LE GRAND CHEMIN
France, 1987, 107 minutes, Colour.
Anemone, Richard Bohringer.
Directed by Jean - Loup Hubert.
Le Grand Chemin is an attractive French film - a piece of nostalgia for the '50s, a portrait of adults and marital conflicts, a very entertaining and sometimes astute portrait of young children.
Set in the '50s, the film shows a young boy played by Antoine Hubert (son of the director Jean - Loup Hubert) and his friendship with a very precocious young girl played by Vanessa Guedj (a very striking performance). In a country town during the summer holidays, the young boy discovers friendship, experiences a second father, longs for his mother, learns many things about life which will stay with him for the rest of his life.
The film has a great deal of French sentiment, especially in the portrait of Marcelle and Pelo, the married couple who look after Louis. There are some stock characters from French stories, for example the parish priest. However, there is a humanity and lightness of touch that makes the film very attractive.
1. A very popular French film at home and abroad? Its French style and atmosphere?
2. Re-creation of the period, the late '50s, Brittany, the summer season, the moods of the town? The musical score?
3. The title, the highway - and a symbol of the highway of life?
4. The film as the portrait of a child's world, a child's view of adults, of life - and children's puzzles?
5. The opening with Claire, the background of her life, her relationship with her husband, his absence in Nice for work? Her pregnancy? The holidays, her relationship with Louis, taking him to Brittany? The train ride and the arrival, her reaction to Pelo and the irony of finding that he was Marcelle's husband? The friendship with Marcelle and entrusting Louis to her? Her absence, giving birth to the child, her return at the end and reconciliation with Louis?
6. The portrait of Louis, the nine-year-old, experience in his family, in the city? The touch of the brat? Missing his mother, his absent father? The interactions with Pelo? Pelo frightening him as a ghost with his window looking at the cemetery? The reconciliation with Pelo? Marcelle and her care for him? The details of ordinary life in the house, in the yard, meals, his room? The meeting with Martine and their friendship, playing, talk - and her precocious talk and his listening? The gift of the wagon from Pelo? His learning to relate, experiencing the fatherliness of Pelo? Martine, their adventures, the frank talk about sex, about death, the visits to the church - and her views on religion? The old lady and death, the priest, the soldier? Louis and his concerns about his mother? Going up onto the roof, peeing through the gargoyle, shouting his angers to the world? The danger, his fall and his being saved by Pelo? The end of the holidays and his having to leave the family and Martine behind?
7. Martine, an interestingly precocious little girl, smart talk? The neighbour, the friendship? Relationship with Pelo and Marcelle? The wagon? Playing and talking, their escapades? Her attitudes towards sex, death, religion? Going on the roof and surveying the town? The fall? Her sadness at Louis' departure?
8. Pelo and Marcelle, Pelo and his drinking, his work, the ghost episode? Marcelle and her work in the house? Tension, the marriage, their love, the dead child - and the keeping of the room as a shrine? The reason for his drinking? His becoming fatherly towards Louis and it transforming him? Marcelle and her love, care? The marriage saved by their experience with Louis?
9. The portrait of the town, the detail of life in the town, the streets and the people, the shops and the customers, the priest and the nun?
10. A portrait of children, ignorance, their learning, changing - and the material for their later memories?
