Camille Claudel 1915

Whom the gods love die young

In 1913, Camille Claudel, with the consent of her brother Paul, was admitted to the mental institution. Lacking the possibility to sculpt, she spends the days yearning for seldom visits of her brother.

First, the one should understand that «Camille Claudel» and «Camille Claudel 2015» could not be compared. The only three thing which unites them are those: figure of Camille Claudel; two great actresses for the main role and that the late film, in some aspects, continues the first one.

The author shows a fading Camille Claudel. Every day in the mental institution nails the coffin of her physical and artistic life. The spectator should answer the main question – does a mental condition of Camille Claudel deserves a life incarceration in the mental institution?

Juliette Binoche naturally portrays Camille Claudel. The Actress, by using a minimum of artistic expression, showed the fading of all hopes and aspirations of a great artist. In the end, there is only a shell of once great and beautiful Camille Claudel.

The mental institution depicted as a hell, which destroys people. Bruno Dumont, in line with Robert Bresson and Michael Haneke, uses the minimalistic and realistic attitude in portraying the institution – mad women with rotten teeth; cold rooms; old female monks as guardians.

Paul Claudel, along with Augustus Rodin, is an evil genius in the life of Camille Claudel. Rodin made Camille mad; Paul condemned her to a life imprisonment. Paul Claudel depicted as a stern religious fanatic, who punishes Camille for her sins.

«Camille Claudel 1915» is a hard drama about mental disintegration. It is hard to watch, but this film will certainly impress you.

8/10

Damage

Damaged people are dangerous. They know they can survive

The one should watch on the Saint Valentine’s Day some romantic film. I am a cynical lawyer, that is why the traditional love stories «love from the first sight-looking for a lost love-a sudden meeting-first date-and they lived happily» amuse me. Because of this, I gave decided to watch some unusual love story.

The Right Honourable Doctor Stephen Fleming MP is Minister without Portfolio, but he is expected to get the Department of Health. The family life of Stephen also good: loving wife, successful son and cute little daughter. One day at the French Embassy Stephen meets Anna Barton, to whom he is immediately attracted. After a few days his son introduces his fiancée – the same Anna Barton, - but it cannot stop Stephen…

The storyline of Damage, at first sight, is rather banal and boring. Nevertheless Louis Malle, as in his earlier works, took the trivial story and turned it into a spectacular story of all-consuming, doomed and passionate love. As I said before, the conventional love stories bores me. When you think about Damage you could say one word, which the most accurately characterize this film – the fatality. The affair of Anna and Stephen is a mad waltz of mentally traumatized woman and vehemently insane man. The one could feel the fatality by watching the sex scenes, which looks like a fight and does not even hint any tenderness.

Anna Barton reminds of a fire, which attracts butterflies. Every word, gesture and look of Anna hints the hidden danger. As Catherine from «Jules et Jim», Anna is capable of loving of two at the same time – Stephen and his son. However, the son, because of his naiveté and intellectual limits, cannot fully sense the dangerous aura of Anna. The mother instinct of Stephen’s wife feels Anna’s danger, but she is incapable to protect her son.

Any normal person would tell that Stephen Fleming’s behavior is despicable. On the other hand, who has not dreamed about such affair? Stephen’s action are driven by his attraction to Anna’s «fire», it is not the usual short affair between bored old politician and cute girl. He tries to break-up with Anna, but his mind cannot shut his passion.

Louis Malle has never judged his heroes – neither the collaborator Lacombe Lucien, neither the bored socialite Jeanne nor the petit bourgeois family in «Milou en Mai». He watches and feels certain compassion for the weaknesses and vices of his heroes. This feature makes the films of Louis Malle more interesting than «black and white» films of other directors.

«Damage» is a clever and subtle film, which would be interesting to everyone.    

9/10

Trois couleurs: Bleu

Liberté

Julie has gone through a terrible tragedy – the death of her husband and daughter in an automobile accident. At first, she tries to kill herself, but unable to swallow the lethal dose of drugs. After being released from hospital, she decides to sell the family mansion and to move to Paris. Once in a capital, Julie tries to cut all connections to the past.

«Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité» is the national motto of the French Republic. The national flag symbolizes the words: Blue for Liberté; White for Égalité; Red for Fraternité. Of course, these words have a political meaning. Krzysztof Kieślowski has made a film about personal liberty.

Julie tries to reach the personal liberty by the means of cutting all ties with the society. This path is wrong, because «Ghosts of the past» would still haunt you. The right way of reaching personal liberty is to «look into the eyes» of your past and pass it over and through you.

The acting of Juliette Binoche could be described in one word – natural. The Actress has naturally portrayed the introverted Julie, who is coping with a terrible tragedy. Binoche gives to Julie some traits of an ordinary woman, which makes her look even more natural.

Trois couleurs: Bleu is a visually stunning and sad film, which, nevertheless, gives us some hope. The film is recommended to all cinema-lovers, it will not disappoint you.

8/10