TU SERAS MON FILS (YOU WILL BE MY SON)

France, 2011, 102 minutes, Colour.
Niels Arestrup, Lorant Deutsch, Patrick Chesneis, Ann Marivin, Nicolas Bridet.
Directed by Gilles Legrand.

An impressive French drama. Set in the beautiful and fruitful Provence countryside, a vineyards town, this is a family story as the title suggests.

It can be said that those tempted to see the film principally because of the vines, the harvests, the production of the wine – and the tasting and descriptions of the taster – will be satisfied. The audience will really feel as if they have been living the French tradition and its modern developments.

But, the family…

Paul is the patriarch, from a long line of wine producers. He is played by Niels Arestrup who has been making a strong impression in recent years and in his senior years with performances as different from the prisoner in Un Prophete and the grandfather in War Horse. Paul lives for his wines. They fields and vines are his kingdom. But, his son, Martin - not only does he not like him, he despises him, putting him downas often as he can, meanly, sometimes in pettiness, but always with the intention that his son will not succeed him even though he wants an heir from Martin and his wife (who can stand up to the old man).

The complication comes with another father and son. Francois (Patrick Chesnais) has been Paul’s manager for many years, with skilled knowledge and experience of all aspects of wine. He is a confidant of Paul but can never be his equal. Francois’ son, Philippe, has been working in vineyards in California. He has developed many skills himself and is not lacking in confidence. When his father becomes fatally ill, he returns home.

While he has been Martin’s friend, he finds himself being asked by Paul to do more and more for him. It is clear that, in the words of the title, Paul is indicating to Philippe, ‘you will be my son’ and acts accordingly.

How can this be resolved? Not In the way we might have expected, so that there is a highly dramatic ending which we (morally uncomfortably) will sympathise with.

1. The power and the drama? Characters? Themes?

2. Provence, the beauty of the vineyards, the extent? The musical score, atmospheric?

3. The old town, the homes and their modern style? The production of the wine?

4. The portrait of Paul: his age, appearance, the history of the generations, his discovery that he was adopted, his devotion to his father, his alienation at first, boarding school, distant, returning home, the three months with his father, his father confiding the secrets of the vineyard and production, his death? The dying in the vat, the lies about the quality of the wine, the risk to production, his ritual of sprinkling the ashes in the wine? His pride in his heritage? His attitude towards Martin, demands on him – and the contrast with his own life as the son of his father?

5. The skills, his achievement, his financial worth, the issue of trade, the contracts, the trade deals? His hands-on work, supervision? The stores, the quality of the wines, his knowledge, analysis? His taste? His reliance on Francois over the years? Obsessed with his vineyard?

6. His wife and her death, the difficult birth of Martin, her being sickly, Paul blaming his wife’s death on Martin? Her care and exhaustion?

7. Martin, the opening, the cremation of his father, the comment on the wood, the flashbacks?

8. Martin and his life, his extensive study, his practical expertise, his marriage, relationship with his wife, their renting the house from his father, his age, his hopes?

9. Paul’s treatment of Martin, ignoring him, putting him down, ridiculing him, not promoting him to the jobs? Confiding the secrets of the family? His continued critique? His dislike of Martin’s wife, their clashes, his wanting to have a grandchild?

10. Francois, his illness, the visit of the doctors, the care of his wife? The limitations on his activity in the vineyards? Skyping his son? Philippe, his life, at home, in California, his success? His visits? Friendship with Martin? Paul’s interest in him?

11. Philippe and his character, from the US, bringing success and knowledge? Francois and his love for his son? His mother? Paul talking with him, his giving support to Paul, Paul, employing him, drawing on his expertise? The issue of the machinery and its repair, Martin trying to work – Paul and his accepting Philippe’s commentary? Bringing a fresh perspective? The harvest, the issue of the work pool and the number of men? The success of the harvest?

12. Martin and his feelings, his attitude towards his father, his desperation? His drinking? Going to the club?

13. Martin and the harvest, Paul’s success, his nightmares about the harvest, about his father drowning him? Paul and his secretly going to Paris, the Legion of Honour? His not telling people? Going to the hotel, signing Philippe’s name as his own? The photo in the paper?

14. His visit to the lawyer, the discussions of the legalities of adoption, the possibilities – and his intentions as regards Philippe and his inheritance?

15. Martin, drinking, distraught, the clash with Philippe, the injuries, hospital?

16. The clashes between Martin and Paul? Martin and his desperation? Paul and his harshness?

17. Francois, his attitude towards his son, seeing what happened, his own illness, his decision? Going with Paul to the vats, locking him in? Knowing there would not be enough air? Turning off the machine? Paul’s death, his opening up the vats – and escaping detection?

18. Philippe, the experience of Paul, the favouritism, the visit to Paris, wanting his own name? His friendship with Martin, going to the club – and their falling out?

19. Martin, his wife, her standing up to Paul? His visits, drinking the wine, his comments? Martin and his future – determined by Francois rather than his own father?

20. Pride, falls? The complexity of the father-son relationships in the film? And the ironic ending?

21. The tradition of stories and films about Provence, the wines and production, life in the villages? The tradition of Marcel Pagnol?