Mes nuits sont plus belles que vos jours

Consider thyself to be dead, and to have completed thy life up to the present time; and live according to nature the remainder which is allowed thee

He – a brilliant computer programmer Lucas – finds out that « No one told you when to run, you missed the starting gun» (quoting the passage from Pink Floyd song called Time). Now, like the main protagonist of Éric-Emmanuel Schmitt’s book «Oscar and the Lady in Pink», every day of his life counts for ten years.

She – a model and telepath Blanche – is the mentally abused girl, who is living in a loveless marriage. Blanche is fed up with her empty life, but she can’t break the circle. Those two opposite men have met in a café; their waltz starts out immediately.

Andrzej Zulawski, after over-the-top «L’amour braque», have made the stunning film. «Mes nuits sont plus belles que vos jours» is a story of love, which is all consuming, mad, doomed and fast.

The film is the most lyric and romantic creation of this director. Nevertheless, in the Universe of Andrzej Zulawski all traditional categories, events and meanings are losing their common meaning, Spectators, who are expecting the traditional love story («love at the first sight-date-romance-…»), would be greatly disappointed.

In the cinematic world of Andrzej Zulawski love is full of pain, suffering and despair. The affair of Blance and Lucas is a mad waltz of two hurt people. They know that they days are limited and desperately trying to squeeze everything out of their love. Their acquaintance starts out with a verbal abuse and violent argument; behind the aggressive façade, you can feel their chemistry.

Jacques Dutronc, besides being a good singer, is a very good actor. He had the experience of working with Andrzej Zulawski in his French debut – «L'important c'est d'aimer». In «Mes nuits sont plus belles que vos jours», The Actor created a convincing portrait of mentally degrading Lucas, who is desperately trying to live fully. Jacques Dutronc portrays the tragedy of a man, whose day of life counts for ten years, by portraying his constant repetition of simple words and phrases, in order not to forget their meaning, self-talking, and examination of his past.

If in «L’amour braque» Sophie Marceau was not very convincing as a modern Nastasia Philippovna because of her acting inexperience and inability to «fly on the most high-octane fuel», which is required for this role (Nevertheless, Sophie Marceau deserves credit for playing Nastasia Philippovna better, than two actresses in the Soviet and Russian conventional adaptations of The Idiot). In this film, she had played, on the edge of her possibilities, the mentally traumatized Blanche. The scenes of her telepathy sessions are full or hatred and real pain; the scenes of her love encounters with Lucas are the cocktail of tenderness and suffering.

«Mes nuits sont plus belles que vos jours» is the stunning story of a doomed and sincere love. After over-the-top «L’amour braque», Andrzej Zulawski found the balance between eroticism, sensibility and his trademark over-emotionality. The film is recommended for the first encounter with Andrzej Zulawski.

8/10

Les Amants

Mon amour…

In 1957, Louis Malle has shot his first film – noir Elevator to the Gallows. For the script of The Lovers Malle had chosen the most banal story – bored socialite, who meets a lover. Nevertheless, the director has turned this banality into a story of collision between false and true love.

The world of Jeanne Tournier consists of falsehood. Every prisoner of this so-called «The Plato Cave» is playing his role: the bored wife, the socialite girlfriend, the cuckold husband, the elegant lover. There is no place for a real feelings, Jeanne cannot even say «tu» to her lover.

Real love storms into the life of Jeanne in a face of Bernard Dubois-Lambert. This young archeologist has nothing in common with her friends and acquaintances; even more, he despises them.  Bernard is capable of thinking out of the box and his love is sincere.

This collision «wakes up» Jeanne and she is ready to leave everything behind. There is no longer a place for hypocritical rules of the so-called «higher society»; Jeanne is finally living a full live and she is ready for the uncertain future.

 Jeanne Moreau, who often called the ideal of intellectual femininity, portrays the transformation of her hero from a petit bourgeois, in the bad sense of this word, to a woman, who breathes freely. This transformation seen by comparing the mechanic dates of Jeanne with lover and sincere love scene with Bernard.

The Lovers is a wonderful film, which could make you think about your life. I strongly recommend to watch The Lovers in French with subtitles, in order to fully appreciate acting of Jeanne Moreau. 

La femme publique

He is ice cold, he's the vice, the cynicism, the intelligence personified, and…

«Possession» made me quite interested in the films of Andrzej Żuławski. After «The Important Thing Is To Love», I have watched «The Public Woman», which I would try to analyze into this review.

