Un Secret, Claude Miller (2007)
Un Secret is a French movie directed by Claude Miller (2007). This film is based on a true story and takes place during World War II and the present. The narrative follows the journey and key events of a young boy, Francois. Francois was raised by parents who valued strength both physical and emotional, as important qualities. Francois did not live up to his father’s expectations and makes several allusions to a better version of himself. At the age of 15, his aunt reveals the secret of what happened before he was born.
Critic from the Hollywood Investigator raised some very insightful themes that I had not grasped during the first viewing. The obvious ones such as guilt, secrets… are apparent as they are carried through the plot. But there are the hidden themes, which are more discreet and subtle. For example the theme of secrets has several layers, motives are also subtle… these two leave viewers’ interpretation open rather than resolved. I agree with Brown as she says that this movie is intended for an intellectual audience.
The use of flashbacks was a good device to compare the past and the present. The transition between the two also enhanced the themes. Previous to this review, I had not known about the significance of the cemetery for the dog. It clarifies the ending scene and connects the themes together. The fluidity of this movie, despite the flashbacks is worth noting because it combines the present with the past. It ties two stories that seem unrelated but have a common theme. I find that it is the theme that makes the plot and not the other way around.
The Slant Magazine said that the movie “is the very definition of inessential”. Schenker says that for the content and the message, this movie did not do it justice. Schenker would have wanted the theme of intentions be more obvious. I understand his criticism but I disagree. The intention of the mother is left as an open question just like all our actions. It comes at the end as part of the denouement for Francois’s existence. Because if it hadn’t been for her decision, Francois would not be born and that was one of the themes.
The movie review from Abus de cine mentions the use of lighting as symbolic but more importantly the actors. I thought that Julie Depardieu, who played the aunt, was an excellent choice as she acted the role so well.
Review from Le Monde criticized the director’s use of aesthetics. He said that because of that, the movie lost its purpose and he compares it to the movies made forty years ago. The theme, in his opinion, was not apparent enough.
The reviews mostly revolve around the theme of the film. Some critics disliked the director’s choice in that there was more attention/importance towards the mise-en-scene than the actual events. World War II is always a difficult subject to treat especially if it has to do with a personal story. As mentioned before, Un Secret is based on a real story so the plot is objective/or subjective. The narrative doesn’t expose the viewers to the horrors of World War II but unravels the horrors of the particular family. It does not tell you what is happening and how you should feel. This creates an ambience of secret which echoes the principle theme.
http://hollywoodinvestigator.com/laura/laura-secret.html
http://www.slantmagazine.com/film/review/a-secret/3739
http://www.abusdecine.com/critique/un-secret
Nous nous sommes tant aimes, Ettore Scola (1974)
Nous nous sommes tant aimes, we loved each other so much also known by its original Italian title: c’eravamo tanto amati is an Italian movie by Ettore Scola. This story describes four characters, Gianni, Antonio, Nicola and Lucianna who find each other after several years of disconnected relations. The movie portrays the friendship, the bonds, the fights and quarrels that this circle has been through the many years. Gianni, Antonio and Nicola combated in the war together and Lucianna had affiliations/love affairs with each of them. This movie highlights many of the common Italian clichés and has become one of the iconic Italian movies to this day.
This movie made several allusions to other great Italian works such as Ladri di biciclette by Vittorio De Sica, Rome ville ouverte… This movies’ style also resembles another great Italian chef-d’oeuvre, La Dolce Vita. In the review from dvdclassik, the style is mentioned as it revolutionized cinema culture. They also say that this movie remains timeless because of its political message and its virtuous humor. The movie is one of the classics because it discusses the evolution of the socio-culture in Italy.
In the review by blog-seb-cine.over-blog, the mise-en-scene is discussed in length. The setting, the lighting, the shots… were meticulously thought out for this movie and contributed to its success. Another aspect that was raised was the theme of friendship, bonds, love… which were so powerful. Then the political message. Each character was particularly invested in justice but acted in different ways to achieve their means. This movie criticized the rich social class, the corruption… The critic wrote that this movie avoided clichés, however I would disagree with him. Even though there were several, I think that there was a purpose, which made this a satire. Nonetheless, this aspect doesn’t remove from the masterpiece that it still is.
The third critic, by Dennis Schwartz, was quite informal and disliked the flashbacks and the use of color versus the black and white. He also didn’t appreciate how the actors would sometimes talk to the audience. I disagree with what he says because I find that those elements separate common style with a unique and fresher one.
Another reviewer commented on the comedy of the movie.
Finally, the review from the New York Times also criticized the title, as it seemed awkward. In the previous review from Schwartz, he had also mentioned that. Vincent Canby (the author of the review) raised an interesting concept. He said that in European movies, friendship seem to be a popular theme whereas “American producers are made uneasy by movies that are about friendship and that attempt to cover so much time”. The comedy and humor is also examined in his review.
Most of the reviews referred to the original style and the political message. “We wanted to change the world, but the world changed us,” The title seemed to bother some reviewers as it was awkwardly formulated. However, I much prefer the Italian title because it rings better to the ear. Most of the reviews were posted on American websites, so the discussion about friendship being the dominant theme was often dismissed. This movie was brilliantly filmed and set itself apart from all other Italian cinemas.
http://www.dvdclassik.com/critique/nous-nous-sommes-tant-aimes-scola
http://blog-seb-cine.over-blog.com/article-nous-nous-sommes-tant-aim%3Fs-83751695.html
http://homepages.sover.net/~ozus/wealllovedeachothersomuch.htm
http://www.bestmoviesbyfarr.com/all-movie-picks/ceravamo-tanto-amati
Laura, Otto Preminger (1944)
Laura is a black and white mystery by famous film producer Otto Preminger. This is the story of a detective trying to solve the mystery of Laura’s disappearance. Without giving too much detail, Laura is special in that it has a major twist, which shifts the question of who killed her, to, what really happened?
The music is truly an aspect that complimented the movie. Without the appropriate music, the atmosphere is lost. In Laura, the score for the film builds the tension and enhances emotion without overbearing. Roger Ebert wrote, “The music lends a haunted, nostalgic, regretful cast to everything it plays under, and it plays under a lot.”
The actors for each character were perfect for their roles. Clifton Webb was especially well casted as Lydecker. Film review from NoirFanatic says, “His delivery of his lines just shows you what kind of man Lydecker really is.”
One of the criticisms I have regarding the movie is that sometimes I couldn’t tell reality from a dream. When the scene where the “twist” arrived, I was sure that it was a dream. It took a while for me to realize that what was happening was in fact reality. Film review from themoviescene.co also shares the same opinion. The reviewer also commented on the acting and said, “the performances in “Laura” are spot on”. Based on his review and this one movie, I agree with most of the information he shared.
During the first five minutes, I knew who was the criminal. (In most cases, it’s always the first person you see because it makes a circular narrative). With the twist, Preminger forces you to change your hypothesis and suspect different characters. Nonetheless, it did not remove from the wonderful experience I had while watching this movie.
http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20020120/REVIEWS08/201200301/1023
Film Theory and Criticism 