The Best French Film Made in the Past 30 Years?

Message

David Ehrenstein · #26 Post by **David Ehrenstein** » Sat Oct 22, 2005 11:41 am

The Winter 2002-03 issue of Film Quarterly (Volume 56 #2) contains my rather length analysis of Those Who Love Me Can Take the Train
Directed and co-scripted Patrice Chereau this 1998 release deals with a funeral and its aftermath. The enormous Super-Altman cast is headed by Jean-Louis Trintignant in what as a result of the murder of his daughter Marie will be his final performance. It's his valedictory. He plays a famous painter named Emmerich AND his identical twin brother. The painter (seen only in brief silent flashbacks, but heard on a tape recording that plays at various points in the action) has died of a heart attack and his enormous extended family of boyfriends, ex-boyfriends, ex-boyfriends of ex-boyfriends and blood relatives has assembled to ride the train from Paris to Limoges where he is to be buried in the family plot. Among the riders are his principle ex Francois (Pascale Greggory) who is breaking up with his current boyfriend Louis (Bruno Todeschini) who in the course of the action falls in love with a hustler (Sylvain Jacques) who unbeknownst to him has already had an affair with Francois. Then there's the infernal couple of Jean-Marie (Charles Berling) and Claire (Valerie Bruni-Tedeschi)
Both are drug addicts, but she's decided to quit -- which has given him cause to leave her. he still loves her however. But the trip is giving him a chance to confront his father (Trintignant as the live straight twin) who he never liked as much as his gay uncle.Then theire's Thierry (Roschody Zem) another addict who was the dead man's nurse and lover in his final years. "I got him his smack! He wated to die in my arms!" he yells at the others. His wife (Dominique Blanc) is also on board as is his daughter (Dephine Schlitz) who the dead man - in an act of overwhelming perversity - has left his entire inheritance. Finally there's Vivianne (Vincent Perez) a pre-op transsexual who may or may not have been the deceased's son. It's one Big Scene after another with overlapping stores and dialogue plus music on a busy soundtrack that includes everything from Bjork to Mahler to Jeff Buckley to "Save the Last Dance For Me."

A grand summation of "The Way We Live Now"," Chereau's film has a vitality and power that's literally overwhelming. It makes almost eerything else in the cinema seem anemic and gutless.

The story, BTW, proceeds from real life. Co-scripter Daniele Thompson was a close friend of Francois Reichenbach, the documentary filmmaker (Artur Rubinstein -- Love of Life, Medicine Ball Caravan, L'Amerique Insolite, and Welles collaborator on F For Fake) who was also a gay bon vivant and part of George Platt Lynnes set. When she went to visit him in the hospital where he was dying of AIDS, Reichenbach planned his funeral, saying he wanted to be buried in the family plot in Limoges. It was at this moment Thompson realized her old friend was really and truly going to die. She tried to make a joke of it. "Limoges? Oh but Francois all your friends are in Paris. Limoges is too far" -- to which he replied "Those who love me can take the train."

Patrice Chereau's other films include L'Homme Blesse and Queen Margot. His latest, Gabrielle, has been making the festival rounds. He is one of the world's greatest directors of opera. His production of Wagner's Ring cycle (available on DVD) changed the way the work was viewed for a new generation when it premiered at Bayreuth in the late 70's. When I was in France in 1983 I was lucky enough to catch a performance of his production of Genet's The Screens with Maria Casares, Hermione Karagheuz, Pierre Malet and Deavid Bennent.

He also acts.

Kinsayder · #27 Post by **Kinsayder** » Mon Oct 24, 2005 3:22 pm

ChÃ©reau's first film, La Chair de l'OrchidÃ©e, also happens to be one of my favourite French films of the last 30 years. A very creepy thriller, based on a James Hadley Chase book, with a terrific pair of assassins and Charlotte Rampling as an eye-slashing lunatic.

David Ehrenstein · #28 Post by **David Ehrenstein** » Mon Oct 24, 2005 3:40 pm

Wow. I've always wanted to see that one. Chereau doesn't think highly of it, but ant film with Charlote Rampling, Simone Signoret, Edwige Feulliere and Eve Francis can't be bad.

http://www.ehrensteinland.com/htmls/bri ... reau.shtml

kieslowski_67 · #29 Post by **kieslowski_67** » Tue Oct 25, 2005 1:22 pm

David Ehrenstein wrote:Those Who Love Me Can Take the Train. Not only the best French film of the last twenty years, but the greatest film ever made.

??!!

You must be kidding, right? Besides being a decent gay themed "the big chill", what makes you to claim that this is remotely close to the greatest film ever made?

