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3 Films By Louis Malle
R1 - America - Criterion Collection Review written by and copyright: Noor Razzak (5th April 2006). |
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The Film
 Louis Malle is know as one of the French New Wave filmmakers that erupted in the 1950’s and 60’s his style of cinema was very naturalistic and authentic, always choosing to make films with unknown actors and many times casting leads that were not actors at all. His background in documentary filmmaking paved the way for this naturalistic style of filmmaking in his later fiction feature films such as Murmur of the Heart (1971), Lacombe, Lucien (1974) and the internationally recognized Au Revoir, Les Enfants (1984). His first foray into the film industry came in the form of an assistant to Robert Bresson, later he served as cameraman to Jacques-Yves Cousteau and was later promoted to co-director on the film Le Monde du Silence (1956) which earned Malle a Golden Palm at the Cannes Film festival. To this day he is the youngest person to receive that award in the history of the festival. His fictional films have traditionally caused controversy over the years; Les Amants (1958) broke taboos with its graphic eroticism and was branded with an obscenity conviction in the United States preventing it from being screened, a conviction which was later reversed in 1968. Murmur of the Heart caused a fresh wave of controversy due to its depiction of incest, according to Malle himself one of the last taboos of our times. The film dealt with the subject in a lighthearted comedic manner that perhaps shocked some audiences. Lacombe, Lucien would look at a very shameful past in French history, and examines a young French boy’s recruitment as German police officer fighting the resistance during the last year of World War II. Malle is no stranger to controversy, but what set him apart from many filmmakers was his understanding of film and storytelling especially the use of one’s personal stories as the motivational ‘engine’ so to speak for these films. Malle struggled never to repeat himself and looking back his filmography it would be difficult to find two films that are the same. This diversity makes him one of the forgotten of the new wave generation of filmmakers whose work held consistencies. Malle hated consistency and was always looking for a different story, a different genre, always searching for something new. If there is anything consistent about the three films presented here it would be the theme of adolescence, the look of the photography and the realistic approach to direction. Although set around the same time period (occupation era France) these stories are farther apart than one might think. Murmur of the Heart (1971) (B-) Murmur of the Heart tells the coming-of-age story about Laurent Chevalier (Benoit Ferreux) a 15 year-old boy from Dijon, France. Laurent lives with his family of two brothers, mother and father. Laurent is smothered by his mother, Clara (Lea Massari); he is truly a mother’s boy. At a young age Laurent is introduced to alcohol, cigarettes and sex by his two older brothers. In fact they decide to treat Laurent to a prostitute in order for him to lose his virginity. Laurent is not your average well-to-do boy, he’s got a mischievous personality, he steals (jazz records from the local music shop) and occasionally indulges in making fun of the servants of the house with his brothers. But when it comes to his mother, he’s a perfect angel. His close relationship with his mother develops and eventually leads to incestuous sex with her. This proves as the boy’s turning point to manhood, the definitive moment in a boy’s life and soon after Laurent is bedding other women. Only the French can make a film about incest so lighthearted and with a comedic approach, this approach was in all honestly much more disturbing than taking a serious stance. Although there are many comedic and standout moments in this film, many of which seem rather American than European they all were created in a subtle build-up. Malle never overcooks his scenes and knows when to stop, especially with the infamous scene which we see nothing of the actual act. A decision I feel was the right one, showing it would have veered this film onto a very different course. Much like many French films we have a rather detached viewed of things, Laurent is a character that is never truly explored other than his sexual desires. This, combined with his mischievous attitude makes him a rather unlikable fellow. Malle also comments on religion in this film by way of the Catholic Church, he himself was an alter boy and drops rather obvious comments on homosexuality in the Church, one scene in particular stands out as Laurent is in confession with Father Henri, who jokingly comments on how much he’s grown since the last time they spoke and puts his hands around Laurent’s thighs. A truly uncomfortable scene made humorous only by Michael Lonsdale’s performance as Father Henri. Murmur of the Heart is not for everyone, the nature of the story and the manner in which it’s told requires an acquired taste. Fans of Malle and French new wave should check this one out. Lacombe, Lucien (1974) (A+) Lacombe, Lucien is set in a small village in the South-West of France during the last year of World War II. 18 year-old Lucien (Pierre Blaise) is tired of working at the nursing home, after a five day break spending time with his family, he decides he will join the resistance. When he’s told he’s too young and turned away, Lucien stumbles into the presence of the German police force. A collection of French collaborators seeking resistance members in attempts to quash it, Lucien is asked to join and is soon a working member of the force. Through this job Lucien meets a rich