THE WATCHMAKER OF ST PAULS

France, 1973, 100 minutes, Colour.
Philippe Noiret, Jean Rochefort.
Directed by Bertrand Tavernier.

The Watchmaker of St. Paul's is a successful first film by French director Bertrand Tavernier. It boasts excellent performances by its two stars, fine actors in so many French films in the '70s and '80s. The screenplay is by Jean Aurenche and Pierre Bost, authors of so many adaptations of classic novels to French films in the '50s e.g. Stendahl's The Red and the Black, Zola's Gervaise and Rene Clement's Forbidden Games. They were not in favour by the New Wave but Tavernier worked with them in the '70s - in the post-New Wave French cinema. The screenplay is based on a novel by George Simenon. The Watchmaker of Everton. Set in America, the story has been transferred back to France. The film is a police story but focuses very much on the character of the watchmaker, his values and their being shaken by the events in which his son is involved. There is a lot of political and social comment on France in the '70s. The setting is Lyons. Tavernier's own city. As a point of curiosity, the watchmaker character appears briefly in a sequence from Tavernier's 1980 film A Week's Vacation. It helps update the audiences with what has happened in the meantime.

1. The style of French film of the '70s? A move back to traditional film-making from the New wave? Directness of plot, focus on character? An adaptation of a Simenon novel? The setting returned from the United States to France? Is it evident that the original was based in the United States?

2. A film portraying a crime, detection, trial? The interest in the film as a police story? The subordination of the police story to character and environment?

3. The film's use of Lyons? Its representing France? The way in which it was filmed, its atmosphere, the cross-section of people. political issues, social issues, the police?
4. The initial train ride, the little girl seeing the accident? The irony of the meaning of the burning car? The post-credits transition to political discussion. social observation, introduction of the characters especially Michel Descombes? A setting for understanding the watchmaker?

5. Philippe Noiret's portrait of Michel Descombes? The subtleties of character portrayal? How well did the audience know the watchmaker? Seeing him amongst his friends, their talk, seeing him at work? The friendship with Antoine throughout the film? The police visit, the effect of the information about his son? His reticence towards the police, his not believing them? The gradual gaining of information as to what had happened? The two girls from the factory and their explanations? The encounters with the reporters - his reaction against the gossip reporter, the girl hoping to persuade him to give interviews in the hope that his son would read them? The encounters with the inspector, the hostility, the growing friendship and sharing views and observations? Their work and memories of their children? The visit to Madeleine and the memories of his wife, his separation, his loneliness, his son being alienated from him? His son saying that his father was too "nice"? How well did he love his son - the story of his crossing the road when he was a little boy? Descombe and his attitudes being challenged by the events? A law-abiding citizen? His being confronted by the police, crime, Razon and his being killed? The values Razon stood for? People and their prying, the restaurant sequence? The visit to the jail, his son's refusal to see him and its effect on him? The visit to the lawyer, listening to the tape and understanding the truth? The flight home with his son and Liliane on board? His eventually seeing his son? His statement at the trial of solidarity with his son? His grief at the long sentence? His understanding his son, motives? The visit at the prison, the people moving past, telling the story about his punching the officer during the war -solidarity with his son's violent stand? Law and order, understanding of a new set of values, the younger generation and its gap, acceptance, transformation? The final walk down the street?

6. The contrast with the portrayal of the inspector - in himself, at work with his assistant and his obtuseness, handling the situation, meeting Descombe, giving the information, talks and encounters, the walk with the dog - and the revelation of his daughter in the wealthy house, sharing points of view and agreement and disagreement. taking Descombe to the prison. his severity as a policeman, his regrets about his own children? A police officer and trying to do his job well? The contrast with the sketch of the assistant?

7. The picture of the son - puzzle, information about the killing, the association of Liliane? Razon and all that he stood for? The son's background, growing up, the view of him through his father's words and attitudes, work, skills, relationship with Lillane, the truth? The friendship with Madeleine and confiding in her? His refusal to see his father but the contrast with the words on the tape? The encounter with his father, the trial, the importance of the final visit? His explanations of his motivation, violent assertion, loathing of all that Razon stood for? The comments about a crime of passion? Liliane seen in the light of the son? Her solidarity with him?

8. Madeleine and her influence on the son, his visits, his confiding in her, her confiding in Michel?

9. Antoine and his social views, political views, impulsiveness, friendship with Michel and support of him?

10. The picture of the journalists and the satire on them?
Gossip, trying to get the 'scoop'? Photos and prying?

11. The thugs that threw the stones through the window of the shop and their being beaten up, the girls and their information about the factory, the social issues about the factory, Razon and his approaches to Liliane, firing her? This turmoil as a microcosm of violence erupting in France?

12. Political themes, social themes? The elections, left-wing, right-wing? The television interviews and people's comments? The radio and the statistics about happy people in France etc.? The importance of not showing many trial scenes and the effect on the audience?

13. The heaviness of the prison sentence, the effect on Michel, on the son? The pathos of the final visit and the long story about Michells stand during the war? Solidarity with his son?

14. A character portrait, within French society, politics? The universal message of the relationship between father and the son and change of values? The challenge to values by suffering?