An aspiring young actor Ethel, who got part-time job as a nude model, gets the part of Liza Tushina into the adaptation of The Possessed by Fyodor Dostoyevsky. The film director Lucas Kessling, who also play Nikolay Vsyevolodovitch Stavrogin, takes a professional and sexual interest in Ethel. The director is not satisfied with Ethel’s acting and he tries to make her acting better. Concurrently, into the real world, happens some strange things: the savage murder of Czech actress, the acquaintance of Ethel with Milan – half-mad friend of Lucas.  

Most critics say The Public Woman is the self-irony of Andrzej Żuławski. Nevertheless, he said in an interview, that this film could not be regarded as «the distorted auto-portrait». I think that The Public Woman firstly should be regarded as a loose adaptation of the Possessed. That is why; I recommend reading or rereading the book before watching this film.

…one would have thought that he must be a paragon of beauty, yet at the same time there seemed something repellent about him

Lucas Kessling is the ultimate Nikolay Stavrogin both at the film set and in the real world. His character is the evil genius, the manipulative person, the soul molester. Lucas plays a direct or indirect part into the all subplots and has almost absolute dominance over Fedka the Convict – Milan Mliska. Francis Huster has portrayed the real Stavrogin – a diabolically smart and charismatic man, - and it is a pity that actor has not received any awards.

I always fancied that you would take me to some place where there was a huge wicked spider…

Ethel is Lisa Tushina, first at the set, then more and more in the real life. She’s merely a toy in a hands of Lucas. You could even say, that all strange events were merely set up by Lucas in order to get her acting better. Valérie Kaprisky cannot «fly on the high-octane fuel», as Isabelle Adjani and Romy Schneider, but, along with those great actors, she played on the edge of her possibilities.

Alas, the poor woman was so anxious to be deceived again!

Andrzej Żuławski plays a mind game with the spectator. Behind the façade of erotic film with euro-pop soundtrack, the director mixes different genres: a film within film, a political thriller, a avant-garde cinema, drama and etc. You should not forget that in the Universe of Andrzej Żuławski the genres and other standard cinematic attributes loses their traditional meaning.

The Public Woman is a loose adaptation, which is much better, interesting and polyhedral, than the conventional Andrzej Waida film.  All those who love art-house, and especially Andrzej Żuławski fans, should immediately watch this masterpiece.

Tout feu, tout flamme

The École polytechnique alumni Pauline Valance works as an assistant to the Minister of the Economy, Finances and Industry and single-handily supports her family. Everything goes on as usual, until sudden comeback of Victor – the ne'er-do-well dad. Pauline treats him with a cynical suspicion. Her suspicions are realized when Victor makes grandmother to sign a power of attorney certificate and sells the family flat. Driven by animalistic rage, Pauline, along with gangsters, chases her father to the French-Swiss border.

It is not widely known, that Isabelle Adjani has started her career as a comedy actress. Into the troupe of the Comedie-Francaise The Actress has played in classical French comedies. Despite the fact, that Isabelle Adjani has earned her place in the Pantheon after «The Story of Adelie H.». After that, The Actress has been always admired and worshipped for her dramatic roles; nevertheless, she had also sometimes played in cute comedies.

In «Tout feu, tout flamme» Isabelle Adjani shows us a variety of persons: the Princess of Darkness, secretly ruling the French and European economy; the sweet girl, who got to take care of her family; the raging monster, who is ready cut anybody’s throat and so on.

Yves Montand looks good as a ne'er-do-well dad, whose business schemes are always goes belly-up. Actor uses his natural charm and brings comedy relief to the film; the most hilarious scene was the Chinese scene.

Jean-Paul Rappeneau, the director of Von Voyage, mixes genres: comedy; father-daughter drama; gangster film and melodrama. The main theme of this film is the father-daughter conflict, spiced by a comedy sauce.

«Tout feu, tout flamme» is a very cute comedy with a good Isabelle Adjani-Yves Montand acting duo. All those who love French cinema, and especially Isabelle Adjani fans, should immediately watch this film.

7,5/10 

Les Gangsters

I have never heard about Hervé Guibert until I have found an interview with Isabelle Adjani where she talked about her refusal to act in a film, which the late author has planned specially for her. Thanks to Mademoiselle Adjani, I have discovered Patrick Modiano (to put it more frankly – I heard about the Nobel Prize in Literature for Modiano, and then I have scanned, because of my poor French, the article about him by Adjani). Such brilliant actress won’t read or recommend a second rate literature and the Modiano’s case have proved it. That is why I have decided to read Hervé Guibert books.

Les Gangsters stars out as a story about defrauding of two elderly women – Louise and Susanne – by some Portuguese workers. Susanne and Louise are the cousin grandmothers of Hervé Guibert.

The book starts out as a crime story, but behind the façade, there is a much deeper theme – the feel of inevitable death. Hervé Guibert never directly mentions AIDS but he has Herpes zoster – one of the side illnesses of this terrible virus. In my opinion, he feels certain emotional bond to Susanne and Louise because they are also slowly dying.

