure d'une famille. Un aspect important du film est le contraste entre le ton optimiste du début et la tragédie de la fin. Le personnage de la mère, Augustine, représente une source de puissance douce pour la famille, mais l'emphase finale sur sa crainte représente une déclaration sur la nature contradictoire de la vie. Les techniques cinematographiques de Robert correspondent à la philosophie de Marcel; la vie se compose de plusieurs moments de joie incomprehensibles, mais ces événements sont effacés par la tristesse profonde. Robert crée des perspectives uniques en manipulant les plans et la distance de la caméra pour révéler les forces opposées qui caractérisent la vie et les perspectives différentes des personnages. Mais au même temps, l'histoire se passe dans le contexte de la nature pour souligner la vérité universelle de ce concept de la vie.

Robert établit le contexte de l'histoire au début du film. La prise initiale montre les collines bien-aimées de Marcel. Marcel et son ami, Lilli, se tient sur les sommets des montagnes différentes en appelant l'un l'autre. Cette scène se concentre sur le montagnes, le ciel, et non pas les garçons dans la campagne. Le résultat de cette technique est que les personnages deviennent des symboles. Ils conservent des traits individuels, mais les leçons qu'ils apprennent sur la vie sont universelles. Après cette prise, le point de vue change à celui d'un garçon dans la grande ville de Marseilles. Loin des espaces ouverts des collines, les scènes dans la ville sont plus petites et beaucoup plus closes. Presque tous les cadres sont définis par des lignes tranchantes. Par exemple, Marcel étudie dans une salle de classe carrée, mais il pense souvent à la campagne en regardant à travers les fenêtres. Le professeur parle des scènes naturelles pendant que la classe reste dans une chambre grise et sans vie. On ressent immédiatement le sentiment d'être coincé dans le bâtiment parce que Robert utilise une plongée; Marcel occupe d'un espace petit dans une boîte pleine d'élèves.

Dans une autre scène, Robert articule le contraste entre la ville et le campagne par l'usage d'une contre-plongée. Un jour, Marcel décide de visiter un monument à Marseilles pour se souvenir des collines de ses vacances. Juste avant qu'il entre dans le monument, il le regarde. Le spectateur voit la structure de la perspective de Marcel; la caméra se trouve sous le monument. Au contraire de la plongée de la scène dans la salle de classe, cette scène souligne l'individualité de Marcel. Il est seul dans sa contemplation de la maison de ses vacances et de son bonheur. Aussi, sur le monument, il peut vraiment regardee les éléments de la nature. Ici, la nature existe dans la réalité, et non pas juste dans les pages d'un livre ou dans l'imagination des enfants.

Le point de vue, mais aussi la distance de la caméra est importante pendant tout le film. Robert emploie souvent le plan moyen pour montrer les personnages. Cette technique est signicative parce qu'on considère le monde dans les yeux de chaque membre de la famille. Du petit garçon, Paul, au père plus grand, le spectateur gagne les perspectives différentes des événements de la vie quotidienne. Par exemple, quand la famille est arrêtée dans la terre du baron, Robert présente la confrontation avec le garde de quelques perspectives. D'abord, on voit l'humiliation et la détresse du père; il veut préserver sa dignité pour sa famille, mais aussi il veut garder son métier. On voit ce conflit dans le visage de l'homme. Mais, on regarde aussi la réaction de petit Paul; la caméra bouge près du garçon qui reste à côté de sa mère. Il ne comprend pas la gravité de la situation, mais il reconnaît que le garde représente une présence désagréable. Cette technique de représenter les perspectives multiples reflète l'interaction de la famille; chaque personne possède des vues uniques sur les événements de la vie, mais ensemble, ils forment une unité indivisible.

Un membre de la famille, Augustine, devient de plus en plus important pendant la progression du film. Dans plusieurs instances de l'enfance de Marcel, Augustine démontre sa force et sa puissance dans des circonstances difficiles. Quand le père a peur qu'il a perdu son métier, Augustine révèle qu'elle a caché de l'argent pour les crises. Elle suggère qu'il devient un preéepteur privé, et chose plus importante, elle reste calme. Evidemment, Augustine a besoin de l'air frais de la campagne pour rester en bonne santé. Mais son esprit est toujours tendre et fort; elle affronte les difficultés avec de la grace. Cependant, la fin du film souligne un autre côté d'Augustine. Juste avant que la famille entre dans la propriété du baron, Augustine a peur d'une catastrophe. Elle a besoin de s'arrêter en sentant ses fleurs pour se récuperer de son attaque de panique.

