fvila-40820
Joined Feb 2021
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Ratings6
fvila-40820's rating
Reviews4
fvila-40820's rating
I feared the worst before watching this movie. But it is neither a heavy-handed humanist manifesto, nor a simplistic anti-colonialist tract. It is a poetic rendering of a quest by a African man to save his son.
A word of caution for those allergic to subtitles: 80% of the dialog is in peul, a language that Omar Sy seems to speak fluently, despite being born In Trappes, France. This is also the only language his character speaks and understands, making his comprehension of the war extremely simplistic, despite his real intelligence and moral fibre.
The character's obsession is saving his son. That's why he enlisted in the first place. (His son was enrolled by force). But his son... Well watch the movie.
There are moments of pure poetry, the sound track adds a layer of weird to the already nightmarish and foreign environment.
Some people regret the movie isn't explicit enough in denouncing the evils of colonialism. Bei'g already convinced of that, I prefer not to be lectured at.
A word of caution for those allergic to subtitles: 80% of the dialog is in peul, a language that Omar Sy seems to speak fluently, despite being born In Trappes, France. This is also the only language his character speaks and understands, making his comprehension of the war extremely simplistic, despite his real intelligence and moral fibre.
The character's obsession is saving his son. That's why he enlisted in the first place. (His son was enrolled by force). But his son... Well watch the movie.
There are moments of pure poetry, the sound track adds a layer of weird to the already nightmarish and foreign environment.
Some people regret the movie isn't explicit enough in denouncing the evils of colonialism. Bei'g already convinced of that, I prefer not to be lectured at.
Some people make a big issue about this movie having been released in 1948. Apparently this was too late, it should have been 1938... as if that made any difference in this century.
At the time, the logic goes, poetic realism was no longer a thing, it was outdated, passé, old-fashioned. Well I contend that a good movie remains a good movie, in or out of fashion. Even if it was released yesterday, so even more so if it's as old as your granny.
For a start, as everyone acknowledges,, there's Simone Signoret. Not only (very) beautiful, but a powerful, tragic figure that fills the screen. As soon as you see her, you know you can expect... OK no spoilers.
Then there's a strong, memorable story. This is an important ingredient in poetic realism, as it gives weight to the atmospheric sets. That is part of why Le Jour se Lève or Liliom are so good. Dédée d'Anvers is in that class. People have compared it unfavourably with Quai des Brumes. Well I find that, for all its spender, that movie has a somewhat meandering, confused story that makes you wonder what all the atmosphere is about.
At the time, the logic goes, poetic realism was no longer a thing, it was outdated, passé, old-fashioned. Well I contend that a good movie remains a good movie, in or out of fashion. Even if it was released yesterday, so even more so if it's as old as your granny.
For a start, as everyone acknowledges,, there's Simone Signoret. Not only (very) beautiful, but a powerful, tragic figure that fills the screen. As soon as you see her, you know you can expect... OK no spoilers.
Then there's a strong, memorable story. This is an important ingredient in poetic realism, as it gives weight to the atmospheric sets. That is part of why Le Jour se Lève or Liliom are so good. Dédée d'Anvers is in that class. People have compared it unfavourably with Quai des Brumes. Well I find that, for all its spender, that movie has a somewhat meandering, confused story that makes you wonder what all the atmosphere is about.
Some choices made in this movie might look corny in other circumstances. But they are perfect in this context.
The simplistic stagey sets demonstrate that no effort is being made to make us « believe » in any of the story. The very short explanation of why the village came to be in the first place spares from « yes but » moments.
The pretext of a village suspended in time is a perfect backdrop for the real story, which is two people falling in love. It emphasises that magical state where time seems to stop, a bubble away from life as we know it. When you don't even yet know what is going on, but suddenly you realise that « it feels just like falling ... it feels just like falling ... IN LOVE » as the song goes. Gene Kelly's besotted grin, his wide open eyes, are a perfect illustration of that condition. Van Johnson's disabused outlook provides an amusing contrast.
The dance scene, where the couple sets out to pick heather and end dreamily revolving around each other, seemingly floating in mid air, is a great moment in cinema.
And Cyd Charisse. Oh my. I really felt myself falling in love with that image on the screen. And what a dancer!
For the rest, the highland group scenes are fun, the tunes are really catchy. Caveat : Purists of authentic Scottish folk art may take a dim view. But then if you are one, you already knew all about this movie, and don't need reviews to find out about it.
The simplistic stagey sets demonstrate that no effort is being made to make us « believe » in any of the story. The very short explanation of why the village came to be in the first place spares from « yes but » moments.
The pretext of a village suspended in time is a perfect backdrop for the real story, which is two people falling in love. It emphasises that magical state where time seems to stop, a bubble away from life as we know it. When you don't even yet know what is going on, but suddenly you realise that « it feels just like falling ... it feels just like falling ... IN LOVE » as the song goes. Gene Kelly's besotted grin, his wide open eyes, are a perfect illustration of that condition. Van Johnson's disabused outlook provides an amusing contrast.
The dance scene, where the couple sets out to pick heather and end dreamily revolving around each other, seemingly floating in mid air, is a great moment in cinema.
And Cyd Charisse. Oh my. I really felt myself falling in love with that image on the screen. And what a dancer!
For the rest, the highland group scenes are fun, the tunes are really catchy. Caveat : Purists of authentic Scottish folk art may take a dim view. But then if you are one, you already knew all about this movie, and don't need reviews to find out about it.