OLIVIER, OLIVIER

France, 1992, 110 minutes, Colour.
Francois Cluzet, Brigitte Rouan, Jean- Francois Stevenin, Gregoire Colin, Marina Golovine.
Directed by Agnieszka Holland.

Polish-born director Agnieszka Holland worked in both Poland and Germany (Angry Harvest) and then moved into international film-making. In 1992 she made Europa, Europa, a tantalising story of World War Two, a Jewish teenager hiding as a Hitler Youth. The present film, Olivier, Olivier, is a modern story taking up the youth and identity theme. The film focuses on Olivier, a young child disappearing, the response of his parents and the police, and the teenage street kid who heralds Olivier’s reappearance. The question is whether he is Olivier or not.

The film is atmospherically photographed and scored, explores characters and relationships with intensity, loves, needs, grief as well as raising the issues of child abuse. Gregoire Colin portrays the teenage Olivier. Agnieszka Holland went on to direct a number of American films including Wings of the Dove, The Secret Garden, The Third Miracle.

1. The impact of the film, the humanity, the violence and abuse, human needs? Families?

2. The French setting, ordinary, the homes and the town, the contrast with the city, the musical score?

3. The title, the reference to the younger Olivier and the older Olivier? The film based on a newspaper report, an actual story?

4. The opening and the children playing, Olivier and Nadine, the credit tracking, their life, their mother doting on the children, the father, the intense relationships? The details of home life, the bike, play, the grandmother? Expectations of a family film?

5. Olivier, his riding, with Marcel, his disappearance? The audience and the mystery?

6. Audience empathy for the mother’s grief, her behaviour, the daughter, the blame? Serge? The mother not eating, her memories? The search, the interrogations, the police? Whether Olivier ran away? Nadine’s response? The father and his reactions? Discussions, the daughter blaming herself, the decisions?

7. The inspector, his personality, the interrogations, the attempts to find Olivier, his personal commitment to finding him?

8. The passing of six years, the family in the city, the inspector and the teenager, the cap, his identity? A street boy, his story, age, talk? The authorities? Whether he was Olivier or not? The decisions and motives?

9. The mother, preparing for Olivier, meeting him, travel, the likeness or not? His manner? Serge’s return? Nadine’s response? The home situation?

10. Olivier and his knowing the past, not knowing the past, assuming that he had forgotten? Marcel and the bond? The mother and her sharing? The appendix? Nadine, flirting, testing him, the relationship, the sexual encounter? Her father’s reaction?

11. The magic aspects of the film, spiritual or not? Credible or not? With Nadine? Their meaning?

12. The young teenager, friendly, accommodating to the family, Marcel and the rescue, going to the city?

13. Marcel, the excavation, the truth and the horror of what had happened to Olivier?

14. The parents and Nadine coming to terms with the truth of what happened? The decision to keep up the deception?

15. Themes of identity, family needs and love, the horror of abuse, grief?