"The Class"

Review- The Class by Michael Waalkes

The Class, a film by French director Laurent Cantet, is a thoughtful representation of modern French society through the filter of education. The film centers on François, a young teacher of French beginning his fourth year at a lyceé in an urban area of Paris. The class which François is teaching clearly shows the diversity of modern France, as immigrants from such countries as China, Mali, and Morocco populate the desks of François’ classroom. It is clear even from the beginning of the film that François faces a challenge in teaching his students, as his students frequently ignore his instructions and are disrespectful to him.



Especially unique to the film is that, unlike other urban school-focused films, it avoids turning the character of François into a saintly, near-perfect representation; in the film François frequently makes mistakes and comes into conflict with his students. In one particular scene, he uses the name “Bill” as an example for a sentence he devises, which leads his multi-cultural students to question why he uses such a “whitey” name instead of a name which would be more representative of the students’ culture. This scene illustrates the primary cultural tension of the film, as one of the students goes on to explain that she does not think of herself as French, even though she was born in the country. The film then continues with a focus on the character of Souleymane, a troubled student from Mali, who is primarily involved in one of the pivotal scenes of the film. Significantly, the ending is bittersweet for the characters, as François faces disciplinary action for some rash remarks about his students, while Souleymane is eventually expelled from the school for an accidental act of violence toward a fellow student.




The film is almost entirely shot within the school complex itself, thus completely focusing the film on the school and its inhabitants. Interestingly, even the scenes of the children playing in the school’s courtyard are filmed from above, which helps to emphasize the viewpoint of the teachers of the school as being isolated from their students. This seems to be essential to a point which the film was trying to make; that there is overwhelming tension contained within modern France. Overall, I felt that the film succeeds as a realistic portrait of the French education system, as well as a display of the issues in today’s French society.

"Amile" Review by Alex

Le Fabuleux destin d'Amile Poulin

Le Fabuleux destin d'Amile Poulin released to the world in April 25, 2001, and was written and directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet. This film was an amazing story of a young child-like woman who's ambitions can not have been more pure. Although raised by strict, non social parents, she herself has found to be quite loving in her nature. Just think of the movie like a graceful mix between Romantic, Zorro, Juno, Pushing Daisies, Travelosity and Renoir -all smashed into a blender then served with strawberry ice-cream. The story unfolds as she finds a small old time capsule container in her house and then tries to resend it to the owner. Upon finding him, she secretly gives it to him and through that finds her life's ambition, to help others in her community, and to do it under secrecy. She first helps her father, by means of a Gnome that travels the world (that's where the Travelosity mascot comes in!); falling which she helps members of her work find love, and all the meanwhile she herself is slowly unknowingly helping herself find truly -peaceful love as she begins to help another man which is the overall theme of this wonderful work of art.




This movie is a delight to see, perhaps a bit long, but an amazing treat. The cast was spot on with such amazing acting to bring life into these very deep roles. The cinematography makes all the visuals of this movie played out around you the most different and gratifying experience one will ever see, as to me I felt like I was watching a painting jump to life instead of a movie. The visual troupes were literally ambuntant to the point that I'm sure you'll notice several different things every single time you see it. There are just so many layers to such a wonderfully captured movie.
Overall, I thought it was very well done and set up in a way that would be easily understandable and accessible for the international audience and would be a great movie for you to pick up today!

Review of "The Lover" By Eli Sarkissian(received April 10, 2010)

Review of “The Lover” by Eli Sarkissian

“The Lover” or “L’amant” directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud, is a romance story about a younger, white girl and an older Chinese man. The movie is set in the year of 1929 in which It is seen that the she lives in poverty. The young girl goes to school away from her home and family in which she is given too much freedom to do whatever she desires. On her journey back to school she takes the ferry across the river and this is where she first crossed paths with her lover, the Chinese man. It is evident that when the Chinese man saw the young girl for the first time, he knew that she was special and for some reason cared very much about her. Noticeably nervous, the Chinese man tries to spark up a conversation with her, but she seems to not be showing the same kind of interest back.