Les Gangsters also deals with the usual theme of «life must go on». Despite the pain, Hervé Guibert tries to live a normal life – dating one lover, trying to find his true love and affection Vincent. Additionally, he tries to reexamine his life by recalling some of the most notable events and how defrauding scheme have changed his perception of the world.

Les Gangsters is the case of a simple book, which grows into something bigger with every page. You can even feel certain admiration for Hervé Guibert, who continues to live and write, despite his terrible illness.

P.S. Thanks to my Right Honorable Friend Florence Dhenin who told me that Hervé Guibert is a great writer – I agree with you!

Imperial America: Reflections on the United States of Amnesia

The fact that half of those qualified to vote don’t vote in presidential elections is proof that the third republic is neither credible nor truly legitimate

Until recently, the only thing that I knew about Gore Vidal was that he authored the script of Caligula, which he later disowned. Then one day I have been killing time on YouTube and found «The Cryrto-Nazi» debate between William F. Buckley, whose intelligence I admire, and Gore Vidal. After that, I have decided to right that wrong and read «Imperial America: Reflections on the United States of Amnesia».

The book starts out as an anti-George W. Bush pamphlet. Gore Vidal constantly exposes his hypocrisy, wars, even accuses him of breaking of the False Statement Statute. Even his environmental legislation and anti-HIV/AIDS efforts has been described as cynical attempts to gut regulation and a way to please the Christian Right.

In the second part of Imperial America Gore Vidal tackles the creating of the American empire. In the author’s opinion, the Empire started in 1898, when the US has acquired Philippines. Nevertheless, until the end of the Second World War, the Empire had a very limited influence. Gore Vidal accuses Harry Truman of deliberately misleading the public about a scope of Soviet threat in order to start the Cold War.

Then, Gore Vidal disembarks the glamorous idea of the American Revolution. He points out that the constitutional convention was merely a business meeting. The Founders just merely adopted the best possible variant, and then Gore Vidal attacked the famed «checks and balances» as a way to disguise the anti-democratic foundation of the US. In addition, he pokes the religious rights by an anti-religious quotes from The Founders («This would be the best of all possible worlds, if there was no religion in it» - J. Adams). That is why, in the author’s opinion, the US needs a new Constitution with a Swiss model as a perfect example.

The best thing about this book is that it spurs your intellectual curiosity. Gore Vidal makes lots of rather controversial propositions (legalizing drugs, the stealing of elections by computers, the Secret Bank which rules the US, three Republics) and you want to do some self-research in order to support or oppose his ideas. Especially it concerns the part about creating of the Constitution – it makes you curious and in order to satisfy your little curiosity you have to check The Federalist Papers.

«Imperial America: Reflections on the United States of Amnesia» is a well-researched critique of the American policy. If you are interested in such books, then read, it is quite easy and understandable to the general reader. In addition, I would like also to recommend a book by Richard Posner «Pragmatism, Law and Democracy» which, in some aspects, support Gore Vidal’s claims from a legal point of view.

Possession

Goodness is only some kind of reflection upon evil

Back in 1978, Andrzej Żuławski has offered Isabelle Adjani the double role, but she turned it down. Only after the birth of her first son, The Actress has agreed to act in this, to put it mildly, rather strange motion picture.

Mark comes back to his family in West Berlin. From the first minutes, it is obvious that his marriage with Anna is disintegrating. Anna denies any extramarital affairs, but Mark finds out and after throwing a tantrum in café, leaves the family. After three weeks, Mark pays visit to the apartment and finds out neglected son Bob. When Anna comes back, the couple gets into very ugly and violent confrontation. Going mad from jealousy and love, Mark hires a private detective.

Possession starts out as a rather over-the-top family drama: absent husband, sexually frustrated wife, love triangle and son in the middle of it. Nevertheless, after the first eight minutes, Andrzej Żuławski begins to gradually build tension and create atmosphere of the madness. Mark and Anna are starting very violent arguments, autosadism. Despite all of this, Mark still loves Anna and would do anything to get her love back. I think a lot of viewers would think that Mark and Anna should separate, but minute after minute Possession drags you further and further. After the first half, Andrzej Żuławski makes the U-turn,

What I miscarried there was sister Faith, and what was left is sister Chance. So I had to take care of my faith to protect it

The over-the-top family drama stops and starts something, which could’t be categorized in just one genre. The second half of Possession, one could say, is the mix of horror, parable, psychological thriller and philosophic film essay.   

The detective and Mark finds out that into the so-called love nest lives The Thing, fed with corpses, which morphs into the human. Anna tells the bizarre story of its birth.

