«Mr. Klein» (1976)

We've been French and Catholic since Louis XIV!

1942, Paris. Unscrupulous art dealer Robert Klein makes desperate French Jews to pay peanuts for priceless objects of art. He is quite content with his life until he is mistaken for a Jewish namesake. From that moment, he desperately needs to prove his non-Jewish heritage or the consequences will be horrific.

During the Nazi occupation, the French people retained, for the time being, some civil rights (or, at least, the resemblance of it). Frenchmen, who was not engaging in some subversive activities, were left alone by the Nazis. Still, one slip (such as contact with the undesirable) – and the person could end up in the collaborationist French police or, even worse, in the Gestapo.

In the post-war West Germany, all the blame was shifted to the SS, and Wehrmacht was portrayed as noble descendants of the brave knights, who were honorably doing their job. Post-war France adopted another legend – the French society was actively resisting occupation and collaborationists were just a few renegades.

Still, the reality was far from this fiction. During the film, there is almost no German character, and most of the dirty work is done by the Frenchmen (police officers, unscrupulous dealers and etc.). Parisians are trying to lead an ordinary life and, the most despicable among them, is trying to make a profit from the plight of others.

Any dictatorship and totalitarian regime always seek to brand certain categories as enemies. It could be a social class, a race or something else. Such people are completely cancelled. First, they’re stripped from their rights, secondly, they’re completely excluded from society and, finally, they’re stripped from their freedom or, even, from their life. Such process starts on a mere suspicion and when Robert Klein is suspected in being Jewish, his life starts to disintegrate.

What aides dictatorship? Collaborationism? To a certain amount, yes. Dictatorship is aided most by apathy and indifference. The plight of the oppressed is accompanied by the silence of the rest. Those who retain some resemblance of dignity will stay silent, those who don’t have scruples will take advantage of the cancelled person.  

Will Robert Klein prove that he is French and Catholic? Watch and find out the answer. «Mr. Klein» is a powerful story about the triumph of evil in an apathetic society. See this film and think carefully about the message.

"The Man Who Fell to Earth" (1976)

Ziggy played guitar, jamming good with Weird and Gilly…

David Bowie – an alien from Mars! Since his first singles, he rocked the music world and never ceased to amaze his fans and haters. Glam rock, hard rock, industrial, ambient, disco and so on – not a single music style dared to oppose David Bowie! Sadly, two years ago David Bowie returned to Mars, but we still could enjoy his music.

Adding to that, David Bowie was an actor, who starred in some good films, but, of course, their amount could be much higher. I always saw him as Lawrence of Arabia (in David Lean’s version) or as Bond villain (especially, in View to a Kill). He never acted in those films, but he still had some marvelous roles, including John in The Hunger.

In 1976, David Bowie showed his acting skills in The Man Who Fell to Earth. Into his first major film, David Bowie played himself – an alien, who arrived from desert Mars. Only this time, he showed his alternative plan – as a brilliant innovator, who wanted to earn some money in order to finance the supply of fresh water to Mars.

David Bowie made a wise choice in choosing music, because business is a ruthless field of battle, which destroys the people and aliens alike. He presented new technology to the humans, but not a lot of people understand it and David Bowie hasn’t got an ability to realize fully his ideas. Even more, the people are turning their backs on David Bowie and, finally, send him to the psychiatric hospital.

Compared to business, the music world of the late 1960s – early 1970s presented a «window of opportunities» and David Bowie played his brilliant music from Mars to the people. David Bowie wasted no time in studying human music and achieved some wonderful results. That is why, every David Bowie album is a unique event. And if he went to business, he would become another Howard Hughes.

By watching this well shot alternative life story of David Bowie (we still haven’t found out his alien name), we could again compliment him on the right choice. I still hope, that one day he will go back to Earth and give us some great music. But meanwhile - Put on your red shoes and dance the blues!

Man of Marble, Man of Iron (1976, 1981)

The new Poland is born here

If Andrzej Wajda was born in the USSR, his fate would not be so good. I think that, if Andrzej Wajda was a Soviet film director, his films would be banned by the Soviet authorities until the 1980s. Andrzej Wajda was always interested in the history of his homeland, and his vision almost always was not too ideologically correct.