David Ehrenstein · #30 Post by **David Ehrenstein** » Tue Oct 25, 2005 1:41 pm

Those Who Love Me presents its characters and their stories with an uncanny freewheeling precision. While the film doesn't proceed from a specific character's POV it operates as if it were a living organism in and of itself - zeroing in on certain moments, turning away from others. The musical choices and their erruption on the soundtrack relate to a consciousness that is both Chereau's and that of the film itself -- taking on "a life of its own." I have watched Those Who Love Me innumerable times and each time discovered something new/more about it. Much of this relates to Chereau's work in other forms. The breaktrough for me came when I came to realize how much the big scene at "La Souterraine" (where Claire defies Jean-Marie and screams "I'm stealing you child!") involved central elements of staging whose predecessors include his productions of Die Walkure (particularly the conclusion of Act II) and Les Paruvents.

Not sure what you mean by

a decent gay themed "the big chill",

Rufus T. Firefly · #31 Post by **Rufus T. Firefly** » Tue Oct 25, 2005 6:11 pm

David Ehrenstein wrote:...is headed by Jean-Louis Trintignant in what as a result of the murder of his daughter Marie will be his final performance.

So the two films he has appeared in subsequent to this one don't count, then?

David Ehrenstein · #32 Post by **David Ehrenstein** » Tue Oct 25, 2005 6:31 pm

Wow. Unaware of those two. I had been told that he was destroyed by marie's death. Hope this presages continued work.

In the IMDB reader's note On Janis and John :

Of course, it's just impossible to see this movie without thinking about Marie Trintignant's death and for some sequences (like when Sergi Lopez is shouting at her), it's really hard and sad. But,this movie deserve to be seen also for what it is: a good comedy, funny, pretty original with a lot of excellent musical moments. Even Christophe Lambert is brilliant in it, playing an ex-LSD addict. So, if you like Janis Joplin, if you like to laugh and if you want to see how beautiful, gifted and touching Marie was, just see this film. Bye Marie

The role Trintignant plays in Those Who Love Me is so well-written any number of actors could have done it. But he brings a unique passion to it , especiallyin his "Fuck you!" speech to his son. The last shot of him staring hauntedly out the windo of the empty house as the steadicam flies past is amazing.

Michael · #33 Post by **Michael** » Sat Oct 29, 2005 8:51 am

Watched Those Who Love Me last night. An enormously beautiful and stunning film. I couldn't believe that I hadn't seen it sooner. This film begs to be watched several times to get it all. How some characters related to each other was so baffling, frustrating that I remained lost throughout the film. (The Kino DVDs subtitles didn't help - washed-out and ugly. How is the UK, region-2 DVD, btw?) The film is claustophobic (crowded train stations, trains, closed barely lit rooms) and unbearably gripping in some parts (explosive family secrets).

But what stuns me the most about the film is its gorgeous and rich tapestry of some of the most complex and humane gay characters I've seen in all cinema. Unfortunately it's a very rare thing and because of this, Those Who Love Me must be treasured. The lovely closing sequence brought tears to my eyes and I don't even know why.

David Ehrenstein · #34 Post by **David Ehrenstein** » Sat Oct 29, 2005 10:15 am

The lovely closing sequence brought tears to my eyes and I don't even know why.

Chereau gives "curtain calls" to all his characters as they head off in various directions. the most heartbreaking is Francois (Pascale Greggory) looking up at the window of the hotel where Louis (Bruno Todeschini) and bruno (Sylvain jacques) are embracing. He is losing them both at thismoment loves them more than ever. He can then go back to the cemetery to properly mourn Jean-Baptiste -- what he's been trying to do for the entire film.

carax09 · #35 Post by **carax09** » Sat Oct 29, 2005 11:02 am

No way is Those Who Love Me... the best French film of the last 30 years!. Arguably, it wasn't even the best French film of 1998 with The Dreamlife of Angels and Venus Beauty both from that same year. Humane gay portrayals aside, it somehow manages to be both overblown to the point of annoyance, while remaining as dull as ditchwater for it's full two hour running time.
Holy crap, I just realized that Alice et Martin was from that year also. That film is better by a fair distance than all the ones I mentioned.

David Ehrenstein · #36 Post by **David Ehrenstein** » Sat Oct 29, 2005 11:20 am

Have we met?

http://ehrensteinland.com/htmls/g008/leoscarax.html

tavernier · #37 Post by **tavernier** » Sat Oct 29, 2005 11:43 am

David Ehrenstein wrote:Those Who Love Me Can Take the Train. Not only the best French film of the last twenty years, but the greatest film ever made.

