BELLE AND SEBASTIEN, THE ADVENTURE CONTINUES…

France, 2015, 97 minutes, Colour.
Felix Bossuet, Tcheky Karyo, Thierry Neuvic,
Directed by Christian Duguay.

For audiences who enjoyed the original Belle and Sebastien, this sequel, the continuance of the adventure, will be very welcome. Characters are back, the young boy, Sebastien, his adoptive grandfather, Cesar, and, of course, the huge and affable dog, Belle.

This time the setting is after World War II in the Rhone- Alps area of France near the Italian border. Those who appreciate beautiful scenery, will find a great deal of satisfaction here, the sweep of the mountains, the crags, the beautiful green fields, the country village.and, as the mood changes and the plot develops, there is a transition from a piano accompaniment to in an intense repetitive orchestral urgency.

Sebastien is now ten and avoids going to school, preferring to slide down a mountainside on a home-made sled, more than a touch reckless and saved from the great fall by Belle. In the meantime, Cesar’s niece who has been fighting in the resistance during the war is returning home on an American plane which crashes into the mountainous forest. Everyone is presumed dead – except by Sebastien and Cesar.

Most of the film concerns the search, the old man going to a local pilot, Pierre, and paying him to fly over the crash site – with, of course, Sebastien and Belle’s stowing away, rather disastrous since Pierre has an antipathy towards dogs. Again, almost disaster, with Sebastien reckless again, stubborn and wilful.

Before they go to ask Pierre to fly over the site, Cesar explains to Sebastien that Pierre is his father – they think that Pierre abandoned Sebastien’s mother, but there is more explanation as the film goes on.

As they go through the forest, they encounter a young girl taking refuge up a tree from a grizzly bear, an Italian girl who belongs to a group of lumberjacks working in the forest but prevented from working by the forest fire set by the crashing plane. She becomes an ally in the search.

There is some peril with the fire, but Belle going in to find the cave with orange smoke coming, a flare signalling survival. And, continuing the peril, their continued dangers from fire as well as escaping suffocating smoke in the cave.

Apart from the film being a physical journey adventure, it is an emotional adventure for Sebastien as he clashes with his father, begins to work with him, and discovers that he really needs a strong father figure.

Very French, but a family film that does not rely on more obvious emotions and excitement that we tend to associate with more upfront American family films.

1. The first film and its popularity? Audiences response to Sebastien, the young boy? The response to Belle, the dog in the Alps, big, white, affectionate? Memories of Cesar, of Angelina? The atmosphere of the war? Life in the Alps?

2. The sequel returning, Belle and Sebastien, Angelina in the plane then lost? Cesar and the search for Angelina quality? Developing the characters in an adventure?

3. The mountain scenery, the village, the forests? The beauty, the visuals, aerial views, the forest fire, the refugee camp, the sequences and action of the rescue? The musical score?

4. 1945, September, the aftermath of the war? The background of the Resistance? Of POWs and the camps? Angelina coming home in the American plane, the gift for Sebastien? The panic, the crash? The background stories of the Germans, the French, and relationships with the Germans and Italians?

5. Sebastien not at school? Going down the mountain on the cart, through the sheaves, almost over the cliff, Belle saving him? The authorities and their exasperation at his missing school?

6. Cesar and Sebastien, preparing for Angelina’s return? Their waiting on the road, the flight and the crash, the authorities coming to give them the news? Sadness?

7. The wreck, the visuals, the forest fire?

8. Cesar, his referring to Pierre as you-know-who? The medal with his name on it? The gift to Sebastien? Sebastien and the story of his mother, her wandering the snow, her death in giving birth, Cesar adopting Sebastien?

9. Going to Pierre, his plane, the bargain, the cash payment, Sebastien and Belle stowing away, the flight, the orange smoke from the flare, Sebastien attacking Pierre, reckless, Pierre not liking dogs, the crash?

10. Sebastien as wilful, reckless, the consequences?

11. Sebastien and Belle wandering off, going in search for Angelina? Pirrre trying to make radio contact? Louis, Pierre’s mechanic, with Cesar, some forcing him to come on the search, the walk? The wheel coming off, finding it again, and able to fix the plane? Pierre deciding to follow Sebastien? Finding him, the cigarette lighter and the fire, the mushrooms and eating? Continuing the search?

12. The trek, the grandeur, Sebastien and his compass? The range of the terrain?

13. The grizzly bear, Gabrielle in the tree, Belle’s intervention, the bear going off, saving Gabrielle? Gabrielle taking them to the camp, the lumberjacks, the work, their discovering that she was a girl? The refugees from the war? The fire preventing the work? Everybody’s opinion that Angelina had died? The continued search, the dangers, the fire, Belle and her sniffing the scarf, going into the fire area? Pierre locking Sebastien in the vehicle?

14. The night, Pierre and the true story of his relationship with Lisa, the Gypsies, the Gypsies moving camp, his search?

15. Sebastien leaving, going with Gabrielle, on the raft, landing, the intensity of the fire, their being trapped? Pierre coming, the dynamite and clearing the way through?

16. Going to the cave, having the rope, the torch, the darkness of the cave, down the cliff, seeing Angelina, Sebastien going down, Pierre and Gabrielle pulling them up? The fire, the smoke, the chimney and the danger in getting out? Just in time – but Pierre seemingly caught by the smoke?

17. The rescue, Gabrielle and her father, Pierre fixing the plane? Cesar and Louis finally arriving and seeing the plane flying over? Comic touch it with Louis, hungry, foot sore?

18. Angelina returning home, the mayor and his arrival, Cesar finding Angelina at the clothesline? Sebastien, Pierre and the visit to Lisa’s grave? The bond?

19. A satisfying entertainment for younger audiences and for families?