A la fin du film, Marcel le narrateur révèle que Paul est mort à l'âge de trente ans, Lilli est mort d'une blessure d'un revolver, et sa mère est morte aussi. Ces choses sont très choquantes quand on considère le ton heureux du film. Aussi, la dernière image du film est celle d'Augustine, sa crainte du garde et de son chien. Quand le spectateur pense à la mère, on se souvient de sa force et de son caractère admirable. Mais Robert souligne plutôt sa petite faiblesse. La déclaration de Marcel à la fin explique cette emphase sur les événements tristes et les images négatives. Il dit que les moments heureux de la vie sont détruits par le chagrin profond que la vie apporte à tout le monde. Donc, la structure du film fonctionne de la meme manière; toutes les images positives qu'on possède d'Augustine disparaît quand on apprend qu'elle est morte et quand on se souvient de sa peur. Cela ne veut pas dire qu'Augustine devient un personnage méchant, mais après avoir vu le film, on pense seulement à la tragédie et aux émotions négatives. La perte devient l'élément le plus important de la vie.

Robert utilise le ton heureux du début du film pour créer un contraste avec la fin. Par l'usage de la caméra, il établit un contexte naturel pour l'histoire et il représente la famille comme des individus et aussi une unité. Mais ni la belle campagne ni la structure de la famille ne peuvent préserver la joie de vivre pour Marcel. La tristesse et la perte deviennent plus importantes que les souvenirs heureux de son enfance. On peut dire que Robert est pessimiste: il voit seulement les desavantages de la vie en oubliant ses joies. Mais on peut dire aussi que Robert est réaliste; il accepte la tragédie comme une partie nécessaire de la vie, et il réalise ses effets sur l'homme ordinaire. De toute façon, "Le Chateau de Ma Mère" représente un drame joyeux et triste, l'histoire de la construction et de la détérioration d'une famille.

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TITLE: Ponette

REVIEWED BY: Kendra Patterson

Ponette (1997, Best Foreign Film, New York Film Critics Circle) is a look at the finality of death seen from the perspective of a grieving child. The title character, Ponette (played by Victoire Thivisol, Best Actress Award, Venice Film Festival), is a four year-old French girl who has just lost her mother in a fatal car accident. Her experience is shared with her father, aunt, and two cousins. Nursing a broken left arm sustained in the car accident, Ponette is longing to be with her mother. Lost and confused, she turns to God and fervently seeks comfort and assurance. This film explores the methodology of coping with death from a wholly unique vantage point.

In Ponette, controversial religious beliefs are challenged in a non-threatening and childlike manner. When Ponette learns of her mother's death her father ascertains that God cannot help them get through their difficult time. He explains that God is for the dead and not for the living. God could not even hear them if they were to call on Him for support. In direct opposition to that, Ponette is told stories of Jesus and His resurrection by her aunt. Ponette is even told that she seems to be filled with the love of God. Her aunt reassures her that her mother can hear and see her just as God can.

At school Ponette encounters a little girl, slightly older, who seems to know a lot about God. This girl, Ada, test Ponette with a series of trials by which she may become a child of God. Ada has convinced Ponette that only a child of God can speak to Him, elicit a response, and indeed have power over him. These trials are meant to test Ponette's bravery and faith and ultimately better prepare her for coping with her mother's death. In addition to the trials Ponette keeps a vigil-like watch for both her mother and a sign from God. She prays asking that God tell her mother to speak to her. Ponette is consequently stuck between a father with no reliance or true belief in God and friends and family who rely on His power daily.

Seemingly unique to this film is the way in which the children bond together to help Ponette. The children, at times, are eager to offer their support and reassurances. Small children averaging age five take on the roles of friend, protector, and healer. In one instance her cousin, Matthias, simulates rubbing Ponette down with cream as if she were physically sick because she remarked that the cream always makes her feel better. He also gives her one of his toys in a childish gesture of kindness. The cousins readily assist Ponette in her quest to be a child of God. Throughout the film a strong connection exists between Ponette, her cousins, and her schoolmate Luce.

Another remarkable aspect of the relationship among the characters is their unfaltering displays of affection. The children often express their feelings nonverbally through certain looks or caring touches. There are several scenes in which Ponette and another character exchange tickles, kisses, and warm embraces. Ponette is also shown similarly with her father and aunt. These exchanges denote honest and open relationships, vulnerable characters sharing themselves freely.