Jewish tailor, Albert Horn (Holger Lowenadler) from Paris, living in hiding and paying German Police to leave his family alone. Lucien eventually takes a liking to Mr. Horn’s daughter France Horn (Aurore Clement). Eventually his identity is know and Albert is taken away, Lucien is faced with losing the girl he loves and during a raid of her house he kills a Nazi solider sent to take them away. Lucien, France and her Grandmother (Therese Giehse) flee to the French countryside. Malle comments in the supplements disc in one of his audio interviews that this film is his favorite and stands as his ‘best work’ although Au Revoir, Les Enfants has garnered him more critical acclaim, I would agree with his comment. Lacombe, Lucien is in my opinion his greatest film, his portrayal of Nazi collaborators is viewed in an unjudgmental fashion, which as a Frenchman himself would appear to be a difficult task to look upon this character without interjecting any sort of personal comment. Lucien’s transition to German police officer does not require a huge leap, both for the character and for the audience. Malle sets up his violent personality rather quickly, in the first few moments of the film Lucien kills a bird perched in a tree, he kills animals with his hands and by use of a gun. This violent country life has shaped his perceptions about killing and eventually sees everyone else as a vulnerable animal. He enjoys his job; he enjoys holding a gun and being the bigger man this attitude is even evident with his relationship with France. This position is his turning point, from the moment he witnesses the torture and techniques of the German police Lucien looses his innocence. Lucien tries to achieve things holding a gun, but his relationship with France is something different entirely because she is not impressed with this attitude and his violent gun-toting ways. This is evident in her initial meeting with him, however doesn’t really distance herself and forms a relationship that on the outside seems artificial however to Lucien it’s what he wants. It can be interpreted that France’s relationship with him is purely that of convenience. Lucien can help her and her grandmother escape from the Nazis and that is what eventually happens. Lucien eventually by doing this act of good in a way reclaims some of his lost innocence in the time spent in the country with France, however this comes to an abrupt end when reality comes down on us and the film ends with a text that reveals Lucien’s demise after the end of the war. Lacombe, Lucien is a masterpiece of cinema that makes for essential viewing, the subject matter alone should be enough to spike one’s interest. Au Revoir, Les Enfants (1987) (A) Also set in World War II occupied France, Au Revoir, Les Enfants tells the story of two young boys, Julien Quintin (Gaspard Manesse) and Jean Bonnet (Raphael Fejto) at a Catholic boarding school. Jean is the new kid in school and Julien soon forms a rivalry with him as they are both top students. Eventually the boys form a bond and become friends, when Julien discovers a dark secret, Jean is actually a Jewish boy and the priests at the school are hiding him and a few other Jewish children from the Nazis. When suddenly on one fateful day, the Nazis raid the school and arrest the priest and take away the Jewish kids discovered at the school. Julien and Jean would never see each other again. Of all the films of Malle, this is the most personal, based on actual childhood memories Malle took his time in making this film. After a career making films in the United States he wanted to return to France, a country that was deeply unhappy with his departure and decision to make films in the United States. That sentiment and the fact that he wanted to do right by this story, a defining moment in his adolescence resulted in the long wait to eventually make this film. Malle exhibited ultimate control over this project and spent a considerable amount of time casting it, eventually the two lead boys were found and filming began with a small crew. Au Revoir, Les Enfants is a particularly sad and emotional film; however Malle maintains a level of playfulness and subtle dramatic tones until the film’s conclusion. Which, similar to Lacombe, Lucien comes rather abruptly; this reflects how these events played out in Malle’s own life. The relationship with the two boys is the crucial element in this film’s ability in being realistic. Malle himself has said that 50% of the performance is the casting and that he often chooses to work with non-professional actors. This creates a naturalistic style to the performance that adds a level of realism that would not have been achieved with professional child actors. Additionally the material is clearly crafted with care and precision, something that Malle strove to achieve with this film, although slow and drawn out in parts the film never really bores and manages to capture the audience almost from the start. Your investment is entirely in these two boys and the payoff is rather tragic but handled in the most subtle manner. Au Revoir, Les Enfants makes another great inclusion in this collection of films, if you haven’t already seen it then perhaps a screening is in order.
Video
All of these films are presented in the original theatrical ratios of 1.66:1, these anamorphic widescreen images are very good. All films look very natural and colors are rendered as such, the images are sharp and finely detailed. Some instances of film grain were found however nothing that was ultimately distracting. I discovered some instances of print damage in all three films which were in the form of a hairline scratch that appear momentarily onscreen and never surfaces again. Overall I was incredibly impressed with these transfers, all three film have been given a terrific treatment.
