La peau douce

It's too late to be late again

Everyone knows about a loveless marriage, formal marriage, marriage by habit or some other marriage, saved by some facts or obligations. Such marriages can last for many years, but one day this house of cards could collapse.

The house of cards could collapse because of love. The destruction of such marriage is depicted by Francois Truffaut in The Soft Skin. At first glance, the film have the simplest storyline. Pierre Lachenay, a well-known writer and editor of a literary magazine, lives the, at first sight, happiest life. He lives with a little daughter Sabina and wife Franca. Everything goes on as usual, until Pierre, after meeting a beautiful air hostess Nicole, is «being hit with the thunderbolt»…

In such situations, a lot of so-called «goody-good people» are trying to follow the norms of society. They are hiding the loved ones, arranging «the love nests», humiliating themselves with friends and relatives. The director depicts all inner shame of Pierre, his attempts to «sit on two chairs», but love breaks his adherence to the societal hypocrisies.

The Film was not made for purpose of advancing the cheap morals or standard hypocrisies; it depicts the evil of lies. The Director says that the real love cannot be mixed with hypocrisy and lies. The loved ones cannot be hided or treated as a toy. Francois Truffaut says to The Spectator – don’t lie, don’t postpone the truth, even the harshest, or you will risk to lose everything.

The Soft Skin is a film which should be viewed by everyone. Despite the fact, that the film is more than 50 years old, it hasn’t lost any truthfulness.

Tesis

My name is Angela. They're going to kill me

How many times we watch violent films «just for fun»? How many times we think, that the best part in the news are crime reportages? How many times we think, that the people who are disgusted by violence are just pretending? How many times, when we see a crash or some other disaster we are curious to watch the real death and injuries?

When we do this, we always calm ourselves with such thoughts: «The blood in cinema is not real; It doesn’t concern us; He is just pretending; We should be afraid of alive, not dead». But what, if we would vitness the real violent death, how we would speak?

«Tesis» starts and ends with death. In the first scene, the train is stopped because of the accident and the passengers are escorted out of the station. Lots of them want to watch the dead body, but paramedics and metro employees are not allowing it. Nevertheless, the sympathies of the most spectators wouldn’t be on the side of paramedics and metro employees. Then, when Angela’s professor dies, she got a chance to witness the actual death. Angela, at the first sight, is disgusted and afraid, but it is merely the societal norm. In reality she is deeply interested and curious.

The director brilliantly portrays the irrationality of a human nature and attractiveness of the evil. Angela, after watching a snuff film and identifying the main suspect, is continuing to «play with fire» practically and erotically. As with watching death, the investigation of a murder is merely a societal norm; in reality Angela desperately wants to touch the real evil.

Angela is the typical consumer, who always wants more and more «spice». The snuff is merely a cinema genre. In the opinion of a director, snuff is only still stays in the category of a «specialty film», but one day it will be in the mainstream cinema.

Watch and think!

10/10

L'heure d'été

Of things and men

Olivier Assayas frequently makes films about people, who are struck in the past. In Carlos, the film director has shown an old and physically wasted terrorist, who imagined that he is still the number one threat. Accordingly, in Irma Vep, Olivier Assayas portrayed the French cinema, hopelessly struck in the «nouvelle vague» paradigm.

Summer Hours shows the influence of globalization on a family and the «lifecycle» of family things from important items to lifeless museum objects. Olivier Assayas divides the film by «acts», separated by black screen. In the «premier act», the family is centered around a pariah – 75 year old Helene, but her death breaks down the link and for the rest of the film we see the fate of an inheritance.

The film resembles The Cherry Orchard (a play by Anton Chekhov). As in the play, the «main hero» is an old mansion which symbolizes the Old France. The mansion is turned into the shrine of a famous old painter by his niece Helen. Nevertheless, she understands that her children – Frederick, Jeremy and Adrienne – cannot go on living in the past as her. Helen tries to explain it to her son Frederick – the only child who stays in France – but he doesn’t want to listen.

