Claude Berri is probably my favorite French director who was not associated with the New Wave movement of the 50s and 60s. He was around during the time, and making great films, but rather than rejecting traditional filmmaking technique, he embraced and mastered it.
In his writing and directoral debut THE TWO OF US (1967) he carves out wonderfully fun and developed characters. Looking at World War II through the eyes of an eight-year-old Parisan Jew, this film successfully approaches a serious subject with warmth and light-heartedness. Both the lead and the old man he is ship to the country to live with until Nazi occupation ends are marvelously acted. Michel Simon makes the old man character lovable and a true delight to watch despite his anti-Semitic feelings and rants.
The only other films I've seen by Berri are his 1986 releases JEAN DE FLORETTE and MANON OF THE SPRING. Two parts of one story adapted from a Marcel Pagnol novel, this story is a painful fable about the dangers of greed and cruelty. Once again I find one of the greatest strengths of this film to be Berri's ability to deeply develop a character and make you love him. In the first film the plot is set up to draw excellent social commentary from character contrasts between Jean and the villagers who are so cruel to him. I love the statements it makes about love toward your neighbors, respect to women and the power of dreams. The second segment brings the story full circle and resolves it with one of the most heart-breaking twists I've ever seen.
Two decades separate the films by Claude Berri that I have seen, but at each point in his career I find examples of the highest quality filmmaking. I suspect that as I see more films from him I'll find that to be a consistent theme.
No comments:
Post a Comment