The thematic concepts of a turn towards religion, displays of affection, and faithful support collide to give an intimate and realistic portrayal of what it might be like to be confronted by death at a time where life is still an utter mystery. A combination of classical tunes, camera angles, and purposeful colors creates a small setting in which the viewer is trapped and left able only to focus on the elements of import. The music, where it appears, is always subtle and only in the background. In most of the scenes that include dialogue, and in several others that do not, there is no music. This produces a calming effect that emphasizes the loneliness that the main character must be experiencing.

Scenes are filmed primarily in low angle shots so that the children, small in stature, are always the focus. In some scenes specifically, the adults in range of the camera are only partially visible as seen through the eyes of a four year-old. The viewer gets a feel for the actual size of the children and can therefore better relate to them. Eye-level shots intensify that identification, putting the main characters and the viewer literally on the same level. Series of extreme close-ups give the viewer no escape. The eyes are not able to wander off into the fore or background. The focus is always on the subject at hand. In some instances it is almost disorienting because the focus could be an obscure object, such as Ponette's doll, Voyotte or the space between Ponette and the seat back of the car.

The repeated action of Ponette waking in the middle of the night pajama-clad and teary-eyed calls the viewer's attention to the torment and despair Ponette experiences on a daily basis. She often wakes and prays to God, recalls dreams of her mother, or simply breaks down in tears. There is also repeated focus on the cast on her arm. She is seen either sucking her thumb or just playing with the cast in fidgety moments. This serves as a constant reminder of the accident and the fact that she survived and her mother did not.

There wide use of the tonal scale and a variety of colors in the actual framing of each scene. A fair amount of the film takes place outside in what seems to be crisp, late autumn weather. In the outdoor scenes the colors of primary focus tend to be green, orange, and red. Cinematically the use of colors to express a mood or evoke emotion is brilliantly accomplished here. In one scene Ponette is waiting for her mother to come back from the dead and her aunt is trying to communicate the impossibility of that to her. The grasses and hills that surround them are a deep green as well as the shirt of her aunt. The entire scene takes on a green tone. Similarly when her mother finally visits Ponette, there is an orange tint to the woods and Ponette's clothing. In the same series of scenes there is a point where the color red dominates and the focus is on the red sweater that Ponette's mother brings to her. Cinematic elements such as these work to make this a film undeniably charged with emotion.

Ponette is a film engrossed in the turbulent emotions that coincide with great loss. What makes it such an innovative approach to the subject of death is that it is seen through the eyes of a small, lonely girl. The plot and setting are realistic. The cinematic techniques prevalent in the film accomplish the feat of not only personalizing the film for the viewer but making it believable and entertaining as well.

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TITLE: Au Revoir Les Enfants

DIRECTOR: LOUIS MALLE

REVIEWED BY: Lesley Busch

Everyone knows of the wars and disputes our world has had over the years, some needed and some seem useless. Au Revoir Les Enfants (Goodbye, Children) is an autobiographical movie about World War II. It goes into greater depth than just the feelings on the battle filed, it goes into how families and children's lives were changed dramatically due tot he harsh realities of war. If anyone has ever taken any kind of history class they know that Jewish people were punished for simply being who they are and nothing more during WWII. The auteur, or director, of this film is Louis Malle and the movie was released in 1987. This movie can be classified under the new wave drama genre. He had many famous films like Calcutta in 1968, Vango 42nd Street in 94, and Crackers in 1985. (www.ourworld.compuserve.com) Crackers was the first of many English films he made during the seventies. Louis Malle's film Au Revoir Les Enfants is a film that captures the emotional feelings of war, but the film shows these feelings through the eyes of a 12-year-old boy and the use space, sound, and tracking help convey the emotions Malle wanted.

This movie follows a 12-year-old boy, Julien Quentin, during the German occupation of France. Julien is very smart and considered one of the leaders in his catholic boarding school. He does not have the kind of family that I had the privilege of growing up with. His father was always away and while his mother loved him he was not the first priority in her life. Julien also had an older brother that seemed to be the regular older brother that picked on him, but also looked out for his younger sibling. A new boy, Jean Bonnet, is enrolled in the school and like all new kids in a school he gets picked on by everyone, but this boy intrigues Julien. Julien is used to being the smartest and best at everything and now Jean is bringing him some competition. This does not help the beginnings of a new friendship and the boys start out not liking each other, but eventually their friendship grows. Julien begins to realize that there is something different about Jean. With Julien's great detective, or snooping skills, he finds out Jeans name is not what he has told everyone. He finds out that Jean is a Jewish boy that the school is hiding in order to save his life. The boys become closer and closer through-out the movie making a true friendship. Unfortunatly the Gestapo, German police, find out Jean and other Jewish boys are being hidden and the police come for them, to take to the concentration camps. Jean gets taken away and the school is shut down due to the fact that the principal broke the law in hiding the children.