Andrzej Żuławski adds the favorite Dostoevsky theme – the lack of faith and it’s surrogates. All members of a love triangle are trying to make-up for their lack of faith: Mark by his mad love to Anna; Heinrich by drugs and dzen-buddism; Anna goes even further and creates her own God. Concerning Anna, you could even quote a passage of Kirillov from «The Possessed»: « God is the pain of the fear of death. Whoever conquers pain and fear will himself become God. Then a new life, then a new man, everything new...»

The duality theme plays a vital part in this film, starting with Berlin and the Berlin Wall. Also Mark meets Bob’s schoolteacher Helena, the complete copy of Anna, who is kind, sweet and have a true affection for a boy. The duality theme is used as in a classical literature – good and bad side; thesis and antithesis.

The further you get away from yourself, the more challenging it is. Not to be in your comfort zone is great fun

Isabelle Adjani has earned her place in the Pantheon after «The Story of Adelie H.», but Possession deserves a second statue, in analogy with a Roman triumph, on the Forum of Cinema. You can’t measure The Actress work by acting school standards:  it is not a method acting, it is not any other school; it is Isabelle Adjani’s acting. The Actress has widened the scope of a human possibility in acting; her body language and facial expression captures every aspect of Anna’s psychological condition.   The subway scene provokes a mixed feeling of disgust and amazement. It is hard to believe, that Isabelle Adjani never formally studied acting and after the film, you really begin to appreciate her acting genius.  

I always thought that Sam Neil is good, but rather mediocre actor. Although, in Possession he also showed brilliant acting. Even the simplest Neil’s scenes are filled with madness. For Sam Neil, his «acting Rubicon» was the opening sequence of his secluded life. Heinz Bennent was also good, but his role was rather supporting.

Bruno Nuytten camera takes a vital part into creating the atmosphere of madness. The camera, which is constantly following the characters, makes a 180 or 360 degrees turn and perfectly captures the inner world of the protagonists. The carefree editing style, which gone into a fashion again and annoys, perfectly suits this film.

Possession is a film that disgusts; it is a very tough challenge to watch it. Nevertheless, if you watch this film, you shall never forget it.

9/10

Toxic Affair

I think I have a cancer!

After "Camille Claudel" Isabelle Adjani has stopped her acting career for five years. She has returned from her «vacation» by acting in "Toxic Affair" – another forgotten Adjani’s film (along with Tout feu, tout flame, Antonieta, L'année prochaine... si tout va bien and some other).

Since abandoning her modeling career, Penelope constantly throws herself out of the frying-pan into the fire. She has writing ambitions, but doesn’t have any ideas about what to write, cries at the psychiatrist office, argues with her mother. One night, she drives her boyfriend Georges so mad that he breaks-up with her. After that, Penelope completely loses her sanity and storms her girlfriend’s Sophie apartment. For the next 48 hours, Penelope tries to cope with her loss by different methods: the failed suicide attempt, the visit to the African-French extrasensory and so on and so on.

Penelope is the quintessential drama queen. Everyone, at least once, have met a female who constantly writes or talks about her writing ambitions which are stopped by a lack of time; about their contradictions and wish to hide in the monastery; who tries to hide their infantilism by constant talking about their tough childhood. I think cynics would seriously consider mercy killing as viable option for Penelope.

Toxic Affair would be stupid and boring if it wasn’t for one person - Isabelle Adjani. The Actress completely steals the show by her magnificent acting. She proves that for the real actress a five year break means nothing. Isabelle Adjani truly captures all hysterics, mood swings, incoherence and egoism of Penelope. The Adjani’s facial expression is superb, as in «The Story of Adelie H.», you could even call this film «The Story of Adelie H. Ultra Light».

The supporting cast was also good. Michel Blanc portrayed a suicide-fixed loser; Fabrice Luchini hilariously trolls Penelope and Clémentine Célarié portrays Penelope’s girlfriend, who sometimes wants to dump her in the Seine.

Toxic Affair is the perfect example how one great actress could turn stupid film into something watchable and interesting. If you an Adjani’s fan, watch it.

7/10 (+1 for Adjani by applying the legal principle «Any reasonable doubt shall be interpreted in favor of the defendant»)

Bon Voyage!

Comédie-Française!

In the June of 1940 the Maginot Line has been crashed. All Parisians are running to Bordeaux: the government ministers, the scientists, the criminals, the aristocracy, the artists and the German spies. In a span of a few days, the destiny of France will be decided and, meanwhile, the people are trying to figure their way out…

One of the screenwriters – Patrick Modiano – has already written in 1974 the screenplay for Louis Malle «Lacomb Lucien». Back in 1974, this film exploded because it showed the true face of a French society during World War II. Patrick Modiano, in collaboration with four screenwriters, returned to this theme in 2003 and had chosen the most unbelievable genre – a comedy.