Even in 1958, in Ashes and Diamonds Andrzej Wajda showed a Home Army soldier Maciek as a positive hero. In 1976, Andrzej Wajda showed it’s past to the forgetful Polish audience and authorities. Finally, in 1981, Andrzej Wajda showed the birth of post-socialistic world. I think that it would be suitable to analyze «Man of Marble» and «Man of Iron» together.

«Man of Marble» depicts the relatively free Poland of the 1970s. A young cinema school graduate Agnieszka chooses an unusual subject for her graduation project – a documentary film about a bricklayer Mateusz Birkut, who was once a hero. The film school authorities are rather skeptical, but anyway they give the green light to Agnieszka. Agnieszka starts her research, but this proves to be a tough task, because Mateusz Birkut is almost completely cut from the history.

As I have written before, «Man of Marble» was shot in 1976. Back then, the official history portrayed the 1950s repressions as a result of actions of the authorities and certain apparatchiks. Besides that, that period of history was officially forgotten. Of course, a lot of repressed people were freed. But no one couldn’t bring back to them the health and heal the soul pain.

While Agnieszka researches the material, she dugs deeper and deeper in the Polish history of the 1940-1950s. During the first postwar years, Mateusz Birkut is just one of the illiterate young workers, who were sent to the great building sites of the new Poland.

When an ambitious young film director and authorities decided to make Mateusz a hero for their own advancement, the life of Mateusz Birkut suddenly changes. Mateusz Birkut becomes a hero, his portrait hangs with other record-breaking workers, he is received by the highest authorities and he marries a beautiful young athlete.

Mateusz Birkut symbolizes the working class of Poland – hardworking and honest people, who are willing to work hard for their homeland. Despite the declaration that the power was passed to the working class; in reality the power was passed from the bourgeois exploiters to the apparatchiks. As bourgeois, apparatchiks view Mateusz Birkut and others as merely an instrument to advance their goals.

Mateusz Birkut sincerely believes in a new ideology and is willing to help his comrades. When he tries to help his arrested friend and cross the path with apparatchiks his fate suddenly changes. Mateusz Birkut is arrested and declared an enemy of state. In the mid-1950s, he is released and rehabilitated. Mateusz Birkut is drawn back in the politics as a symbol of post-totalitarian Poland, but he just merely wants to gain back his life. It is impossible, because Mateusz’s wife has left him and he is cut out from the history.

Agnieszka was brought up in a different Poland (quoting Jean-Luc Godard: «The Children of Marx and Coca-Cola»), but she encounters the prevailing double think. Even the coworkers of Mateusz Birkut have cut out the memory about him. And when Agnieszka almost touches the truth about Mateusz Birkut, the state intervenes – the film is cancelled and Agnieszka is dismissed on the spot.

In «Man of Iron» Andrzej Wajda depicts the events of 1980 – the famous Gdańsk Shipyard strike. Almost everyone thinks that the strike is doomed for a bloody reprisal as previous strikes. Editor Winkel is ordered by the deputy chairman of Radio Committee to achieve coverage compromising the activists…

The activists of the Red May (Paris 1968) were described by the communists as a petit bourgeoisie, who would drop their radical thinking, when it would be their turn to run a family firm and exploit the workers. But in 1980, in Poland, the workers were the main string force – the people who had neither the money, neither the protection from the possible ruthless official actions.

Andrzej Wajda makes the son of  Mateusz Birkut -  Maciej Tomczyk as one of the main heroes. As father, Maciej Tomczyk is brave, honest, incorruptible and decisive. Along with real Lech Wałęsa and Anna Walentynowicz, Maciej Tomczyk starts the strike.

If in «Man of Marble» Andrzej Wajda depicts the relatively free Poland of the 1970s, in «Man of Iron» Poland is depicted as a lost and torn country. Tonight Poland is rioting, but tomorrow its streets could be painted with blood. The society is frightened, but it slowly starts transformation. The transformation is not limited to the workers, but touches even the relatively high class – the mass media.

Andrzej Wajda shows though Winkel the transformation of intelligentsia. Winkel is a drunken loser, who has not got anything in common with rioting bydlo. He eagerly starts to write a compromising coverage. But as he starts digging deeper into the roots of the strike, he begins to feel the common with strikers.

The director portrays the ruthless struggle between workers, who got nothing to lose, and elite, who are desperately clinging to their power and privileges. Solidarność has got only two options – to win or die. The government has army and police, the workers has slogans and moral authority.