There are many French cultural aspects depicted in this film. The film is mainly about the upper social class and what they did during the war to save their children. The rich people's feelings are seen in many different scenes. When the school has the parent's weekend and many of the children's families come, the relationship between the families is very weird. Even though the families have been apart for so long the feelings between them are so cold. The way Malle had the people show no emotion towards each other, on the most part, was similar to the Tati movie Mon Oncle where he showed the differences in the classes of a society. The rich were so worried about being perfect and looking good and happy they were really miserable. The shot of all of the families sitting in the church and the expression on there faces gives off the idea of the feelings that they have to be together not that they want to be together. I think Malle wanted this kind of emotion as a main trait representing the upper French class in society back during World War II.

The cinematic techniques Malle uses in this film are what made him such a popular director. The use of sound and music really helps the intensity of the film. There is no music during some of the emotional parts and silence is used to convey the serious emotion to be felt at that time. When Julien and Jean are running through the woods it is silent accept for the natural sounds you would hear running through the woods. That makes the scene so real and the tracking shot also makes that scene very realistic, like you are running alongside of him. Another part of the movie where silence is perfect for, is at the end when jean is being taken away by the Gestapo. If this was an American film there probably would have been some kind of sappy music, but there was nothing accept the sounds of the boys saying "au revoir mon pere" and then silence for the rest. Another technique that is very good is the use of space in the movie. The way the characters are framed and the close ups Malle does are very good. One of the best and most dramatic scenes in the movie is at the end when you see Jean being taken through the door and the camera stays on the empty door, once again in silence, for like 10 sec. This makes the end so dramatic because you don't know if there is last glimmer of hope and Jean will some how come back into the scene. After you realize that he is not coming back the empty doorway can also symbolize his death at the concentration camp you find out in the last bit of dialogue in the movie.

There were three major themes I could see that were very important in this movie. The first theme that I think is very important is loss of innocence. Society believes that children are always in a protective bubble and will not have to deal with harsh reality until they are older. However, in this movie the audience can see that during this time the children understood what war was and followed the opinions that adults had on war and the Jewish people. In the end julien says that he will never forget how he felt that morning when Jean was taken away with the other classmates that were hiding form the Gestapo. Seeing Jean be taken away to a place where he would eventually die would definetly remove that feeling of innocence from a child. Of course Jean's feeling of innocence was lost a long time ago considering he is 12 years old and running away from the police to stay alive as long as possible. Every child there felt an emotion that no one would understand unless they went through it. Another theme in the movie is friendship. You see the friendship between Julien and Jean grow during the movie which helps them become better people. The last theme that relates to the idea of friendship is the way Julien's shell was broken. Someone was finally able to get to Julien, which had really never happened before. He did not really have any sort of feelings before his friendship grew with Jean. They learned so much from each other in the short time they were together and that was all due to the ability Jean had to break down Julien's shell and feel something. I think all of these themes were very important to see in the movie and it showed them very well.

Throughout the cinematic techniques this film was a very emotional and at the end a sad film. When you begin to feel sorry for the charecters that is when you know there the film is good. The music, tracking technique, and use of space are done wonderfully in the movie and help show the emotion a group of children have during the war. I really like the movie because it was about war, but it showed the real people being affected by it, not just the soldiers. I also liked it because it showed the perception of war through a different point of view than the usual movie on war displays.

Works Cited

Http://our world.compuserve.com/homepages/schneiderF/malle.htm

Professor Hahn, class notes 1-8.

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TITLE: Au revoir les enfants (Goodbye, children)

DIRECTOR: Louis Malle

REVIEWED BY: Elizabeth Zalewski

Au revoir les enfants (Goodbye, children) is a powerful film about young French boys at a boarding school during the Second World War. The film was based on the experiences of its auteur, Louis Malle. While away at boarding school, Malle befriended a Jewish boy, who was later caught and sent to Auschwitz, where he died. Malle was haunted by this experience, and found relief through making this film.