If «Lacomb Lucien» was a portart of the French society as the whole, «Bon Voyage!» ridicules the French ruling class. Practically all of the French higher society shown as a bunch of indifferent people, who cares only how to get to Hotel «Splendid». The aristocrats, the government ministers, the business people are even secretly happy about an armistice. It would allow them to come back to Paris and «with Germans we will learn to cooperate».

Under such circumstances, the most unlikely kind of people could become heroes: the criminals, who ran away from a jail and who prevent Germans from obtaining the nuclear bomb. One of the main heroes – an aspiring writer, who was imprisoned because of his love – who got to Bordeaux to sort some thing out with his love. Nevertheless, circumstances forces him to take a direct part into the future of France.

The film got a superb acting for the main and supporting cast alike.

To the most of the heroines, created by Isabelle Adjani, you feel compassion, sympathy; they could touch even the most cynical hearts. The Actress had brilliantly portrayed the greatest women in history: Adelie Hugo, Emily Bronte, Antonieta Rivas Mercado, Camille Claudel, Margarite de Valois. This time Isabelle Adjani uses her splendid talent and magic to create the quintessence of the talentless actress and a truly despicable character. You could even say that Viviane Denvers is anti-Isabelle Adani, If Isabelle Adjani is a great actress and beautiful woman, Viviane Denvers is the third-rate actress with a cute face.

Viviane Denvers is ready to go to bed with anyone who would provide a boost for career, pay for her and protect her. As Hendrik Hoefgen from «Mephisto», Viviane has sold her soul for the cheap glory. In the world of Viviane Denvers there is no place for such words as dignity, loyalty and love. She is ready to set up the person, who truly loves her, and abandon him, like any other useless lover. All her charm is the combination of a third-rate acting: the theatrical crying, the rolling eyes and the constant talking about her sad life. During the course of this film, Viviane loses the last remains of her dignity and she realizes too late that there is no way back. Isabelle Adjani has brilliantly portrayed Viviane’s nullity. You don’t feel any compassion towards her and the final scene clearly shows her future.

Other actors were also brilliant. Gérard Depardieu as the corrupt minister. Peter Coyote as a German spy with the mephistophelean charm to whom Viviane «sells her soul». Virginie Ledoyen as an idealistic young girl, loyal to France and science. Grégori Derangère as an aspiring writer, who becomes a hero. In addition, the legends of French cinema Aurore Clément and Edith Scob has created episodic memorable characters.

Enclosing, let me say that in the June of 1940 comedy, spy flick, melodrama, drama and war movie has met in Bordeaux and the meeting was splendid!

9/10

Violette et François

Life must go on

Violette and Francois don’t care about the future. Violette was fired from the bank; Francois was booted from the real estate agency, when his superiors found out that his best «customer» was Violette. Unfortunately, the young couple has a little son Paul and they have to find a way to make ends meet. Francois loses yet another job; he can’t secure funding for his newspaper, so he decides to become a professional shoplifter. After first failed theft, they decide to get married and on the day of the wedding, Violette agrees to help Francois in the shoplifting business.

The film start as a comedy about two head in the clouds young people with deep conviction that the world is revolving around them. They don’t care about the absence of instant income, the inability to provide decent future to their son. Their affair is the perfect example for the old story of the Lady and the Hooligan. Violette charmed by Francois rebelliousness and by his brilliant and unreal ideas. The first shop theft thrills Violette even more and after some time she decides to assist Francois.

Nothing lasts forever, especially illusions. Violette is the mother and she has to think about the well-being of Paul. She «awakens» after the first failed theft and tries to persuade Francois, for the sake of little Paul, to abandon the life of petty crime. Francois agrees, but then reneges on his promise. Violette has to make a tough choice.

The film shows that Isabelle Adjani is capable of playing not only tragic heroes. The actress has naturally portrayed the evolution of Violette from the infantile and naïve teenager, who got a crush on the Hooligan and ready to condone all of his activities, to the grown woman capable of tough and painful decisions. Jacques Dutronc is also convincing as a careless man, who understood the consequences of his behavior too late.   

Enclosing, Violette and Francois is a sad and tragic comedy. The film is relatively unknown, outside of France, but watching of it was a pleasant surprise.

8/10

L'histoire d'Adèle H.

Those whom the gods wish to destroy they first make mad.

This proverb, wrongly misattributed to Euripides, could easily be attributed to the unrequited love.

Francois Truffaut wanted to film the diaries of Adelie Hugo’s  for seven years. He had constantly changed actresses for the main role, until he saw Isabelle Adjani in «La Gifle». The actress was approved despite the fact that a 19-year old Isabelle Adjani would play a 30-year old woman. 