The main theme of Summer Hours is a history of things; their emotional meaning for people. Every character has a certain thing, which has its own emotional value. This value is destroyed by the harsh reality in a form of taxes, expenses and generational values. The dream of Frederick of keeping the mansion as a «Shrine for the Past» is destroyed by a simple voting – Jeremy and Adrienne are not interested into frozen past. Accordingly, a lot of family things would end up as a faceless museum items.

Olivier Assayas has made Summer Hours as a simple life history. He doesn’t dramatize or sentimentalize. But despite the «simpleness» the film is full of sadness and melancholy for the past. Despite all of that, the file must go on.

8/10 

La gifle

C’est la vie!

In a life of a geography teacher Jean Douléan everything apparently goes wrong: his mistress leaves him; he faces a possibility of unemployment and he can’t understand his eighteen-years old daughter Isabelle. His daughter «falls in love every five minutes», wants to drop out of the medical school and considers moving in with her boyfriend…

There are cases, when you read the synopsis of a film and it leaves an impression of a banal watching experience. Nevertheless, during the watch you enjoy this film, because of the directing, acting or something else. Sadly, it happens quite rare, but one of these films is «The Slap».

Claude Pinoteau shot «The Slap» as an occurring life story. He doesn’t darkens the mood or put too much melodrama. The film draws parallels from your own life or your acquaintances. This reality was made possible by the fine acting.

Before «The Slap» I saw Lino Venture only as a policeman or gangster. That is why, I was skeptical about this role of Lino Ventura. This film helped me to rediscover this actor – he had convincingly portrayed a strict, but caring father, who tries to connect with his daughter and get his life together.

«The Slap» contains the first big cinematic role of Isabelle Adjani. Isabelle Douléan could be described by one word – a hurricane. Of course, Hurricane Isabelle Douléan cannot be compared with the Category 1 Hurricanes Anna and Camille Claudel, but it is definitely the Category 3. Isabelle Douléan is never calm or constant. In an irresponsible sloven Isabelle Douléan you see the future great roles of Isabelle Adjani. Sadly, Isabelle Adjani did not act much in comedies, but she was brilliant in them as in the drama roles.

The secondary roles were also brilliant. Annie Girardot as a selfish mother of Isabelle. Francis Perrin as a pain-in-the-ass boyfriend. Jacques Spiesser as a secret admirer of Isabelle; the list goes on and on.

«The Slap» is a kind and cute comedy, which was also the springboard for Isabelle Adjani. All those who love French comedies and especially Isabelle Adjani fans, should immediately watch this.

7/10

Gabrielle

I love Gabrielle as a collector loves his most prized object.

The visit of Isabelle Huppert to Moscow was an unexpected and pleasant surprise. I have seen for two times «Les Fausses Confidences» and once again I understood, that if there were no Isabelle Huppert, it would be necessary to imagine her. The 62-year old Actress moved like a ballet dancer and her voice acting was superb. That is why, the wonderful Friday evening should be continued by watching some film with Isabelle Huppert on Saturday.

Jean and Gabrielle Harvey are married for ten years. Their marriage is a rather socially acceptable; they host the salons, take part in charity and patronage. Nevertheless, their marriage in not built on love, as Jean confides to the audience that he loves Gabrielle «as a collector loves his most prized object. » The day of the 10^th wedding anniversary goes as usual until Jean discovers a note from Gabrielle in which she writes that she will leave to meet her lover. Jean is completely lost and puzzled, but on the same evening Gabrielle comes back.

Sadly, I have not read Joseph Conrad’s original short story The Return. Even without that, the history of cinema knows many examples of stories about contract or loveless marriages, but in lots of cinema rubbish you could discover the true brilliants. From the first minutes, the film director uses an original technique. Patrice Chereau uses black-and-white and color cinema in order to distinguish between the routine and life.