Funniest thing I've read in the past 20 years, maybe ever! =D>

Michael · #38 Post by **Michael** » Sat Oct 29, 2005 11:47 am

tavernier wrote:
David Ehrenstein wrote:Those Who Love Me Can Take the Train. Not only the best French film of the last twenty years, but the greatest film ever made.
Funniest thing I've read in the past 20 years, maybe ever! =D>

Huh? I don't get it.

carax09 · #39 Post by **carax09** » Sat Oct 29, 2005 12:09 pm

Ok David, maybe I'm a little cranky because Fitzmas wasn't quite the Fitzmas we hoped it would be, but you know I (of all people) couldn't let your hyperbole over Those Who Love Me... go unchallenged. I'm actually pretty surprised your comments haven't stirred up a hornets nest of derision on this forum. Tavernier and I let you off EASY!

David Ehrenstein · #40 Post by **David Ehrenstein** » Sat Oct 29, 2005 12:25 pm

Well I thought Fitzmas was perfectly enchanting. This is just the end of Act One, you know. Rove is in Fitz's gunsites and so is his big game, Cheney. At the trial Cheney will have to testify in Irving's defense (the "I" in "I. Scooter Libby" stands for Irving,you know) and that's where he gets it. The current charges are a warning to several people.

Back on topic: I'm as serious as Fitz about Chereau. I really mean it. I'm 58 years and have seen a TON of cinema. Those Who Love Me is the film I've been waiting for all my life. It's a living organism with a oulse, a heart, a brain AND a d.j.

tavernier · #41 Post by **tavernier** » Sat Oct 29, 2005 2:25 pm

I don't hate Chereau's work: his film MON FRERE was lovely and heartbreaking. But TRAIN and GABRIELLE are trashy melodramas.

Oh, and his Ring Cycle was junky too.....just sayin'.

David Ehrenstein · #42 Post by **David Ehrenstein** » Sat Oct 29, 2005 2:43 pm

You're not "sayin' " much. "Junky"? Hardly. Haven't seen Gabrielle yet but have no idea of what you're talking about when you call Those Who Love Me a "trashy melodrama."

tavernier · #43 Post by **tavernier** » Sat Oct 29, 2005 2:55 pm

Chereau's Ring was awful, the first time I sat through a Ring cycle where I felt the hours slowly crept by.
As for TRAIN.....by far Chereau's worst film, although GABRIELLE is forgettable stuff also. (Of course you didn't question my opinion on MON FRERE, so I'm guessing you agree with me on that.)

David Ehrenstein · #44 Post by **David Ehrenstein** » Sat Oct 29, 2005 3:26 pm

tavernier wrote:Chereau's Ring was awful, the first time I sat through a Ring cycle where I felt the hours slowly crept by.

Too much vin rouge peut-etre. I couldn't have found it more exciting. The father/daughter dynamic of Wotan and Bunhilde was especially moving, IMO.

tavernier wrote:As for TRAIN.....by far Chereau's worst film, although GABRIELLE is forgettable stuff also. (Of course you didn't question my opinion on MON FRERE, so I'm guessing you agree with me on that.)

I haven't a clue as to what your standards for "worst" are, therefore I can't comprehend why you like Son Frere -- which I greatly admire needless to say.

tavernier · #45 Post by **tavernier** » Sat Oct 29, 2005 4:51 pm

Too much vin rouge peut-etre. I couldn't have found it more exciting. The father/daughter dynamic of Wotan and Bunhilde was especially moving, IMO.

I guess I should have drunk the wine that you did, then maybe I'd have found it exciting rather than modish and dull.

I haven't a clue as to what your standards for "worst" are, therefore I can't comprehend why you like Son Frere -- which I greatly admire needless to say.

So I can't admire a film by a director whose other work I don't much esteem? By that ludicrous reasoning, all Chereau films are of the same value, as are all Bresson films, all Kubrick films, all Ozu films, etc. That's a pretty simplistic view of art, IMO.

Anonymous · #46 Post by **Anonymous** » Sat Oct 29, 2005 5:42 pm

tavernier wrote:So I can't admire a film by a director whose other work I don't much esteem? By that ludicrous reasoning, all Chereau films are of the same value, as are all Bresson films, all Kubrick films, all Ozu films, etc. That's a pretty simplistic view of art, IMO.

I think we all know what you like or don't like. We're just trying to figure why. That means, we want you to provide an explanation for your opinion.

tavernier · #47 Post by **tavernier** » Sat Oct 29, 2005 6:49 pm

I think we all know what you like or don't like. We're just trying to figure why. That means, we want you to provide an explanation for your opinion.

Or else!

David Ehrenstein · #48 Post by **David Ehrenstein** » Sat Oct 29, 2005 6:50 pm

Yes -- or else we'll simply ignore you.

tavernier · #49 Post by **tavernier** » Sat Oct 29, 2005 6:52 pm

David Ehrenstein wrote:Yes -- or else we'll simply ignore you.

I sure hope so!

tavernier · #50 Post by **tavernier** » Sat Oct 29, 2005 6:52 pm

tavernier wrote:
David Ehrenstein wrote:Yes -- or else we'll simply ignore you.
Is that a threat - or a promise?