«The Story of Adelie H.» you could name, in analogy with theatre, a one-person film. Despite the fact that other actors also did a good job, the only actor who draws all attention is Isabelle Adjani.

Isabelle Adjani throws herself completely into Adelie Hugo. She shows every aspect of Adelie’s mental disintegration. The director and cinematographer uses many close-ups in order to show Adjani’s face, her superb facial expression, especially at the final scene in Barbados, when grief-stricken Adelie walks down Barbados with a completely blank face.

Francois Truffaut had chosen the perfect metaphor for progressing insanity of Adelie – nearsightedness. At first, Adelie’s eye vision is correct, but as her possession progresses she see less and less in terms of eyesight and sanity.

Another motive of this film is a contrast. Adelie’s descend into madness is shown by her love interest – Lt Pinson – gambler, lecher and womanizer. Lt’s antipode is the bookseller with certain crush on the main heroine shown as a decent man and who could become her husband. Even casting of Isabelle Adjani is, in some aspects, contrast – such beautiful woman is obsessed with such unworthy man.

«The Story of Adelie H.» has a gloomy atmosphere in a complete contrast with optimism of «Day for Night». The grey town,  the constant sleep drowning of Adelie, the eternal darkness of Halifax, the misery and poverty of Barbados – there is no place for poor Adelie into this cruel and wicked world.

Because of this, you do not feel any falsehood during the watch, compared with many other films. You feel sympathy and compassion towards Adelie and while watching the scene when grief-stricken Adjani cries into the carriage your heart would bleed at least. Every person who loved at least once would find something into this film.

Enclosing, I would like to thank Francois Truffaut for opening Isabelle Adjani’s acting genius to the world audience. I think that after «The Story of Adelie H.», Adjani could have retired from acting because this role has already written her name into the history books. Nevertheless, she had continued her brilliant acting career and has only given joy to her fans all over the world (me included). It is a pity that Isabelle Adjani was passed over for Cesar and Oscar in 1976, but her five Cesars, double prize for the best actress at the Cannes and other innumerable awards are already expecting her.

10/10  

The Age of Augustus by Werner Eck

At the age of nineteen, he wrote, he had entered Roman politics abruptly, acting «on his own initiative» and «at his own expense»

As far back as I can remember I have always been fascinated by the Roman history. When I was 12, I have read The Twelve Caesars by Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus. Frankly speaking, I read it to find out more about Roman orgies, not emperors.  At the age of 17, after watching HBO series Rome, I have developed fixation on Augustus. I have read a lot of books and Internet materials about him, but my knowledge was far from systemic. Then, at the age of 21, I have found in one bookstore The Age of Augustus by Werner Eck, which I would review now…

Werner Eck begins The Age of Augustus with overview of Augustus cult and the main document – the Res Gestae Divi Augusti («The deeds of the Divine Augustus»). The text of the Res Gestae provides a glorified self-portrait of the first princeps of Rome. Then, Werner Eck quotes the historian Tacitus who showed Augustus as unscrupulous, ruthless, power-craving individual. Each part of this book includes some quotation from the Res Gestae and Werner Eck would doubt it’s truthfulness.

Gaius Octavian, who would later acquire the title Augustus, was born in a patrician family, connected with Julius Caesar. Werner Eck makes a point that Julius Caesar saw potential in his grandnephew by making him his sole heir and recipient of the three-quarters of his estate. Nevertheless, this will was not final and Caesar planned to live longer and possibly change this document, but certain circumstances quickly made the terms of his will relevant.

The Age of Augustus portrays Augustus as clever and charismatic leader with good political instincts. The epigraph of this review is not far from truth, except for «at my own expense» part. He never backed off from political maneuver, when it was necessary. One example of such «U-Turn» is his political and military union with the Republicans in 43 BC.

Werner Eck portrays slow development of the principate. One of Augustus favorite maxims ran festina lente («slow and steady wins the race»). The author quoted Cassius Dio, who wrote in Roman History about a debate on the future of government in Rome, between Augustus, Maecenas and Agirippa. The author brilliantly explains difficult constitutional and legal matters for the common readers.

Augustus clearly understood that he could not return to Julius Caesar model, neither could he get back to the Republic. Therefore, he had decided to restore the old republic, at least in name. He cunningly used the legal mechanisms, devised by the «Roman Constition» and created or initiated his own laws and by-laws. Every lawyer would find this part of The Age of Augustus the most interesting and amusing.