He offers to give her a ride to Saigon, where her school is located, and she accepts without being hesitant. As she starts realizing that the man is wealth, curiosity strikes her. Even though he is coming on strong, she is accepting the attention without giving the same kind of attention back until he tries to hold her hand and she begins to hold it back. During the ride, they do not talk very much, which seems to be the case in the rest of the movie when they are in the eyes of the public, they mention their ages. She lies to him and says that she is eighteen, but really she is fifteen and a half, and he tells her that he is thirty-two.
After he drops her off he keeps coming back to see her. Each time he comes back he keeps hinting more and more that he desires sex from her, and she hints to him back that she wants him to sexually want her. One afternoon he picks her up and takes her to a Chinese part of town and they end up making their way to what they called the “bachelor’s room”. He explains that these rooms are usually used for men who want to be alone with their mistresses away from home. In the room, he tells her that he is afraid of loving her, but can’t resist her body and fears that she is too young for him. She tells him that she does not want him to lover her, but she wants him to treat her like he treats the other women he brings here. Noticing that he won’t make the first move she instigates him to release his urge on her. This room is a very important part of the movie because it is where they make love many times, and it is where they find out about each other. They create memories here with their love making and start adding accessories like plants and bookshelves to the room to make it theirs. They also have conversations about the others lifestyle. He tells her the traditions with his culture and how he can’t marry her because she is not a virgin and how his dad has scheduled him an arranged marriage with someone that he does not know. She tells him about her family and how she does not like they way they live or treat each other.




They become addicted to each other, but this addiction ends up hurting them in the end because her mom is taking her to France and he has to marry the woman his dad wants him too. With them both knowing that they have no future together allows them to talk about their futures without having the other one involved in it.
This movie is very interesting due to the fact of the attitudes and feelings of the characters. The Chinese man has confessed his love for her over and over and shows her that she is important to him by taking her out to dinner and giving respect to her family. The young girl does not seem to be showing the same affection towards him. She hints to him that she likes that he is wealthy and that her desire for him is his love making. This is very significant because she refuses to show how much she cares about him until the very end of the movie when it is too late for her to get him back.
Even though there is a lot of sexual content in “The Lover”, it has a good plot for a romance that is wishful upon viewers. The connection that the Chinese man and the young girl have is very rare, but ends up creating a beautiful love story that the audience can connect to as well. Also, the tone in the movie is much like a tone of hope and acceptance. Both know that going into this kind of relationship will result to a sad ending in which they will eventually have to part, but throughout the movie it is evident that both characters wished for hope that their relationship would never end.

Review of "La Vie en Rose" by Heidi

La Vie En Rose


The film introduces the audience to Edith Piaf: a world-renowned French singer from the 1940s and 1950s. The film shows Edith growing up in the slums of Paris with her alcoholic mother. Her father then returns from WW1 and realizes the terrible conditions that his daughter is living in. He takes her to live with his mother, who is the “madame” at a brothel. Edith spends several years growing up in the brothel. While there she befriends several prostitutes .Including Titine, a redheaded, church-going prostitute who resembles the closest thing Edith has to a mother.



While there, Edith develops an infection in her eyes and becomes blind for a time. After a trip to visit a statue of St. Theresa with the women from the brothel, Edith can see again. Her father comes and takes her on the road with him after a tearful and dramatic goodbye with Titine. Edith lives and travels with her father in the circus which he eventually leaves. Her father eventually turns into a street-performer much like Edith’s mother. After realizing he can’t make enough, her father pushes the teenage Edith to sing.And it so happens, Edith gets discovered. A promoter, Louis Leplee discovers Edith and through the French cabaret circuit, Edith manages to make a name for herself. After this, Leplee gets murdered and Edith becomes a suspect. Not much is added to that storyline. Edith shines in the cabaret industry but, she also steps into the dark side of stardom; the alcohol, the parties, the men (several); all which lead to more and more tragedy and pain for her. The film travels from Edith’s childhood to her deathbed and from France to New York. Her struggles with pain, drugs, perfectionism, and control remain one constant in the film. “La Vie en Rose” takes the audience down Edith’s path of success and ultimate destruction. I think the main theme of the film would be the idea of beauty through pain. Through Edith’s pain, life is portrayed under the stage lights. Edith wanted nothing more than to love and to sing. The movie showed the two different extremes of her life. At one moment Edith was almost insanely happy and at another moment she was beyond depressed. The theme of beauty through pain is present not only in the lyrics by the songstress but in her mannerisms as well. The actress emitts angst through her eyes and walks in an awkward manner. She speaks with a raspy voice and acts incredibly prideful.