Another link between «Man of Marble» and «Man of Iron» is Agnieszka. Andrzej Wajda portrays her spiritual transformation – in the first film she is a hysterical film student, who just want to piss off the authorities; the second film shows her as a devoted reformist and loyal wife of Maciej Tomczyk.

There a lot of anecdotes and stories about near-sightedness, cowardice, stupidity and divisions of the Poles. You could just remember the XVIII century partition of Poland, the war between Home Army and Armia Ludowa. Andrzej Wajda knew those stories, but he thought that there were some Poles who could lead the people to the brighter future.

Maciej Tomczyk is shown as one of those Poles. Because of him and others, the striking people achieved the impossible – the recognition from the Party officials. Despite that, the director is not optimistic – today’s victory could be followed by bloody tomorrow.

This victory is without parades, hymns and fireworks. But a bunch of people have changed the world. Tomorrow they could be executed, but tonight they have drawn the attention of the world and have written their names in History. They showed that no state is all-powerful. The state wanted Men of Marble in order to break them easier, but finally they got Men of Iron, who couldn’t be broken too easily.

In his dilogy, Andrzej Wajda gave the mirror to the Poles and made them watch. Andrzej Wajda thought that you shouldn’t lie or forget about the past or ignore the present. Instead of that, let’s watch this films together.

Le Bon et les Méchants

It is all relative

In 1974 Louis Malle made «Lacombe Luciene» - a film about a young man who becomes a collaborator because of the chain of events. The Second World War was always a painful page of the French history. No doubt, that the film was panned by the French political class as a whole. In 1976 Claude Lelouche made «Le Bon et les Méchants». The film starts with an epigraph: «No one is all good or all bad; there are only good-spirited or mean-spirited».

The film starts in the mid-1930s. Car repairman and lousy boxer Jacques and his friend Simone have decided to become robbers. When Jacques encounters prostitute Lola, their business starts to take off. The gang is chased by an ardent policeman Bruno Deschamps. Until the Second World War, things go on as usual. After the Occupation, they all end up in Vichy: Bruno is appointed to the French Gestapo; Jacques and the gang as escapees from the Occupied territory…

In the above-mentioned «Lacombe Luciene» the French society is depicted as indifferent and collaborationist. «Le Bon et les Méchants» shows the work of the French Gestapo and also pokes the French society. This ridicule is especially visible in two scenes: the children are learning the German numbers and there is a Petain’s portrait. After the Liberation, the children are learning the English numbers and there is a de Gaulle’s portrait.

«Le Bon et les Méchants» also depicts another interesting historic moment – the division of the French underworld. As we know, the French Gestapo was established after the Occupation. The French Gestapo hired a lot of criminals. Somehow, the policemen and the criminals became aligned with the occupying forces, which made them effectively traitors. On the other hand, some criminals joined the Resistance and became heroes.

The Director draws a parallel between Jacques the Criminal and Bruno the Policeman. In the pre-war part of the film they are depicted according to the stereotypes. Jacques is shown as a reckless adventurer; Bruno as a archetypical fearless guardian. Their weddings are depicted with accordance with their characters: Bruno’s wedding is extremely formal; Jacques and Lola’s is underground and mocking.

After the Occupation, the characters continue for a while to follow their stereotypes: Bruno join the French Gestapo, Jacques starts to work with collaborationist criminals. Nevertheless, the war shows their true face. When Jacques finds out that the Germans took 50 hostages as a reprisal for the robbery; he immediately returns the stolen goods to the Gestapo. On the other hand, in order to prove his loyalty to the Gestapo, Bruno is willing to murder his wife. Ironically, the both heroes would meet the same final and it won’t be the guillotine or the firing squad.

«Le Bon et les Méchants» shares another similarity with «Lacombe Luciene». Both films examine the role of chance in life, even in the war. This is illustrated in a history of Jacques. When he returns the stolen goods, we see his human side. Jacques joined the Resistance not because of the patriotism, but because he seeks vengeance for the torture of his wife. Ironically, he is unable to find the exact man, who tortured his wife.

«Le Bon et les Méchants» is not the most known film of Claude Lelouche. I watched it because of the presence of Jacques Dutronc. Despite that, the watching was a rather pleasant surprise. The film accurately portrays the epoch and I would like to commend its original color.

«Le Bon et les Méchants» should be watched along with «Lacombe Luciene» and «Un héros très discret».

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