LE SKYLAB
2012, 113 minutes, Colour.
Julie Delpy, Bernadette Lafont, Emmanuelle Riva, Lou Alvarez.
Directed by Julie Delpy.
Le Skylab was written and directed by Julie Delpy. She also has a prominent role among the large cast.
This is one of those films the French make so well, a gathering of a large family, meals together, playing together, simmering differences coming to the surface. The setting is 1979, a holiday in Brittany to celebrate the birthday of a grandmother. However, Skylab as been circling the earth and is due to come down. There is media apprehension that it will crash in Western Europe, possibly in Western France. This concern pervades the gathering. In the event, Skylab actually crashed in Australia, a long way away from predictions.
This is a picture of three generations. There are two grandmothers, strongly performed by Bernadette Lafont and the 2012 Oscar-nominee, Emmanuelle Riva (for Amour, at age 84). There are six children of Bernadette Lafont in the adult generation, along with their spouses. The film focuses on the four brothers, the genial man whose home is the venue for the celebration, the street actor with his wife (Julie Delpy), and their daughter, Albertine (Lou Alvarez), the older brother who is a doctor, and an angry middle brother whose daughter has left home with his good friend. The film also focuses on the wives, their relationships with their husbands, good and bad, their concerns about their children. One is married to a Spaniard and performs a Spanish song to entertain the family. There are quite a number of children in the youngest generation, a 17 year old boy who thinks he is God’s gift to the local girls, another very mischievous little boy with a sense of humor, two bespectacled boy cousins who observe everything, quite a number of girls and little boy who likes dressing dolls. Quite a mixture!
It takes a while for audiences to identify who is who and who is married to whom. However, as the day of celebration progresses, with a big feast outside, interrupted by rain, with the lamb on the spit, we begin to appreciate the identities of the characters and the issues of their lives.
The men play soccer, children go to the beach with their parents, with a nudist beach close by. Ultimately, the children go to a dance, the adults are at home eating, drinking, talking. It is at this stage that some of the deeper themes underlying French society emerge especially with the malcontent brother who still longs for wars in Northern Africa, expressing some especially racist and sexist ideas and an attack on his sister-in-law condemning leftist ideas. This leads to quite some vigorous discussion and indicates aspects of conflict at the time.
However, the film is generally genial, and interesting for those who enjoy this kind of French drama, especially with the focus on Albertine, Julie Delpy’s alter ego, a 10 year old at a difficult stage of her development observing all that goes on around her.
1. The work of Julie Delpy? Writing, directing, acting? The film as memoir, autobiography of her life at ten? The perspectives on the 1970s? Perspectives on family and extended family?
2. The setting, the opening in Paris, travel, St Malo, the house, the holiday atmosphere, the re-creation of the seventies? The musical score, the range of songs?
3. The title, the focus on Skylab, technology developing, the landing to earth, fears, the media, the touch of hysteria? Consequent behavior? The actual landing in Australia?
4. A French family, typical of the period? Universal picture of families, western families? Relationships, marriage, the generations, coming together, the bonds, clashes?
5. The French background? The family living in Indochina, their experiences, wealthy and comfortable, the war, arrests and interrogations, deportation? Consequent attitudes? An underlying anti-Semitism?
6. The framework, the adult Albertine and her family going to stay at St Malo, the holiday, on the train, asking people to move seats, their refusal’s and reasons, her sitting by the window, dozing, remembering? Coming back at the end, the arguments with people, insults, the accommodating people, the family happily sitting together and playing together?
7. Albertine’s family, her parents as street performers? Their liberal attitudes, behaviour, her seeing Apocalypse Now and Alien? Their language, issues of life, sexuality? Julie Delpy and her memories of her parents?
8. Albert Delpy and his appearing as Uncle Hubert? His mental state, life in Indochina, in an institution, medication, never marrying, released? His presence of the dinner, enjoying the company, his relationship with Armandine, the war? Memories? His enjoying the performances? His pretending he had loss of memory to test them? Albert Delpy appearing in his daughter’s films, the portrayal of himself in Albertine’s father?
9. The personalities, Jean and his humor, love for Anne, her bluntness, politics, to the left, aggressive? Anne with her mother, the mother at home, travelling?
10. Albertine at ten, her size, with her mother, the glasses, with the grandmothers, the gifts, place in the family, fighting instantly with the cousin, joining in the activities, at the table, her performance, going to the nude beach with her father, seeing his friend, the boy coming out of the water? Her embarrassment and her father’s talk about his naked friend? The boy being the DJ at the dance, his dancing with her, the kiss, her hopes? Seeing him kiss the older girl? The incident of her thinking she had her period? The consequences, the response of her mother?
11. Armandine and Lucienne, their age, friends with each other, the gifts, the chat, kindness, Lucienne at home, caring for Albertine, the siesta, Lucienne nodding off?
12. Armandine, the grand dame, her birthday, the response of the family, her sons? Her reminiscences? Her husbands? The six children? Her response to Hubert? Presiding, chatting with Lucienne and the children, the nap, her being upset with the political discussions?
13. The children, Christian at 17, irked by the other children, at the table, smoking, his parents and obeying them? His feeling superior, with the girls of the beach? The two brothers observing, wearing glasses? Fascinated? The girls, with Christian, at the dance? His accompanying the other children to the dance, taking them home? His dancing, flirting? The other boys? Robert, lively, mischief, with Albertine and playing doctors, his performance of the rude song, cheeky? The girls and the various ages? The boy and his dolls?
14. The women, their talk at the table, and preparing the food, their role as wives, interests, and sexual talk, mothers, the daughter and her Spanish husband, her song? Fredo’s wife, concern about the children? Roger’s wife, sexuality, wanting to leave him? Loulou’s wife, her pregnancy, her children? Anne outspoken amongst the group? The range of characters?
15. The men, Fredo, the oldest, the doctor, with Christian, discipline? Roger and his being upset about his daughter? Loulou and his happy home, a cheerful man, his pregnant wife? The men and the slaughter of the animals, the roasting on the spit? Playing soccer? Discussions at the table?
16. The serious discussion, Roger and his daughter, memories of the war, his experiences, sexual conquests, racist attitudes? Fredo and his loyalty as a soldier, helping his brother, wanting peace? Roger wanting a war? His coming into the kitchen, naked? The underlying attitudes in French society?
17. The French and the making films which feature long meals? The dramatic effect? The characters and interaction?
18. Anne and Jean going back to Paris, Albertine’s staying for the holiday?
19. The audience sharing in the life of this French family?
