LE REMPART DES BEGUINES (LES BEGUINES)

France/Italy, 1972, 90 minutes, Colour.
Axelle Abbadie, Anicee Alvina, Nicole Courcel.
Directed by Guy Casaril.

Les Rempart des Beguine is a story about women’s relationships. The young Helene is grieving at the death of her mother, encounters Tamara, a bisexual woman, who involves her in a sexual relationship. However, Tamara’s main aim is to marry Helene’s father.

The film is a character study, especially in the context of the early 70s and the dramatisation of sexual relationships which had not been so explicit on screen prior to this period.

The film was written and directed by Guy Casaril who had made The Novices in 1970, The Petroleum Girls in 1971 and was to make a biography of Piaf: The Early Years in 1974.

I. An enjoyable film? In its colourful style and elegance? In its subject?

2. Was it a serious exploration of a Lesbian theme and characters? Or was it an exploitation film? Or did it have elements of both? If so, which predominated and why?

3. How successful was the film in communicating French Provincial life? The hothouse of French society and morale? Double standards, hypocrisy? The influence of this kind of life on character and behaviour? As healthy or unhealthy? The closed circle of friends, behaviour and elegance, resolution?

4. What were the moral standards of this film and its characters? were they important? Did the director and screenwriter take any moral stance? Their attitudes towards standards and hypocrisy? On public and private morals? On straightforwardness and perversion?

5. What insight into society did the film offer? The nature of French representation of sexuality and its effect on character? Helene as repressed, relating to her father and his hypocrisy? Her relationship with Tamara? What did the film advocate as regards liberation from repressed sexuality and Puritanism?

6. How well did the film focus on Helene? As a school girl, at home, relationship with her father, absent mother, curious about sexuality and Tamara? Why did she allow herself to be seduced? Comment on the open presentation of lesbianism in the film, well done, tasteless, exploitative? The emotional impact on Helene? changing her moods, character, way of life? Her jealousy and intensity, her being humiliated, her weeping and reconciliation? The significance of the visit to Paris, its ugliness, insight into Tamara? the importance of her illness, reaction to the wadding, Tamara's helping her? The significance of the wedding for Helene and her power in future over Tamara? Was this character well explored and insight into the lesbian character given?

7. The forcefulness of Tamara in the film? Was this necessary for herself, Her stands in life, marriage, ambitions, mistress, personality? Did she have good qualities? What evil qualities? hypocrisy with Helene? Her dominance over Helene? Her cruelty and madness? The bizarre aspects, the visit to Paris? Her tending the sick Helene? the desperate nature of the marriage and her ambitions fulfilled? Her subjection to Helene? What insight into such a character did the film give?

8. Was the character of the father well explored? his detachment from his child, the formalities of being a father, preoccupation with position, relationship, to Tamara, his reputation? Did he love anyone? Did he communicate with anyone?

9. Was the world presented in this film a real one? A world of fantasy? What did it stand for? What values did it explore?