Patrice Chereau made the film as a duo with «some inclusions» from outside world. Since the letter is read, the dynamite is ready and the foundation of family life is completely destroyed.  The masques of humanity are swept away and two monsters are shown. If in the beginning, Jean is only worried about societal norms, then, during the course of the film, he more and more loses his sanity and even becomes ready to rape his wife.

You could write a PhD thesis on an acting genius of Pascal Greggory and Isabelle Huppert. In «La Reine Margot», Pascal Greggory, almost without words, was able to portray an unprincipled, ruthless and power greedy Duke of Anjou. In this film, The Actor has portrayed the mental disintegration of his character, according to a standard paradigm «denial-rage-trade-depression-acceptance». Isabelle Huppert sometimes acted in not too good films, but the world doesn’t know such phrase as «bad acting of Isabelle Huppert».

«Gabrielle» is a clever and sad drama. If you are an admirer of Isabelle Huppert, watch it immediately.

8/10

Happy Birthday, Isabelle Adjani!

When someone talks about Isabelle Adjani, he mostly mentions Marguerite de Valois, Camille Claudel, Eliane, Anna and Adelie H. This roles of Isabelle Adjani are timeless, but her career does not stop with this films.

That is why, on the day of Isabelle Adjani’s birthday, the one should remember her lesser known roles. I’ve chosen the best, in my opinion, roles and have put them in the chronological order.

1. Violette et Francois (1977)

After L’Histoire D’Adelie H. Isabelle Adjani acted in a film of Roman Polanski («The Tenant»), in a film of Andre Techine («Barocco») and her next film was a tragic comedy «Violette et Francois».

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 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.

2. Les soeurs Brontë (1979)

Frankly speaking, I have discovered Isabelle Adjani quite recently – on the last summer. After acquaintance with her acting, I have decided to reread The Idiot and I have imagined only Isabelle Adjani as Nastásya Philíppovna. Three months ago, I have decided to read the books of the Bronte sisters.

While reading «Wuthering Heights», I imagined only one actress as Catherine Earnshaw – Isabelle Adjani. Sadly, The Actress has not portrayed Catherine, but she morphed her in the image of Emily Bronte.

When «Wuthering Heights» were first published a lot of critics thought that the writer was a man. Isabelle Adjani showed the crossing of masculine and feminine identity in Emily – dressed in a male's outfit to walk the grey fields; even some men say to her that she should be born as a man. Emily Bronte was the hideous and shy woman, but her seldom outbursts were like the northern wind.

3. Tout feu, tout flamme (1982)

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 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.

Jean-Paul Rappeneau mixes different 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.

4. Mortelle randonnée (1983)

Most critics say Mortelle Randonnée is the definitive neo-noir, but this film couldn’t be categorized in just one genre. Claude Miller, the talented apprentice of the Nouvelle Vague cinema, who has worked as assistant with Francois Truffaut, Jean-Luc Godard and Jacques Demys, cunningly mixes different genres. Mortelle Randonnée is, one could say, the mix of absurdist tale and noir.

Mortelle Randonnée has a dreamy-like atmosphere: heroine, planning her activities by checking horoscopes, telepathically connecting heroes, supporting characters, which act like a pulp fiction heroes.

Isabelle Adjani gets less screen time but her acting is superb. She shows us a variety of persons: the sweetly naïve student Lucy Brentano, the arrogant top-model Eve Granger, the tragedy-broken Catherine Leiris, and so on. To all those, who say Isabelle Adjani is only fit to play drama queens and a hysterical female, I strongly recommend watching this film.

5. Toxic Affair (1993)

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).

Toxic Affair would be stupid and boring if it wasn’t for one person, whom we call 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».

Toxic Affair proves that the time break means nothing for the truly great artist – she will electrify after 5, 10 or 20 years.