Social legislation plays an important part in this book. Augustus had revolutionized the Family law of Rome by adopting harsh anti-adultery legislation and putting Romans under obligation to marry. This was the most important piece of legislation for Roman people. Werner Eck praises Augustus for changing the way of governing the Empire. The princeps has outlawed the most controversial tax practices and even allowed filing complaints about governors.

Werner Eck makes a special point about exact title of Augustus. Imperator means «victorious commander», so Augustus was not am emperor, in a later sense of this word. That is why Augustus was not am emperor; the source of his authority were provinces, delegated to him by The Senate and People of Rome, and proconsul imperium. I am personally thankful for this part, which helped me to understand Augustus legal status.   

The Age of Augustus does not forget about failures of the princeps: disastrous German campaign, periodic bankruptcy of the Treasury, cases of outward nepotism. But his rule has been summed up by these words: «None of his successors as ruler of the Roman empire could present a similar balance sheet. And what statesman of later ages could enter in competition with him?».

Enclosing, The Age of Augustus is a very interesting book for professional historians and amateurs alike. I liked it so much, that I have even translated it in Russian (no joking), now I am trying to publish it.

Midnight in Paris, 2011

I'm from the '20s, and I'm telling you the golden age is la Belle Epoque

Who has never dreamed of moving to Paris after watching too much French films as a child or as a teenager or even as an adult? Who has never told himself, like Oscar from Bitter Moon, that when I become rich, I’ll move to «The City of Hemingway, Miller and Scott Fitzgerald»?

Gil Pender is one of these men, who are dissatisfied with the present. On his trip to Paris he gets the magic ticket to Paris of the 1920s. Gil is happy, every night he could escape his fiancé, boring father-in-law, pseudointellectual professor…

«Midnight in Paris» recreates Paris of our dreams: the fairytale city, the festive city. In the Woody Allen’s Paris you could bump in Scott Fitzgerald, ask Gertrude Stein to review your book and, finally, to fall in love with Picasso’s model. However, such dreams have a very bad feature – they do not come true.

Irony of Woody Allen is rather kind. There always would be people dreaming about coming to the 1920s, the la Belle Epoque, the Renaissance or even earlier. It is fruitless to try to find solace for your dreams in the past. Instead, you should fulfill your dreams in the present.

Do it!

8/10

Cicero: The Life and Times of Rome's Greatest Politician by Anthony Everitt

He taught us how to think (Voltaire)

My knowledge of the Ancient History is rather mediocre, but I am a political and historical junkie with special fondness for Classics. Until recently, most of my knowledge about The Roman Republic and the Empire had come from films, TV Series, Shakespeare plays and documentaries. Therefore, I have decided to deepen my knowledge about this subject so I had started from Commentarii de Bello Gallico, The Age of Augustus, Caesar: Life of a Colossus, The Meditations by Marcus Aurelius and finally I have arrived to the Cicero: The Life and Times of Rome's Greatest Politician.

Marcus Tullius Cicero is remembered by most of the people for his works in the fields of philosophy, rhetoric, law and political science. Regrettably, most of the people, except for a few scholars, pay little or no attention to his accomplishment in the Roman politics of his time. 

Cicero was born at the time when Roman political system was constantly shaken by various political crises and licentious «saviors» were ready to conquer power at any costs, including murder. When Cicero was twenty-four Sulla launched another novice in political struggle – proscription. Nevertheless, comparing with Caesar, whose political «coming of age» were effectively at the same time, Cicero has not lost his faith in the Republic…

Anthony Everitt does an outstanding job in exploiting Roman political processes. He portrays Senate driven by self-ambition, fear of each other, struggle between optimates (nobel) and populares (people), internal division in every faction (hardcore and moderate). Roman politics were driven by personalities, rather than parties (you could find the similar pattern in the United States Senate) and the main words for Senate business were gridlock and lack of bipartisanship (you could also find it in the United States Senate). Therefore, in many aspects, judging from Everett words, if you use medical terminology, end of the Republic was not a murder, it was an assisted suicide. 

Secondly, Everitt portrays a compelling image of Marcus Tullius Cicero. Cicero was a man prone to fear, flip-flop and misjudgment. Nevertheless, Cicero also showed some political courage during his Consulship when he suppressed the Second Catilinarian Conspiracy and it was his finest political hour. After that, he had entered a long period of personal political stagnation until death of his beloved daughter Tullia, which gave him some inner steel. After that, he once again had become dominant figure but he made a crucial miscalculation about young Gaius Octavius…

One area where people constantly misunderstood Cicero is his political beliefs. Marcus Tullius was a firm believer in Republic and member of the optimates faction, so he was a conservative, not a reformer. However, he also was a pragmatic conservative, who understood the need of some change and bipartisanship, which had put him on odds with die-hard optimates like Cato (Cato reminds of Ron Paul). Cicero views were close to the Schumpeterian theory of Democracy (Generally speaking schumpeterians view democracy as the mechanism for competition between leaders and the participatory role for individuals is usually severely limited). It is not surprising that The Constitution of the United States, which was framed by Cicero admirers, was greatly admired by Joseph Schumpeter as an ideal illustration of his policy.