Audio
All three film include their original French Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono soundtracks, the audio is clear and distortion free and in true Criterion style none of the tracks had any hiss, pops, crackle or drastic drop outs. These are totally pristine audio tracks. Optional subtitles are included only in English and are easy to read and do not include any grammatical or spelling errors. They appear onscreen for an adequate amount of time so one does not have to rewind to catch anything that was missed.
Extras
This box set release include a plethora of supplements on a bonus disc, however each film also includes some minor extras. You’ll find a collection of theatrical trailers, a series of interviews, some television segments, a series of audio interviews, the Charlie Chaplin short film as seen in Au Revoir, Les Enfants, a character study plus a series of liner notes and Malle’s filmography Below is a closer look at these extras per disc. DISC ONE: Murmur of the Heart On this release you’ll find the film’s original theatrical trailer which runs for 3 minutes 7 seconds. You’ll also find some liner notes with a new essay by film critic Michael Sragow about the film and it’s controversial subject. Additionally within these notes you’ll also find a chapter listing, cast and crew credits, information about the transfer, DVD credits and acknowledgements. DISC TWO: Lacombe, Lucien On this release you’ll find the film’s original theatrical trailer which runs for 2 minutes 31 seconds. You’ll also find some liner notes with a reprinted review of the film from critic Pauline Kael which appeared in an issue of The New Yorker magazine. Additionally within these notes you’ll also find a chapter listing, cast and crew credits, information about the transfer, DVD credits and acknowledgements. DISC THREE: Au Revoir, Les Enfants On this release you’ll find the film’s original theatrical trailer which runs for 1 minute 58 seconds as well was its original theatrical teaser which runs for 44 seconds. You’ll also find some liner notes with a two essays on the film by critic Philip Kemp and also from film historian Francis J. Murphy. Additionally within these notes you’ll also find a chapter listing, cast and crew credits, information about the transfer, DVD credits and acknowledgements. DISC FOUR: The Supplements Here is were all the good stuff is kept, on this fourth disc. Please note that these films are available individually but in order to get the supplements disc you have buy the box set. First up we have an interview with Pierre Billard, he is Malle’s biographer and this clip runs for 27 minutes 37 seconds. Billard discusses Malle’s life, his films and his legacy to French cinema. Billard goes into detail regarding his real life influences that were the motivational drive for some of his most controversial films. He also covers the filmmaker’s first forays into the industry and examines some of the films he made including the three that are part of this set. This interview is in French with English subtitles. Next we have another interview with widow, actress Candice Bergen. This clip runs for 13 minutes 30 seconds, Bergen discusses his personality and his love for documentary films. She provides insight into his passion for storytelling and his own personal thoughts on his films. As well as that formative moment in his life in 1944 that formed the basis for Au Revoir, Les Enfants. Next up we have two television segments from a show entitled Pour Le Cinema this aired on French television and went behind-the-scene of films. These clips are nothi n French with English subtitles. These segments include: - Murmur of the Heart which runs for 7 minutes 48 seconds, and originally aired on April 4, 1971. This clip takes us behind-the-scenes of the film and interviews the principle cast and director. It’s no different than what an EPK does today for films, it provides a background on the project and some insight into its production. - Lacombe, Luncien runs for 11 minutes 58 seconds, and originally aired on February 6, 1974 and covers the same topics as the previous only this time focusing on Lacombe, Lucien. Louis Malle at AFI are a series of audio interviews that were recorded on Decemeber 7, 1988 while at the American Film Institute discussing his film career. These recordings are in English and there are 8 topics and they include: - Two stories of collaboration which runs for 9 minutes 6 seconds, here Malle talks about the army and the Lucien controversy. - Writing Murmur of the Heart which runs for 3 minutes 26 seconds, Malle tells us the writing process and how quickly this script was delivered. - The event of his childhood runs for 5 minutes 11 seconds, he reveals the true life event that inspired Au Revoir, Les Enfants, the reason it took so long for him to make this film and also in directing children. - Difficulty of simplicity runs for 3 minutes 46 seconds. Malle comments on the difficulties of keeping things simple, in storytelling and what you portray on screen. - Directing children runs for 16 minutes 22 seconds, here Malle tells us about achieving realism with non-actors and how he directs performance from them. - The dangers of compromise runs for 4 minutes 2 seconds, self censorship is discussed, as is audience unpredictability. - Directing as he writes runs for 5 minutes 31 seconds, here Malle tells is of his hatred of writing, and his close collaboration with his co-writers. - The