The film was released in 1987, and stars Gaspard Manesse as the main character Julien Quentin, and Raphael Fejto as his Jewish friend Jean Bonnet (Kippelstein). Au revoir les enfants is a drama based on fact &endash; Malle's boarding school experiences during World War II are portrayed. Malle uses several cinematic features, such as different types of lighting, and several close-up shots, which bring us closer to the characters of the film. Malle avoided repeating himself, and the film is therefore different than his others, namely Le Monde du silence (1956), and Le souffle au coeur (1971).

Because a significant part of the Second World War in Europe is the Holocaust, and persecution of the Jews, drama films in this category are abundant with Holocaust-related themes. Au revoir les enfants is close to Louis Malle's heart &endash; he not only finds relief in himself through making the film, but introduces us to an entirely different perspective of World War II. We are able to view the war through the eyes of a young boy at a boarding school in France; we relate our own adolescent experiences to Julien Quentin's and empathize.

The film begins with the main character, Julien Quentin, kissing his mother goodbye as he goes to boarding school. The opening is a continuous close-up shot of Julien on the train, which immediately familiarizes the audience with the character they are to put themselves in the place of. Day-to-day life in the boarding school is tedious, yet Julien finds relief through playing with his friends, reading, and exchanging goods with Josef, the cook's assistant. Julien sees Jean Bonnet as an academic rival and begins to investigate his character. When Julien discovers that Jean is Jewish, he is afraid for his new friend, and maintains his secret. Soon, Josef is fired for selling on the black market, and rebels against the school by becoming an informant to the Germans. He turns the Jewish boys and the principal of the school in, and they are captured and taken away. The last scene consists of the principal saying "Au revoir, les enfants" to his now former pupils, followed by a look of goodbye between Julien and Jean. As the camera is set on Julien's face, Malle states the reality of these events &endash; Jean later died in Auschwitz.

The film pertains to the persecution of the Jews during the Second World War. In addition, Au revoir les enfants details the attitudes of the French during this time. When Julien's mother comes to visit, she takes her children and Jean to a high-class restaurant. There is an elderly Jewish gentleman in the restaurant, and the Gestapo enters, demanding that he leave. They say that the restaurant does not welcome Jewish people, yet the maitre d defends the man by saying that "Mr. Meyer has been coming here for twenty years &endash; I just can't kick him out." Julien's mother states that she has nothing against the Jews. In this scene, Malle focuses the camera on all individuals sitting at the table &endash; he makes sure that we can see everyone's faces, and their reactions to what is occurring. Reverse shots are used between Madame Quentin and Jean &endash; Madame Quentin asks Jean questions about his family, and Jean answers promptly, with simple responses.

The principal of Julien's boarding school (Pere Jean) stresses the importance of sacrifice for others in a particular scene &endash; the children are all seated in the chapel, listening to Pere Jean detail the need for others to sacrifice for the good. Pere Jean continues to teach the children that not everyone is as fortunate as they are, and that it is their obligation to help those individuals. The scene is comprised of several close-ups between Pere Jean, Julien, and Jean &endash; because Julien is the central character, Malle wants us to read his expressions as he absorbs and interprets what Pere Jean is saying.

The point-of-view shot of Julien and Jean in the forest watching their fellow students play war games is a powerful scene &endash; the reality of war sets in as the boys run with all their power to escape "the enemies." Soon, Julien and Jean get lost in the woods, and because we have been running with them through traveling camera shots, we do not even know where they are. We are lost in the dark forest with the boys and are afraid for them, because we do not know what will happen. It is not until the headlights of a German army jeep draw near that we can see the looks of fear on the boys' faces.

Malle opens his heart and expresses a haunting part of his own life in the movie. We are introduced to the world of young French children during World War II, and because the film is based on a true story, we can empathize with real-life events that have actually occurred. Malle's frequent close-ups of characters bring us closer to the movie and its central theme, the persecution of the Jews during the Second World War. Because the events have occurred in Malle's life, we are drawn closer to the auteur himself. The movie teaches us a lesson, just as Pere Jean attempted to teach his students; we should sacrifice for those among us who are unfortunate. In this case, Pere Jean sacrificed and risked his life in order to protect Jean Bonnet and his friends from capture and death. Although Pere Jean, Jean, and his friends were captured in the end, Pere Jean did succeed in his goal. Pere Jean's final comment "Au revoir, les enfants" is said in a normal tone. It is both a goodbye to the students, and a welcoming for them to enter maturity. They are to take the lessons they have learned from their principal, and use them in life. I cannot say that the movie has made me a better person, but I can say that it has taught me both lessons of history and moral behavior.

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