WATER DROPS ON BURNING ROCKS
France, 1999, 90 minutes, Colour.
Bernard Gireaudeux, Malik Zidi, Ludovine Sagnier, Anna Thomson.
Directed by Francois Ozon.
Water Drops on Burning Rocks is an adaptation of a play by famed German director Rainer Werner Fassbinder. It was adapted for the screen by Francois Ozon who, at this stage of his career, had made Sitcom and The Young Criminals. This film contributed to his international prestige and he went on to make Under the Sand with Charlotte Rampling, Eight Women with an ensemble French actress cast and Swimming Pool, again with Charlotte Rampling and with Ludovine Sagnier.
The film is a chamber piece, divided into four acts. The initial focus is on a fifty-year-old salesman who picks up a young man. There is a great deal of conversation, the salesman bringing the subject round to homosexual relationships. The second act consists of the young man living with the older man, but the self-absorbed older man becoming more and more irritable and friction within the relationship. Act three brings a young girl into the scene, the fiancée of the young man. They are prepared to leave the apartment. Act four brings in a fourth character who had appeared briefly earlier. She is a transsexual who had had a relationship with the salesman. What emerges from the interactions of the four are that all of them have a need for the salesman while he has no real need of them. The film ends in tragedy. However, at one stage the four characters all line up to do a song-and-dance routine to a record being played - an anticipation of Eight Women where all the characters sing.
The film is an exploration of the psychology of sexual relationships, of command and dependence, of selfishness and self-giving. In its enclosed atmosphere, the film has a hothouse interpretation of these issues.
1. The impact of the film? Filmed play? Chamber piece? Confined to the interiors?
2. The German origins of the piece, the German setting, the exteriors during the credits? The confinement to the apartment? The music, the German songs? A Germanic perception of relationships with a French interpretation?
3. The structure of the film in the four acts, Franz as the central character, each of the other characters interacting principally with him? His fate?
4. Act one: Leopold and his picking up Franz, in the apartment, arriving, settling in, the discussion? Leopold and his bringing the discussion to sexual relationships, his talking about himself and his relationship with a woman and her leaving, Franz and his talking about his relationship with Anna, their looking for an apartment? Leopold and his intense look at Franz? The discussion about male-male relationships, Franz and his staying with Leopold? Why did Franz allow himself to be picked up, did he intend to stay?
5. Act two: the relationship between the two, sexual, psychological? Leopold and his travels, his returning home, headaches, self-absorption, irritation with everything that Franz did? Wearing shoes, playing music loud? The continued arguments? His blaming Franz? Franz trying to be helpful? The build-up to Franz and his decision to leave - packing, going to the door, but staying? Leopold and his making the point that Franz needed him?
6. Act three: Leopold away, Anna's arrival, young, impetuous, romantic? The two days with Leopold absent, the sexual relationship, the change in Franz, the planning to go away together and leave Leopold? His sudden return, the effect on each of them? Anna and her curiosity, fascination with Leopold, her being available to him sexually, his capitalising on this? The effect on Franz?
7. Act four: the arrival of Vera, her previous visit and meeting Franz, their discussing Leopold? Vera telling her story, as a young boy, the relationship with Leopold, the money spent on the sex-change operation? His curiosity then abandoning her? Her return, dependence on Leopold? The two girls hurrying to do everything that Leopold commanded, in the kitchen, in the bedroom? Franz and his looking in the mirror, putting on the coat, taking the poison? The final talking with Vera? Leopold's callous reaction, Anna and her frivolous reaction, Vera and her taking the coat? Yet Vera looking out the window and unable to open it, the characters imprisoned in the apartment?
8. The film's perception on men and women, relationships, psychological dependence, sexual dependence? Same-sex relationships, heterosexual relationships? The treatment of the issue from this contrived and hothouse situation? Generally tragic (but the dramatic effect of the four characters lining up to sing the song)? The tragic implications of the characters?