Danton

Death is the beginning of immortality

In the cold spring of 1794, on the second year of The Republic, Georges Jacques Danton comes back to Paris and tries to stop the Reign of Terror…

The director of «Danton» was a famous Polish film director Andrzej Wajda and, of course, the critics saw a parallel between the Revolution and the Solidarity movement. Nevertheless, Andrzej Wajda is much more than a politicized film director and you can’t analyze «Danton» from this simplistic point of view.

From the first minutes, Andrzej Waida draws the spectator into the real Reign of Terror: hungry people, ruthless guardsmen, blood-thirsty members of the Committee of Public Safety and merciless guillotine. The ruthless struggle between Maximillian Robespierre and Georges Jacques Danton starts.

France is torn apart by a «quite» civil war with more than a two sides – Jacobins, Royalists, Journalists, Hebraists and so on. Despite an adoption of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen and democratic values, the country moves closer and closer to the dictatorship, which knows only one word – death. The National Convention smells death and the biggest group of deputies proves their nickname – Le Marais.

Georges Danton is depicted as a man with lots of illusions. He thinks that the Reign of Terror could be smashed by words. Georges Danton refuses to crush Robespierre by military force and he is convinced that the trial would be the tribune for the People. The Gods of Revolution craves for blood of their children and Danton would be the first human sacrifice for them. I cannot judge the historical accuracy of Danton’s portrayal. But you can affirmatively say that it is one of the best roles of Gerard Depardieu. If you want to enjoy the real Depardieu, who acted in the films of the best directors and starred with the best female counterparts, you should not miss this film.

Maximillian Robespierre is a very controversial historical figure. Some authors (historians and writers) are depicting him as a ruthless monster; other authors are depicting him as a true martyr for the cause of the Revolution. Andrzej Waida portrayed Robespierre as a stern figure and a firm believer in the Revolution. In the beginning he shows some remains of a human nature and tries to save his friends and comrades from the Tribunal and execution. But, as the overall situation in France deteriorates and the members the Committee of Public Safety becomes more and more blood-thirsty, a soul of Robespierre is progressively melting. When I read a literature about Robespierre, I imagined him as a Wojciech Pszoniak character – stern manners, silent voice and the eyes, which turns your blood into ice.

Culmination of the film is the trial against a members of Danton’s party. The trial could be described by Augustus phrase (I think it is misattributed to him): «You must die!» Despite courage and oratorical prodigy of Danton, the Committee of Public Safety sentenced him to death. There is no place for a rule of law, presumption of innocence and equality in the Reign of Terror. Nevertheless, «that rat Robespierre» and many other would follow Danton to the scaffold, and the star of one young general is rising, who will bury the Revolution.

Danton is a sincere and scary film about the Reign of Terror. I recommend to watch it in pair with La Reine Margot.

"'71"

Jesus Christ, British army's been dying up there with shit flying at them from all angles for the last 10 years, and you're not impressed? (The Long Good Friday)

The conflict in Northern Ireland (the so-called «The Troubles») spanned for more than 30 years. Despite the fact, that this conflict is less known than The Vietnam War, it got own place in history and lest thousands of mentally and physically traumatized residents of the United Kingdom.

Gary Hook is a new recruit to the British Army. He hopes that his platoon would be sent to the West Germany, but instead they are transferred to Belfast. The capital of Northern Ireland is divided between Catholics and Protestants. During one of the search missions, one soldier loses his rifle and Cook, accompanied by another soldier, tries to regain it. They are severely beaten by angry mob and the Harry’s comrade is shot by IRA gunman. Gary evades the capturers, but the path to a base is very dangerous…

An ex-documentary director Yann Demange offers an impassionate insight into the 1970’s Northern Ireland. Without taking sides, The Director shows the young Nationalists and Catholics who are dreaming of growing up and acquiring rifles; pubs, where bombs misdetonates; bloody feud between senior and young wing of the IRA.

Such war does not have anything in common with wars about which we read and watch. In Belfast, there are no trenches, barbed wire, artillery or air strikes. Instead of it, the city is one big battlefield, where enemy is everywhere. The Northern Ireland conflict is fought by «unconventional» means – the extortion, the blackmail, the informants, the death squads doing dirty work on both sides.   