The mise- en- scene of the film is near perfection. The smart camera angles peer into the leading actress’s soul and illuminate the set. It is very life like and appropriate and resembles what I believe 1940’s and 1950’s Paris should look like. However, it isn’t the scene construction or the editing and production that create the mise-en-scene. It is purely the casting and the amazing acting skills of the characters. Cotillard embodies Edith Piaf. The audience understands the film because of Marion Cotillard. She crafts the world of the film.

Review of “The Diving Bell and The Butterfly” By Erica Gann

Review of “The Diving Bell and The Butterfly” By Erica Gann




The film, “The Diving Bell and The Butterfly,” is a story about a man who becomes almost completely paralyzed after having a stroke. Jean-Dominique Bauby, who we learn is editor of the fashion magazine, Elle, is told that he has Locked-in Syndrome, which means that he is barely able to communicate with the world around him although he still has brain functioning. His body is completely paralyzed except for one eyelid. While Bauby is in the hospital, a speech therapist works with him so he can communicate in sentences and phrases. She reads letters off to him in the order of frequency of use and Bauby learns to blink when the letter arises that spells what he wants to say. Bauby learns to communicate with others in this way.

Before his stroke, Bauby had signed a contract to write a book. Continuing with his contract, he works with a book dealer who agrees to take the time to allow Bauby to write the book by blinking. The book is written over a period of time. Jean-Dominique lives long enough to hear what the critics say about his book, but then dies soon after from pneumonia.



We learn through flashbacks that Jean-Dominique has three children. We see other people from his past, including his father, who is confined to his apartment due to old age, and a friend who was held hostage for a number of years. These people are in similar situations because they are confined or isolated in some way, just as Jean-Dominique is now.

An interesting part of this film is the way Jean-Dominique’s story is told. The film is told from his perspective, with flashbacks as well. We also see scenes from Dominique’s imagination. Scenes are often shown of Bauby underwater, encased in a diving bell. It symbolizes his feeling of being trapped and not being able to communicate how he would like to. We are introduced to his story at the very beginning of the movie by watching doctors and nurses looking over him. We hear Bauby’s thoughts and attempts to speak, although the doctors are unable to hear him. Throughout much of the movie this filmic device is used. The camera puts the viewers in a position that mimics Bauby’s, and therefore we hear his thoughts and feelings.

The movie had a depressing tone, overall. Viewers continually see the declining health of Jean-Dominique. We see his children and wife who are saddened by seeing their father and husband in such a condition. Even Jean-Dominique does not want to see his own face after the stroke. We are, however, able to hear Bauby’s jokes and humor through his thoughts, even though he cannot express them to others. This lightens the tone of the movie and brings some laughs to the audience. The filmic devices were very interesting. They were very realistic, especially when viewing the outside world through Bauby’s eyes. One scene even shows what Bauby sees as his non-working eye is being sewn up by the doctor! I would recommend this movie for anyone who is interested in French films, with the exception of young children.

What Are We Doing Here!!!

For the next few weeks our group will be watching modern french films in attempt to display French culture to those who are unaware. We will focus on narrative patterns, formal devices, tone/theme, tropes and cultural representation in these classic and modern french films to display french culture. We hope to enlighten individuals who are unaware of rich French culture displayed in these movies. We will also include source material other than movies to be even more descriptive of French culture in movies.

We will watch two movies a week. One person in the group will write a review and the remaining members will post contributory commentary:

(Throughout process Joe is responsible for all postings, including his own commentary about the movies and articles.)

March 28-31
"The Diving Bell and the Butterfly"
-Review by Erica Gann
"The Class"
Review by Mike Waalkes

April 4-10
"La Vie en Rose"
-Review by Heidi Marston
"The Lover"
-Review by Eli Sarkissian

April 11-17
"Amelie"
-Review by Alex Miller

We will also provide commentary and review of articles, books, and other publications about our films.

1. (paste in browser) http://journals.ohiolink.edu/ejc/pdf.cgi/Rambo_L._R.pdf?issn=00312789&issue=v56i0004&article=463_tdbatbafr

2.http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=5&hid=105&sid=522e734b-127d-4b2d-a10a-3660eb9c11a6%40sessionmgr113

3.http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=28773844&site=ehost-live

4. http://www.ifc.com/news/2008/12/laurent-cantet-on-the-class.php


"The Lover", "The Class", "Amelie","La Vie en Rose", "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly":