LE PETIT POUCET/ TOM THUMB
France, 2001, 90 minutes, Colour.
Nils Hugon, Hanna Berthaut, Romane Bohringer, Pierre Berriau, Dominique Hulin, Elodie Bouchez, Sami Naceri, Catherine Deneuve, Said Taghmaoui.
Directed by Olivier Dahan.
While the English translation of the French title is Tom Thumb, this Tom Thumb should not be mistaken for PT Barnum’s dwarf in his circus.
This is a very cinematic version of fairytale by Charles Perreault, so well-known for his range of fairytale is including Cinderella. While there is a sense of realism with actors performing the characters, the settings are quite a blend of realism and the stylised. Many of the scenes are like dioramas, quite artificial colours in the background with a touch of the surreal, and often, the characters in the forefront, almost like cutout figures.
The story is told from the point of view of the adult Poucet, voiced by Michel Dauchoussey. He narrates what is going on but also looks forward to the future life and adventures of Poucet, ultimately telling the audience of what happened to all the characters.
The context is a poor family, farming, a severe father, Poucet being the youngest child and picked on by his father and his brothers. But the context is also that of war, a severe invasion led by an ogre-like warrior with an iron leg who robs the family of all their food. The next military wave is of those of the kingdom, loyal to the Queen. The father decides that the boys must die, the mother unwilling, but consenting, taking the boys into the woods to collect firewood and then abandoning them. However, Poucet has filled his pockets with stones, dropping them and so able to lead the boys back home. And the Queen’s accountant distributes coins for the poor. The family have food for a while – and then the father decides to repeat the abandoning of the children.
Poucet takes breadcrumbs but they are eaten by animals and birds, the boys lost again, pursued by ravenous wolves, eventually finding the Castle of the ogre, helped by his wife, but threatened by the ogre planning to eat them. However, in the pursuit, the ogre with his seven league boots, the ogre is con fronted by Pucet who then takes the boots, is able to fly through the air, bears a letter to the Queen, a letter which brings peace to the kingdom.
There is a strong French cast including Romane Bohringer as the mother, Catherine Deneuve as the Queen, and the young Nils Hugon being a strong but unobtrusive Poucet. The film was directed by Olivier Dahan who went on to make the story of Edith Piaf, La Vie en Rose, as well as Grace of Monaco with Nicole Kidman.
1. The fairytales of Charles Perreault? From the 18th century? Their context? The touch of the fairy? The touch of the terror?
2. This adaptation for the screen? Not a tale for children, too frightening? A tale for adults who remember the story?
3. The visuals of the setting, like paintings, like dioramas? The realism? Stylised? The range of colours and their use? The background scenery, the seasons, days and nights, the forest? The interiors of the house? The house of the ogre? The mountainside? The scenes of war? The Palace and the Queen? The final triumph? The musical score?
4. The 18th century setting, France, the poor farmers, the parents, the stern father, the loving mother, providing? The father severity with the boys? Especially with Poucet? The daily grind? The hard work, the moments of plague? Teasing Poucet?
5. The role of the military, the soldier with the iron leg, like an ogre, his severity and cruelty, taking all the food, military ambitions, his retinue? His treatment of the parents? Of the children? Leaving one bag of oats? The next military wave? Taking the oats? Conquest?
6. The dilemma for the parents, the father and his decision for the children to die, going into the forest? Poucet and his taking the stones, the children seeking wood, the dark, being lost, Poucet able to bring them back home? The mother’s response??
7. Poucet, falling in the mud with his brothers teasing, in the forest searching for kindling, encountering Rose, their talk, the frog, the Prince, her giving him the angel’s feather in the tear? His treasuring this? Her disappearance?
8. The Queen’s treasurer, the distribution of the coins, the return of the children? The food, their being satisfied? Its running out? The renewed decision, Poucet taking the crumbs for the return journey, the birds and animals eating the crumbs? Lost?
9. Fear of ogres, searching, climbing the trees, the night, the pursuit by the wolves, the violence of the ravenous wolves? The boys surviving?
10. Seeing the fire, going to the home, the encounter with the mother, her fears, welcoming them, concealing them in the chest? The arrival home of the ogre? His smelling the
children? Finding them? Wanting to eat them? His four daughters, ogres with their teeth? The distraught mother? Rose and her arrival, not wanting to be an ogre, different from her sisters?
11. The postponing of the ogre’s meal, the children in bed, the ruse of taking the dolls, in the boys’ bed, the father killing his daughters?
12. The ogre, his vengeance, his seven-league boots, the boys and their escape with Rose, in the mountains, the dangers? The confrontation with the ogre? Poucet and the confrontation, taking the boots, the ogre falling over the cliff, Poucet putting on the boots, their becoming smaller, his ability to leap through the air? The military, giving him the letter for the Queen?
13. In the palace, the Queen and her dignity, wanting to stop the war, her officials wanting to prolong it, Poucet arriving with the letter, the Queen and her decision? Peace? The honours for Poucet, the Knighthood, the clothes, his returning to his village, reunited with his family?
14. The telling of the story, the adult Poucet and his voice-over, reflection on his story, the aftermath for the family?
15. A cinematic way of telling a fairy tale?
