FAREWELL TO THE NIGHT

France, 2019, 98 minutes, Colour.
Catherine Deneuve, Kacey Mottet Klein, Oulaya Amamra, Stephane Bak, Kamel Labroudi.
Directed by Andre Techine.

For many decades, French writer and director, Andre Techine, has made a great number of French dramas, typically French one might say. He focuses on families. He focuses on relationships. He offers contemporary interpretations. He also goes back to World War II situations.

And, in so many ways, this is a typically French drama.

The setting is, in fact, 2015, the early days of spring, captions coming up on screen to remind us of this. The setting is a farm as well as a training school for horse riding. The location photography is attractive, the scope of the farm, the cherry trees, as well as scenes of riding and training.

And the farm is controlled by a matriarch. And, there she is, Catherine Deneuve turning 75, still headlining films 55 years after The Umbrellas of Cherbourg. She has been a constant film presence, nationally and internationally, and was one of the images of French symbol, Marianne.

And so, we feel that we are settling into familiar enough material and wondering what Techine will do to make a difference.

The grandson returns home from travels, meeting the girl that he grew up with and intends to marry. But, there is a difference, a 2015 difference: ISIS. But during his being away, he has converted to Islam, is very serious about its doctrines, and very serious about prayer practice, taking his mat out into the farm fields for his worship, and discovered by his grandmother. The family has a Catholic background but, his grandmother is not a believer but is tolerant with her grandson.

At the end of the film there is a reference to the killings of the cartoonists in the Charlie Hebdo office massacre. The setting of this film precedes the terrible mass killings that took place in Paris, the truck driver in Nice…. Once our attention is heightened because of the Islamic themes, there is much more to see, the fiance absolutely committed to causes but, while she works genially at a home for the elderly, she is working online recruiting jihadists.

The grandson and his fiancee are preparing with another friend to leave France for Syria and active involvement, pretending that they are going to Canada. They attend some rallies and the audience gets the opportunity to be reminded of jihadi indoctrination and the intellectual and emotional bitterness to harsh and hostile teaching and action.

The grandmother does not want to denounce her grandson but wants to prevent him going after she discovers the truth and that he has forged a cheque to steal from her at the bank. She goes to visit a former fighter for ISIS, still under government suspicion and with an ankle bracelet, his trying to explain how indoctrination can take place in the French community.

And so, a Techine family drama becomes very topical, an opportunity to consider radical indoctrination in what might be called ordinary French society and to contemplate the dire consequences – and the emotional effect on close family.

What might have been anticipated as material, familiar enough over the years, turns out to have much more substance and challenge.

1. The director and his friend stories over several decades? The French countryside, families, relationships, tensions?

2. A French story of the 21st century, Islamic radicalisation, ISIS?

3. The farm setting, the riding school, the house and its interiors, the wider countryside, the meetings in the countryside, hotels, the bus travel on the highway? Musical score?

4. The captions for the four days at the beginning of spring in 2015? Then one month later?

5. Catherine Deneuve, an icon in French cinema, portraying a grandmother? Muriel, owning the riding school, the orchard and the cherries, the workers, a staff? Her relying on Youssef? Her life, her daughter and her death in scuba diving, the son-in-law married again and living abroad with a new family? The ordinary life?

6. Alex and his return, the long absence, the plan to go to Canada, his problems in the past, meeting Laila, the bond between them, since childhood? Laila working in the home for the elderly? Going for the swim, Alex’s reluctance? The returning to the house?

7. Alex as a Muslim convert, his prayer mat, out in the fields, Muriel seeing him, his explanation? A meaning to life, issues of the afterlife, Laila as being Muslim her work online, revealed to be recruiting? The other member of the group, the plan to go to ISIS together, his being a recruiter? Muriel and her lack of religion, the Catholicism of the past? The radicalisation, the jihad, ISIS, the third member of the group, his influence? The Skype contacts? To join the group, to fly from Barcelona?

8. Laila, as a person, attractive, the long bond with Alex, Muriel knowing her, her work with the elderly, washing them, comforting them, refusing to wash the men? The issue of her contract?

9. Alex, the need for money, forging his mother’s name, going to the bank? The report, Muriel searching her desk, confronting Alex with the truth?

10. The couple, going to the training meeting, the friend anti-smoking, acknowledgement of his past life? Their leaving, the contact and discussion about the marriage, the marriage online? The night together?

11. Muriel, her reaction to Isis, Alex’s farewell letter, meeting him, imprisoning him in the stable? The food and blanket? His refusal to make contact with his father?

12. Muriel, contacting the former agent, his ankle bracelet, their discussions, his willingness to come, talking with Alex, Alex hitting with him with the shovel? (And his later working in the cherry orchard as well as this episode helping him with the government?)

13. Muriel, the information, going to the police, her motives, wanting to save Alex? The couple being on the bus with their associate, police at the border, the arrest?

14. One month later, Muriel and her depression, in hospital? Youssef taking her to the orchard, her finding the former ISIS man, his urging her to write to Alex and her deciding to follow his advice, coming alive again…?

15. The context of terrorism in France, the Charlie Hebdo episode, the later massacres?