LES GEANTS/ THE GIANTS
Belgium, 2011, 84 minutes, Colour.
Paul Bartel, Zachary Chasseriaud, Marthe Keller, Martin Nissen, Karim Leklou.
Directed by Bouli Lanners.
Les Geants is a small film from Belgium, directed by actor turned director, Bolle Lanners.
It is a story of two brothers, left to their own devices during the summer, their mother not coming to help them. They idle the time away, especially with the smoking of drugs. They encounter another 15-year-old who is being bullied by his brother and the three become friends, driving with their grandfather’s car, being helped by an old lady with food, deciding that they should rent out the house to drug dealers to bring and in some income. This is partly what happens but the boys are left to their own devices…
Some bloggers, trying to understand the film and the boys, indicate links to Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer or to the film version of Stephen King’s Stand by Me. While there may be some comparisons, this film as a reminder that the 21st century is far different from life in the 19th century and the 20th century.
1. A small Belgian film about adolescents, parental neglect, children idle and having to make do for themselves, bad choices and consequences?
2. The beautiful countryside, the photography highlighting its beauty? The grandfather’s country house? The roads, the fields? The home of the woman who sheltered them? The drug dealers’ house? On the road with the car? The musical score?
3. The title, how appropriate for the children?
4. The screenplay, the meandering story of the children, their friendships, drugs, running out of money, being helped by an old lady, the decision about renting the house to drug dealers, their having to move everything out, on the road and indeed? The friend and the brutal treatment by his older brother?
5. The situation, the two boys, brothers, their ages, all the summer by themselves, the phone call to their mother, and not coming to help, the lack of money? Smoking? Stealing the food? Idle? Their encounter with their friend, and his treatment by his brother? The three bonding?
6. How well did the film delineate the character of each of the boys, especially the younger boy and his strength of character and influence?
7. Running out of money, getting help from the lady? The decision about the house, approaching the drug dealers, the interviews, the test? Boeuf and his acceptance of the deal? His associate? The visit to the house?
8. The dealers, wanting everything cleared out of the house, the boys helping? And then being stranded?
9. Comparisons to classics of boys and their friendships – Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer, Stand by Me?