In closing, you could say that Cicero ideas were never realized over the span of his lifetime, but his torch has been passed to the other generations (plagiarizing JFK first inaugural) and his dream lives on (plagiarizing convention address by another Kennedy, this time Ted).

Finally, Anthony Everitt has written great book for all kinds of readers (scholars and general readers) which helps you to draw light on Cicero life, views and accomplishments and political system of the Roman Republic. Nevertheless, after reading this book switch to Cicero’s original writings (letters, speeches, philosophical works, etc.)

On the Law of Nations by Daniel Patrick Moynihan

A political culture from which the idea of international law has largely disappeared places its initiatives in jeopardy

Thanks to the Wikipedia, I knew that Daniel Patrick Moynihan was a member of the United States Senate from New York for 24 years. Nevertheless, until recently I have never done any serious research about DPM. It all has changed one fall day in Moscow at home while I was searching the C-SPAN website for some interesting Senate videos. I have decided to watch 1992 debate about Freedom Support Act (U.S. Aid to Former Soviet Union). It was short and participants were mostly extraordinary: Claiborne Pell, Dick Lugar, Alan Cranston, and Mitch McConnell (he is not extraordinary at all except for making history with self-filibustering his own proposal last year). Finally, Daniel Patrick Moynihan rose to speak and it was grandiloquent. Firstly, instead of talking about the pros and cons of this bill (financial obligations, opening new markets for American products and etc.) Moynihan told a story about meeting with The Minister for Foreign Affairs of the RSFSR, which took place in 1990. Secondly, Moynihan style of clothing (bow tie, bookish spectacles) and his look were much more suited for Harvard lecture hall. Thirdly, his voice and patrician style of speaking, which you could hear only in BBC movies about Middle England nowadays. Of course, I have decided to read some of his books…

«On the Law of Nations» was published in 1990 at the epochal point of world history. The Cold War has effectively finished and in the United Nations USSR and USA, for the first time since Suez Crisis (1956), found a common ground in punishing aggressor, Saddam Hussein. In addition, the 1990s were proclaimed the «Decade of International Law» by the UN resolution 44/23 of 17 November 1989.

Book starts with the quote from The Constitution of the United States (treaties… shall be the supreme law of the land). Then author recounts his talk to the Council on Foreign Relations in New York. This talk took place in 1979 and the main theme was the proposition that the US has abandoned the concept that international relations can and should be governed by a regime of public international law. This theme is solidified by numerous violations of international law by the Reagan Administration: death squads in Salvador, the mining of Nicaraguan harbors and Iran-Contra. In addition, regrettably, the intellectual and political thought of the 1980s regarded international law as an illusion or an obstacle to the American interests («Real men did not cite Grotius»).

Moynihan makes a thesis that this nihilism and disdain for the international law was not the core part of the American legal theory and practice and he is trying to find out the reasons for it. As he points out, in the 19^th century, the US resolved Alabama claims with Britain by the means of arbitration, instead of war. In addition, the Federalist Papers and the Declaration of Independence placed international law as a vital part of the American legal system, and the Founding Fathers respected international law (or as it was called then «the natural law»).

The Senator makes a point that after Treaty of Versailles has been killed in the United States Senate international law lost its attractiveness. There was a renaissance during FDR years, starting with joining the International Labor Organisation and build-up of the United Nations. Then, after the beginning of Cold War international law again became declarative, especially international humanitarian and human rights.

The 1990’s presents an opportunity for the Renaissance and adherence to international law is the way to insure safe, civilized proper behavior as the US approach the next century. Moynihan see first positive signs with the adoption East-West Code of Conduct, Soviets making case for The Hague Court and European Conventions…

Personally, I would like to say that it is a brilliant book and, since works of Churchill, De Gaulle and Talleyrand by Duff Cooper (1932), I have never read such intellectually compelling book written by a politician. And, sadly, Moynihan dreams hasn’t come true because international law nowadays even more disdained  and violated, Iraq War is the perfect example. However, maybe if someone would read this book, he would understand the importance of international law and would follow in Mister Moynihan footsteps.

Sadly, the breed of Moynihan-like statesman is gone and we must bring it back, starting with ourselves, to make the world a better place. And in conclusion, I yield the floor with this review (US Senate word: senator who has been recognized to speak stops when she completes her remarks and terminates her recognition) and I hope that after reading this book someone would take the floor and stress the importance of the international law.