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La France a Francophile's dream |
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| La France a Francophile's dream | |
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by Scott Rice -
SGN Contributing Writer La France br /> Opening September 5 I settled in to watch Serge Bozon's second film, La France, with no expectations. I was surprised to find a terrific little throwback of a movie that recalls some of the best French cinema ever made, especially the surrealist films of Luis Bunuel and the idiosyncratic work of Robert Bresson. Don't let this historical cinematic hyperbabble scare you off; this film is absurdly pleasing and pleasantly surprising at times. At other times, it feels self-conscious and plodding (it is French). If you like French film, you absolutely must see La France. If you aren't a big fan, go anyway but prepare for a unique experience. La France is set in the weary, late stages of World War I in rural northern France. Camille, played by Sylvie Testud, receives a letter from her soldier-husband saying he is leaving her. She then disguises herself as a boy and sets out to find him. Camille soon falls in with a band of French soldiers - who are apparently the worst soldiers ever, as she is inexplicably able to sneak into their camp unnoticed while they sleep. Despite the protestations of le Lieutenant (Pascal Greggory), Camille follows them on their journey through the ravaged warfront. Though the viewer waits for the soldiers to realize Camille's real identity, it's soon revealed that the soldiers have a secret of their own. The first hint that Bozon didn't have the standard war movie in mind is the stylized and theatrical entry of characters; you can almost hear the assistant in a tweed cap and knickers yelling, "Action!" as the actors enter the frame right on cue. Then you notice the sparse dialogue and the muted pallet of blues and earth tones. The film teases you along, not willing to give up its secrets until the first song (yes, it is a musical, but owes nothing to Busby Berkeley, trust me) and then you know for sure this is something different. You know this film is working on its own terms. The true surrealists like André Breton, Salvador Dalí, and the aforementioned Bunuel were more concerned with the fortuitous journey of the mind than with pedestrian linear narratives. You'll probably enjoy La France more if you relax and think of it in these terms than if you keep trying to employ more familiar cinematic language that simply doesn't apply. This surrealist take on the movie isn't the only way into its unique world (I could have written four totally different reviews and argued for the validity of each), but it is one way in. This is what separates art from movies. And don't expect cows in the living room or melting clocks; that's been done. However, this is the story of Camille's journey in response to inscrutable loss, a journey that just may be inside her head. Feel free to see the film and then send in derisive letters telling me I'm an idiot. I'll read them over a glass of flinty French white wine and have a good laugh. I admit it: I'm a Francophile. I never once uttered the term "freedom fries" without biting sarcasm, and I've never shied away from a good bottle of Sancerre. In addition, I studied film under Phil Solomon, a protégé of Stan Brakhage, so my affection for this movie may not translate to folks with less patience for experimental cinema. But if you want to experience a challenging work of cinematic art and you're willing to plunk down hard-earned cash in order to commit to being fully engaged, you should see this award-winning film. If you're looking for a late summer distraction, you should pass. La France plays the Northwest Film Forum, September 5-11, with shows daily at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. (Saturday and Sunday at 5 p.m.). |
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