SON FRERE (HIS BROTHER)

France, 2003, 95 minutes, Colour.
Bruno Todeschini, Eric Caravaca.
Directed by Patrice Chereau.

This is a grim film indeed but one which brings home the reality of illness, bodily weakness and collapse and death. Patrice Chereau has made some grim films in the past, The Wounded Man dealing with sexual weakness, Queen Margot dealing with the corruption of the Medici court in 16th century France and the massacres of St Bartholomew's Day.

Son Frere is much smaller in scale. Thomas, the older brother, arrives to seek the help of his brother, Luc. Luc, a teacher, has his own life to live but takes him in and cares for him, the menial and dirty tasks and the sharing of memories. The brothers become more interdependent through the experience. We see the effect also on the brothers' parents and Thomas' girlfriend as well as Luc's partner. This raises the complexity of relationships, straight and gay, and the demands made on family through illness.

The setting is the seaside and the film uses images of water throughout to symbolise cleanliness and healing, the vast majesty of the sea transcending ordinary experience and, finally, water and the sea as a place to drown and die. A strong film with challenging compassion.

1. The awards for the film? Its quality, its impact? For French audiences? World-wide?

2. The French atmosphere of the film: the Paris sequences, apartments and hospitals? The coast, the house, the beaches? The contrast between city and country? The musical score and its atmosphere, especially for illness and death?

3. The title of the film, which brother was referred to? Each of them?

4. How emotional was the film, emotionally moving, authentic, empathy with the characters and their situations?

5. The prologue, discussion about the sea, the wrecks, the weather? The old man and the two brothers? The tone? The later reference with the death of Thomas by drowning?

6. The film showing the times, the months, the moving backwards and forwards and its effect on our understanding the illness and Luc's response?

7. Luc, in himself, his age, teaching, alone, his relationship with Vincent, his acknowledged homosexuality? The phone call in the street, the link with Thomas, his arrival, his story about his illness, Luc's immediate response, taking him to hospital, the nature of the illness, his questions? His staying in the hospital and caring for his brother - saying it was what anyone would do, it leading to understanding and reconciliation?

8. Thomas as the older brother, the phone call, his illness, his need for Luc, dependence? His relationship with Clare? Three months in hospital? Going to hospital again, his parents present, Clare's presence? The doctor and her explanations, the effect? The nature of the treatment? Vincent visiting him? The need for an operation, the taking out of his spleen? The detailed scenes of preparation, the shaving? Going to the theatre, the operation and the aftermath? His decisions about further treatment, wanting to leave, signing, the farewells? The prognosis for his future, the ability to live fifteen years or a short time? Going with Luc, at the beach, their discussions, especially about Thomas deserting Luc? Their going for swims, at home, Clare and her inability to cope? Luc telling the story from their childhood about the bees and Thomas saving him, carrying him home, enabling him to fly and laughing all the time? Did Thomas hear this or not? His decision to go for the swim, stripping, going into the undertow? The sequence on the beach, with his bleeding, the little girl asking her mother to come and help him? His death?

9. Luc, his work, giving his time to his brother, his interaction with his parents, the practical details of helping at home, staying at the hospital, especially during the shaving sequence? Cleaning the bed, taking him to the beach? Their sitting and talking to the old man? Going for swims? Thomas's absence, his not reporting it to the police, eventually doing so, the memories of Thomas signing himself out, the aftermath?

10. Luc and his relationship with Vincent, sexually, discussions, empathy? Vincent and his personality, the friendship with Luc, going to visit Thomas in hospital? Clare, her inability to cope, her discussions with Luc, the discussions about their sexuality when they were children? Manuel and his being nineteen, his description of his operation, his wanting to live - and Luc helpless as he listened to him?

11. The parents, the mother and her incessant chatter, the angry father? The mother and her devotion to her sons?

12. The doctors, the explanations, the plans, the mystery? The kindness of the staff?

13. The overall effect of experiencing the dying of a middle-aged man, the reality of illness, the reality of hospital? The acting being so convincing that it seemed almost documentary-like? The experience of sharing the care with Luc, discovering the nature of brothers, brotherly love, mutual dependence, care - even to death?