solitude of the director runs for 5 minutes 38 seconds, we learn about how he deals with cinematography, the difference between cameramen in the US and in Europe, as well as working in close collaboration with the director of photography. Malle tells us that even though you are surrounded by crew, there is still solitude about directing. Louis Malle at the National Film Theatre are another in a series of audio interviews, the first of this series was recorded on June 4, 1974 as part of the John Player Lecture Series. These recording are also presented in English. There are 9 topics and they include: - Mexico runs for 5 minutes 58 seconds, and he discusses an abandoned project that was to film in Mexico. - France, the character runs for 2 minutes 31 seconds, here Malle tells us about the relationship between France and Lucien, whether it’s love or a relationship of convenience for her. - A scandalous filmmaker runs for 3 minutes 58 seconds, comments are made that he doesn’t set out to cause scandal, although it’s good for publicity. - His connection to Bresson runs for 4 minutes 23 seconds, here he talks about his experience in working for the filmmaker and what he learned during that time. - Music in film runs for 4 minutes 44 seconds, here he shares his thoughts on when it’s appropriate and when it’s not to use music in films. - Writing for the screen runs for 4 minutes 21 seconds, Malle confesses his hatred for writing again, and tells us how frustrated he gets trying to communicate his ideas to other writers. - Collective filmmaking runs for 6 minutes 23 seconds, here he discusses why he doesn’t really use the same cast and some crew, while others remain constant such as his sound recordist. - Actors and technology runs for 7 minutes 14 seconds, here he discusses about his never rehearsing with actors, he directs as he shoots and that part of the performance is good casting. - Jewish actors runs fro 1 minute 49 seconds and tells us that you don’t need Jewish actors to play Jewish people and includes a hilarious anecdote about Therese Giehse. The second in the series of recordings were conducted on February 1, 1990 as part of a retrospective. These recording are also presented in English. There are 13 topics that include: - An eccentric family which runs for 1 minute 21 seconds, here he talks about his childhood and formative years. - Choosing filmmaking runs for 2 minutes 45 seconds, Malle talks about his choice to become a filmmaker and his family’s reaction to that career choice. - From film school to the Calypso runs for 4 minutes 32 seconds, here he discusses how Jacques-Yves Cousteau picked him to be his underwater photographer and eventual co-director on a documentary. - Assistant to Robert Bresson runs for 2 minutes 58 seconds, here he talks about how he got to working with the filmmaker. - Privilege and responsibility runs for 4 minutes 21 seconds and talks about his privileged background in both family and in his own career and the responsibility that creates. - Cinema and real life runs for 4 minutes 11 seconds, here he talks about how cinema should be a reflection of life and that one should have the ability to distinguish one from the other. - 1968 runs for 9 minutes 25 seconds and covers a hectic time in his life, he comments on what he wants to achieve with his film and talks about his journey’s to India. - Controversy and morality runs for 5 minutes 25 seconds, comments on tackling issues such as child pornography, incest and suicide and whether this is a rebellion of his bourgeois upbringing. - Social revenge runs for 2 minutes 16 seconds, here he discusses the theme of social revenge in Lacombe, Lucien and how he doesn’t judge what the character does in the film. - Nonfictional characters runs for 5 minutes 14 seconds, he comments on how some audiences have seen real people in the character of Lucien, many believe he was a real person. - Luis Bunuel runs for 3 minutes 21 seconds and comments on his relationship with the director. - A comedy of incest runs for 4 minutes 59 seconds, here he talks about why he decided to make a film about incest between mother and son rather than about Father and daughter among other things related to the film Murmur of the Heart. - Candice Bergen runs for 1 minute 59 seconds and talks about whether he’d work with this wife. Next up we have the 1917 short film entitled The Immigrant, this is the Charlie Chaplin short that is seen in Au Revoir, Les Enfants presented here in average quality, with English inter-titles that seem to have some pixel blurs around the lettering and includes the new 1989 score by Michael Mortilla. Following that we have A Character Study of Joseph as seen by Guy Magen, a professor of cinema from the University of Paris, here the professor provides a detailed profile of this provocative character in the film Au Resvoir, Les Enfants. Rounding out the extras is a booklet that lists Malle’s filmography. Overall these are excellently produced extras that provide hours of information, normally I’d remove marks for not including any audio commentaries on these film, however there is sufficient enough information provided in the audio interviews to satisfy anyone’s curiosity on the filmmaker and his work.
Packaging
Each of these films is individually packaged in an amaray case and housed a cardboard slip-case.
Overall
This is another great release from The Criterion Collection.
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