PROMISE AT DAWN/ LA PROMESSE DE L'AUBE

France, 2017, 130 minutes, Colour.
Charlotte Gainsbourg, Pierre Niney, Didier Bourdon, Jean- Pierre Darroussin, Catherine Mc Cormack, Finnegan Oldfield.
Directed by Eric Barbier.

French writer and novelist, Romain Gary, had an extraordinary life and career.

This dramatisation of his novel about his relationship with his mother begins with an episode in Mexico, Gary fearing he was dying, trying to complete his work, Promise at Dawn, his wife, Leslie Blanch, reading it. This framework providing an opportunity for flashbacks to dramatise his life with his mother.

The film offers a tour de force performance by Charlotte Gainsbourg as his mother, Nina, a would-be actress in Moscow, Jewish background, from Vilnius, exiled, returning in the 1920s, living with her young son whom she idolises, earning a living by dressmaking, denounced by neighbours, getting revenge on them by inviting a down and out actor to pretend to be a Parisien couturier, the ladies of the town responding and her being a success.

The film traces the relationship between mother and son, an extraordinarily dominating possessive mother, dream and with the best and success for her son, imbuing him with a vision for his life, and goals to be achieved (which he did).

Bankrupt in Vilnius, Nina and her son migrate to Nice where she is a strong success at selling antiques, managing a hotel. Romain grows up, goes to Paris to study law, has a short story published to his mother’s delight, is exhorted by his mother to go to Berlin to kill Hitler and then she changes her mind.

The latter part of the film shows Romain in the French air force, training, not given promotion because of his Jewish background, the invitation to go to join General de Gaulle in London, his many successful bombing raids, including guiding the pilot blinded back to England for a safe landing.

He also writes his first novel, often by night, is published in England and then in France and he becomes something of a national celebrity. The pathos is that his mother has died three years earlier, had written many letters to be sent from Switzerland week by week to her son after her death.

This is a powerful presentation of a strong minded and dominating mother, the effect on her son, and the aftermath of his achievement in many areas of literature, politics, film, and his suicide at the age of 66. Jules Dassin directed his wife, Melina Mercouri, in a previous version of this story.

1. The autobiography of French writer, Romain Gary? Th joining to call e story of the first half of the 20th century? Subsequent information about Gary, his writing career, films, French consul in Los Angeles, marriages, his death?

2. The atmosphere of Vilnius in the 1920s and 30s, the winter and cold, the streets, premises, fashion shop? The transition to Nice, the son, the fine weather, the hotel? Then transition to the war, Paris, training, London, flights and heroism? Nice after the war? The musical score?

3. A film about mother and son, mother love, all-consuming, the effect on the son? An exploration of love? Dependence? Breaking free?

4. Life in Vilnius, 1924, Nina and her dressmaking, her relationship with her son, stories about Russia, acting in Moscow, the leading star, seeing him in the films in Vilnius? Her being denounced, Jewish, the rough treatment? Her determination, revenge, the actor, his pretending to be the Paris stylist, his drinking, his performance, the response of the audience? His singing the bawdy song, Nina getting him out, Romain singing, her success with her fashions? Her customers, non-payment, bankrupt, the decision to leave for Nice, the final confrontation with the arrogant woman in debt?

5. Romain, his age, at home, with the boys, the bullying, the infatuation with the little girl? His being supported by his mother, wanting him to play the violin, failing, his wanting to be a painter, her for bidding it, her wanting him to write? Her confidence that he could do anything? Encouraging his fighting and standing up for her? Her vision of him winning prizes, consul, a champion?

6. Life in Nice, the taxi, trying to pawn goods, being employed to travel France, successful saleswoman, managing the hotel, visiting the markets, the staff? Romain and his life in Nice, growing up, the beauty of the city and the coast, his continued dependence on his mother? The Jewish background, the Catholic influence?

7. Going to study law, the Swedish girl in the train, his many affairs, studies, writing the story, its being accepted, his delight, his mother’s delight, further stories but considered too intellectual, his rationalisation about the non-acceptance?

8. The 1930s, the episode of his mother wanting him to travel to Berlin and kill Hitler? Buying a ticket? The change of mind?

9. His enlistment, training, his mother’s pride, graduating, the anti-Semitism, his having to continue to train, his return, the celebratory party, his mother twisting what had happened?

10. His mother, her letters, faith in her son, his injuries, in hospital, the typhoid fever and his naked run in the hospital, her presence? The letters all during his time in England, three years? His return, the dismay at the news of her death, her device of having written all the letters and sent them to Switzerland, his receiving them?

11. Service in France, the possibility of joining De Gaulle in London, the clash with the officer, taking his place in the plane? Accepted in England, his war service, the many raids? The pilot blinded, Romain guiding him, the safe landing? His medals and acknowledgements?

12. His beginning to write, during the night, by hand, the plan for the book, completion, the news that would be published in London, writing to his mother, her letters not acknowledging it?

13. The end of the war, a hero’s War record, the publication of his novel, a significant character for France? The impact of his mother’s death?

14. The framework for the film, Mexico, his illness, writing, his wife, the taxi to Mexico City, the doctor, the ear infection? His fear and death?

15. The writing of Promise at Dawn, his wife reading it, the tribute to his mother?