Nevertheless, even in such war, there are some people who save some traces of humanity. A retired Army medic along with his daughter shelters and helps a wounded Hook, despite the real threat of the IRA retaliation.

There is no place for justice in the real world. In a normal circumstances, nobody would not be interested in rescuing the peace of meat. The only reason for the hunt is simple – Hook knows, by coincidence, some valuable information. Nevertheless, after rescue there will be no commendation or punishment for the guilty. Mentally traumatized Gary Hook would be just thrown back into the world and maybe he will learn to live there again.

«’71» is a sincere film after which you want read some literature on The Troubles.

8/10

La fidélité

His quality of a husband entitled him to the largest privileges, but gave him no greater share in the affections of his wife…

My friends, before I begin the expression of those thoughts that I deem appropriate for this film, would you permit to make a little confession. A novel «The Princess of Cleves» written by Madame de La Fayette have not impressed me. The book is rather well-written, but it didn’t capture me. Maybe I am just an ignorant and (or) uneducated bogan. Despite this fact, I am an admirer of Andrzej Zulawski films, so I cannot miss his, still, last film.

«La fidelite» is a loose adaptation of «The Princess of Cleves»; all main events of the novel were translated in a cinema language with one little fact – events were transformed from the XVI century France to the XX century France.

If you say Andrzej Zulawski, a lot people would associate his name with «Possession». Any seasoned film admirer would be surprised – «The master of  hysterical excesses» (plagiarizing from one site) made a rather calm and restrained picture. The one could see the outbursts of a trademark Zulawski’s expression, but they are limited in time and scope.

The main theme of this film is a fight between love and societal norms. Clelia is torn apart by love to Nemo and «normal» marriage to Cleves. The Heroine can’t force herself to say «tous» to her husband and to love her husband, who sincerely loves her, but she feels a certain gratitude to him.      

Despite the fact, that «The Princess of Cleves» hasn’t made any lasting impression on me, but the book’s dilemma is still relevant. From the Middle Ages to the XXI century, a lot of couples are stuck in a loveless marriage which are merely bound by societal or some other norms.  

The Director, along with loose adaptation of «The Princess of Cleves», entered into a film the theme of clash between art and mass-media. In this sphere, the choice of Clelia’s profession is rather symbolic. A photographer is a profession which operates on the margin between art and vulgarity. Into this themes and many other, «La fidelite» contains a lot of references with «L’important c’est d’aimer». I recommend watching these films together.

Andrzej Zulawski also enters, not completely successful, the storyline of investigative reporting on the human organs trafficking and a subsequent hunt for Nemo. Nevetheless, the one could see the trademark Zulawski’s expression and they does not degrade a film.

I did not have a very high opinion about Sophie Marceau, but it has changed after my acquaintance with the films of Zulawski. Sophie Marceau is a good actress who, sadly, has not fully realized her acting talent quite often. In this film she convincingly portrayed a modern Princess of Cleves – a woman torn between love and marital obligations. Sadly, this film was the last «high-octane» role for Sophie Marceau. Nevertheless, let’s hope that she will act in something serious again.

«La fidelite» is a sincere film, which would touch any film aficionados. After watching this film, you only have to wait for release of a new Zulawski’s film. 

Les Sœurs Brontë

""Wuthering" being a significant provincial adjective, descriptive of the atmospheric tumult to which its station is exposed in stormyweather"

I have wanted to watch “The Bronte Sisters” for a rather long time. The fact of starring of my favorite French actresses – Isabelle Huppert and Isabelle Adjani – was not the last factor in my desire. Finally, I got hold of the Blu-ray edition. I have decided to postpone the watching and read the books of the Bronte Sisters.

The history of cinema knows many adaptation of books of the Brontes, with Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre are being the most favorite. On the other hand, there are too few adaptations of the Brontes family.

