THE DEVIL, PROBABLY
France, 1977, 97 minutes, Colour.
Antoine Monnier.
Directed by Robert Bresson.
Robert Bresson has the reputation of being an absolute purist in his film-making, a protagonist of what Paul Schraeder calls transcendental film-making. Bresson believed in dramatising issues of good and evil and the explorations of the meaning of life. He often employed amateur actors and minimalist style in performance. This gives the films a directness and purity – films without obvious flair. However, they are perfectly crafted.
This is one of Bresson’s later films. In fact, it is his second-last film. Bresson began writing and directing during World War Two with The Angels of the Streets and The Ladies of the Bois du Boulogne. In 1951 he directed The Diary of a Country Priest from the novel by Georges Bernanos. His films of the 50s include A Man Escaped, Pickpocket and The Trial of Joan of Arc, all considered masterpieces in their way. From 1966 he was more ambitious and made Au Hasard Balthazar, Mouchette and in 1944 Lancelot of the Lake.
The central character in this film is a character of the 70s. Charles is an everyman for the 1970s – and the malaise of characters in the 1970s (and perhaps prophetically for those of the 1980s). He has many friends who try to help him, they are concerned about him. He is inconsolable, everything has lost meaning – the world of money and consumerism, the destruction of the environment, personal and individual and national greed. He is a person who embodies disillusionment. And, disillusioned, he tries to be noble within that context (something akin to the Camus hero, the atheist of such stories as The Outsider). Since revolution and any uprising is useless, and that any challenge to authority will not bring about any change, he decides on suicide.
The issue of suicide is always a problematic one, especially for a character like Charles. In some ways, by deciding to opt out of this kind of world, he shows a strange spiritual sensibility. This made an impression on both Protestant and Catholic juries at the Berlin film festival in 1977 where it won their prizes. It also won the special jury prize of the festival that year.
1. The work of Robert Bresson and his reputation? Strong support and strong antipathy from critics? His classic style? His plain visuals? Serious tone? His religious background and themes? The presence and the absence of God? Evil and the need for redemption and grace? The meaning of life? Its seeming futility? The critique of contemporary society and progress in the light of redemption and grace? The quality of his moral film-making?
2. The presentation of Paris and the '60s? The cross-section of its inhabitants? The focus on the environment: physical and moral? The focus on society? Individuals and their struggles within society? The use of colour photography? Editing? The interweaving of the stories of the individuals? Their moral comment on each other? The use of film within film? The musical score and the use of the classics? A sombre and classic tone for the film?
3. The title and its explanation during the film? Themes of good and evil, life and death? The religious connotations? The absence of God? The Devil and his responsibility for evil in the contemporary world?
4. The focus on contemporary issues: France and the difficulties of the period, social unrest in the early 160s, the student revolts of the late '60s? The young and their alienation? The nature of rebellion? Its inevitability? Violence? The defects of society? The film's seeming nihilistic approach? The focus on ecology and the destruction of resources and environment? The changes in religion - and Bresson's attitude to changes in the Catholic Church in the '60s? In ritual, in theological language, theological understanding and explanation? The critique of the psychologising of society? The possibilities for meaning?
5. The structure of the film: the focus on Charles and death? The flashbacks to explain death? The fragmentary episodes? Their vivid style within each sequence, the interweaving, the puzzle, the comment of each fragment on the other? The final sense in Charles' death?
6. Bresson's vision: God and his absence? What explains the world? The human condition? Contemporary technology, empty talk, the use of drugs? The irony of the visuals: pollution and ecology, the ecological films, the police and the bathers, the fish, the roadside, the shoes? A silent God? Death and a noble suicide? How compassionate and concerned is Bresson for society, for individuals?
7. The portrait of Charles: the cemetery and his death, the flashback and seeing him at the meeting, relationship with Michelle, with Alberte and the sexual liaison, the sexual liaison with Edwige? The nude photos? Edwige's moving in? Going to see the films? The focus on the chocolate, the pistol, the Seine? The proposal and its effect on Edwige and Alberte? His growing alienation, disillusionment, despair? The friendship with Valentin? Helping him with the drugs? The visit to Notre Dame, the music, the theological discussion? His arrest and his silence? Attitude to the police, justice and the law? The visit to the psychologist and the mockery of the psychologist’s method? The build-up to his death? Sketch of alienated youth of the 160s? Appearance, manner, values? How much sympathy for the character? The credibility of his alienation as a parable for French audiences? Universal audiences?
8. The sketch of Edwige and her company, attractiveness, relationship with Michelle, comparisons with Alberte? Love for Charles? How much help?
9. The comparison with Alberte: the films, sexual liaison, suicide note, with Michel, concern, the chocolates, her parents' fridge, marriage?
10. Michel and his values, the film, his book, companionship? A comparison with Charles?
11. Valentin and his friendship with Charles, addiction, the visit to Notre Dame, the help with the drugs from Charles, the payment for him to kill Charles? His motivation in doing so?
12. The sketch of the police, their methods? Sketch, caricature? Bresson's comment about justice and administration in French society?
13. The critique of psychology, the psychologists and their power and hold? The possibility to discern, help?
14. Religion, the Catholic Church, theology? Bresson's attitude towards the change in ritual, mystery in religion, theological talk?
15. Does Bresson believe that salvation is possible in such a sad world?
