DOCTEUR POPAUL
France, 1972, 95 minutes, Colour.
Jean -Paul Belmondo, Mia Farrow, Laura Antonelli.
Directed by Claude Chabrol.
Docteur Popaul is a little-seen film by writer-director Claude Chabrol. The screenplay of this film is by Paul Gegauff, who was to collaborate with Chabrol during the '70s and act in his film Une Partie de Plaisir. The film comes after Chabrol had made quite a number of very serious crime thrillers with the emphasis on guilt, responsibility and the taking of responsibility by others. The film is similar in them but is given the comic book tone and is a spoof of the more serious films. It shows something of the way Chabrol made films during the mid-1970s with ironic twists of plot and characters manoeuvring against one another with the audience not entirely in the know e.g. Innocents With Dirty Hands.
Chabrol's irony is manifest in the casting of the film: Jean Paul Belmondo who had been seen in so many action comedies and adventures, Mia Farrow quite convincing in a French context and glamorous Italian star Laura Antonelli. The film moves between the farcical and the serious and has quite an ironic ending including Chabrol's use of murder attempts. Docteur Popaul is an engaging film -the irony is that the characters in themselves are unappealing as well as their behaviour. The film thus jolts moral standards and conventions.
1. This film in the work of Claude Chabrol? His interest in crime drama, themes of relationships, death, guilt, acceptance of responsibility? His keen observation of the French bourgeoisie? His ability to present dramatic situations, explore characters? The ironies of this film in comparison with his usual films? The critics hostile to it? Chabrol enjoying himself, sending up his usual interests - but doing it with quality and style?
2. The screen image of Jean Paul Belmondo and Mia Farrow? The ironies of their performances in this film? Playing to image and against image?
3. The French atmosphere: hospitals, homes, the countryside, Bordeaux? The contrast with the interludes in Tunisia? French middle-class lifestyle, behaviour, morals? The musical score? The ironic songs?
4. Audience alertness during the opening accident? The key to the film in the opening images - and their later explanation?
5. The flashback structure of the film? Audience's introduction to Paul? Judging him? The shift of emphasis in judgment? His being a scoundrel - and finally a defeated buffoon? The callow hero? The buffoon becoming suicide victim? The screenplay continually putting the audience off balance? The irony of Paul's commentary throughout the film and the intimate relationship of his confidences to the audience? How did this affect audience judgment on characters, situations, morality?
6. The choice of Jean Paul Belmondo for the central role? His cinema image - daredevil, comic adventurer hero? His playing to type as the ladies' man? His transition from cad to victim? Initial accident, his behaviour in hospital - and its ironies when the truth was known? His relationship to Berthier, Carol? The emphasis on sexuality, his listening on the intercom? The importance of the flashbacks from the hospital? His relationship with his friends, the visit to the brothel? The bet about the ugliest woman - and the sexism of the attitude of the men, their comparing photos? The irony of Paul's winning to competition and his trip to Tunisia? The encounter with Christine in the atmosphere of Tunisia? Her shyness? His considering her ugly - and his callousness because of her being crippled? His pursuit of her, his comments on interior beauty - and the later irony? Spending the night with her? The beach scene and her offering him the money and his refusal? The letter at the hotel? His return to Bordeaux and the encounter with Christine as an episode?
7. The passing of time, the irony of meeting her again, her father as the head of the hospital? His acceptance of the hospital and Christine? His being feted at the hospital? His way of life, money? The build-up to the marriage and the irony of his meeting Martine? His absentmindedness at the ceremony - indication of what was to come?
8. The callow marriage? His considering Christine ugly - and Mia Farrow made up to be ugly? His affair with Martine? The irony of its being discovered? Christine seeming to be merely a cypher, her presence in the marriage, being deceived? Her primness? The deceit about her sleeping and the use of pills to deceive Christine as well as Martine -and the birth of Claudine?
9. The farce with the range of suitors and the irony of their deaths? Parody on French types? Skittish behaviour, insults? Paul and his antagonism towards the suitors? His plot about Martine's pregnancy? His freedom, his having a child, his being married with the clinic, his having Martine?
10. The irony of the accident, the talk of Claudine's death, Martine and her not visiting him? The letter about Lulu's? The grimness of the X-rays? Berthier and Christine building up the tragedy and his readiness to commit suicide? Christine's tenderness?
11. The pathos of his taking the pills? Playing with the intercom? The irony of the truth and the transformed Christine, the relationship with Berthier? The memories, the flashbacks, the truth? Christine appearing as opposite to all that she represented?
12. Paul's desperation, the irony of the deaf woman scrubbing the floor and his previous abuse of her? Her saving him?
13. The final ironies with the arrangements about marriage, Martine, Christine and Berthier? The family car?
14. Chabrol's interest in murder-thrillers and using the murder-thriller background as well as the mystery for ironic purposes? The themes of morality, judgment, guilt and responsibility? Who was worse, Paul of Christine? The end and the comic adjustment to the future? A critique of sexist attitudes, the morality of the middle class, sexuality and marriage, relationships, career, money, power and manipulation?