Life appears to me too short to be spent in nursing animosity, or registering wrongs.

Sadly, I am not acquainted with the acting of Marie-France Pisier. This “ignorance” made a surprise more pleasant. Charlotte Bronte is a ultimate Jane Eyre: mature, reasonable and responsible. A quote from the book of G.K. Chesterson perfectly describes Charlotte: “her heroine is the commonplace spinster, with the dress of merino and the soul of flame".

Charlotte Bronte, as Jane Eyre, has to sacrifice the personal happiness. After the death of her aunt and father's illness, Charlotte was obliged to become the head of a family. She, as her fictional alter-ego, was not broken by this and Charlotte gave us a pleasure of reading the other Brontes. The Gods gave Charlotte a privilege of longer live, acquaintance with great writers and marriage.

“I see a repose that neither earth nor hell can break, and I feel an assurance of the endless and shadowless hereafter“

While reading “Wuthering Heights”, I imagined only one actress as Catherine Earnshaw – Isabelle Adjani. Sadly, The Actress has not portrayed Catherine, but she morphed her in the image of Emily Bronte. The spectators, who got used to the “burning” Adelie Hugo and Camille Claudel would be surprised to see Adjani into this, at first sight calm role. During the film, Isabelle Adjani unleashes the internal fire of Emily.

When “Wuthering Heights” were first published a lot of critics thought that the writer was a man. Isabelle Adjani showed the crossing of masculine and feminine identity in Emily – dressed in a male's outfit to walk the grey fields; even some men say to her that she should be born as a man. Emily Bronte was the hideous and shy woman, but her seldom outbursts were like the northern wind. She feels the most sincere feelings towards her brother and his death was one the main causes of her passing away.

“I began this book with the intention of concealing nothing, that those who liked might have the benefit of perusing a fellow creature's heart”

The typical spectator would associate Isabelle Huppert with Erika Kohut and other “prostitutes, murderers, sadomasochists, fetishists and lesbians” (plagiarizing from one Russian web-site). The Actress played this parts with equal brilliance, but if you do a more careful research, you would find brilliant “normal” roles. Anna Bronte captures the text of Agnes Grey.

In 1977, Isabelle Huppert played in “The Lacemaker” and you would find the parallels between Pomme and Anna Bronte. As Pomme, Anna Bronte is a sweet, naive and sincere girl. The youngest Bronte works as a governess to cruel children and parents, who treats her as a slave. Despite all human and physical dirt, Anna keeps her spiritual purity. She is the only person, who finds a common language with Emily; her death breaks her.

“...for it seemed as if all joy had vanished from the world, never to be restored"

The visual side of The Bronte Sisters reminds us of Barry Lyndon. As Stanley Kubrick has portrayed the XVIII-century England, The Bronte Sisters depicts Northern England of the XIX century. Andre Techine, along with Bruno Nuitten, showed a bleak and depressive Yorkshire: strong winds; snow; gray sky and dirt. The one could understand the basics for Wuthering Heights by wathcing this film.

The Bronte Sisters is a sincere film with some great acting. Sadly, back in 1979, this film was eclipsed by Apocalypse Now; now you could fully appreciate this film.

9/10

Indochine

In our youth we thought the world consisted of inseparable things: men and women; mountains and plains; humans and gods; Indochina and France...

The longest addition to Apocalypse Now Redux is a sequence when the crew have discovered a French rubber plantation. Despite a fact, that the First Indochina War has finished more than ten years ago and Vietnam is an independent country; the French family will defend this frontier until the last man dies. I have watched Apocalypse Now for several times and The French scene was always my favorite. That is why, I have decided to “fill the gap in my education” and watch Indochine.

In the French Indochine, Eliane Devries adopts a young girl from the royal dynasty called Camille. Because of that, the Devries Planation becomes one of the largest into the Indochinese Peninsula. After ten years, Eliane raises Camille as her own daughter and her plantation runs a huge profit. At the same time, Eliane starts an affair with young naval officer called Jean-Batiste. Everything ges as usual, until Jean-Batiste saves Camille from terrorist attack and they fall in love. Eliane tries to protect Camille and has Jean-Batiste transferred to a remote base. Camille is quickly engaged to another Vietnamese noble and communist sympathizer called Tanh. Immediately after engagement, Camille, with consent of Tanh, escapes from Saigon and goes to the country to find Jean-Batiste.

The film depicts an idyllic colonial life: huge plantation; strict, but fair, Eliane, who never punishes her workers unfairly; peaceful coexistence of French and Vietnamese elite. Nevertheless, this idyll lasts only in the plantation and, to the limited extent, in Saigon. In the wider world starts out a revolution. The first revolutionaries starts out an arsons and sabotages; carries out assassinations of collaborators. Camille after escaping her “golden cage” sees the life of her country and radicalizes.

The French society shown as inert and incapable of preventing the mounting revolution. The only hero, who tries to prevent revolution, is a head of the colonial police Guy, but his work is constantly sabotaged by lack of cooperation from Army and Navy and the Popular Front's decision to liberate the political prisoners completely ruins his work.

Love plays the main role in a film. The one could say, that love plays a vital role in almost all events of Indochine. Love is a blessing and curse. Almost every major event starts with love: love of Eliane to her foster daughter; love of Camille to Jean-Batiste; love of Tanh, and then Camille, to the homeland. In the end, Eliane keeps a piece of the French Indochine in her grandson Etiene – the son Jean-Batiste and Camille – and her love to grandson symbolizes the love to the lost part of the world.

Catherine Deneuve, who used to represent Marianne, again depicts her country. At first, Eliane makes an impression of cold and arrogant woman, but “behind the curtain” there is passionate woman, who is capable of real love. She is capable of brave decisions, she could lead by example, but the historical events break her and she sadly becomes the remnant of the French Empire. Other actors were also brilliant: Vincent Perez as impulsive Jean-Batiste; Jean Yanne as cynical policeman Guy; the list goes on and on.

Indochine is a sad, sincere and beautiful film. I strongly recommend to watch it together with The Last Emperor.

9/10

Polytechnique

If I have a boy, I'll teach him how to love

On the 6^th of December, 1989, the life at The Ecole Politechnique was as usual. Nothing predicted a tragedy, until one one young man entered the classroom and shot into the ceiling...

The Ecole Politechnique Massacre was a societal shock. Until this day, there is a raging debate about the modus operandi of Marc Lepine. This film depicts the day of this shocking tragedy.

The director took a formalist approach in depicting the events of The Ecole Politechnique Massacre. Denis Villeneuve doesn't depict any theories or guesses about the modus operandi of the murderer; he merely shows one day in life of students of The Ecole Politechnique. By using this approach, the director follows the cinematography of Michael Haneke, especially his “glaciation trilogy” («The Seventh Continent”, “Benny's Video”, «71 Fragments of a Chronology of Chance”).

The film starts with murder of a female student, who stands near the copy machine. Then, the director gets back to beginning of this day and depicts the day from a different points of view: The Murderer, The Female Student and The Male Student. Politechnique draws a clear parallel with a last film of the “glaciation trilogy” - «71 Fragments of a Chronology of Chance”. Nevertheless, compared with the film of Michael Haneke, all fragments of Politechnique are clearly connected from the beginning.

The director shows an indifference of the society, which led to this terrible tragedy. As everybody knows, you cannot change the history; nevertheless, during the film, there are many moments, when this crime could have been prevented or stopped. Anyway, this terrible crime was committed and, in my opinion, the society takes a larger part of blame for it. It were not the horror films, the violent computer games or some psychological or some other societal theory, it was the society as the whole.

Politechnique is a film which makes you think. This tragedies are happening again and again, but we treat them, mostly indifferent, hoping that it will not touch us.

7/10