LOST ILLUSIONS

France, 2021, 150 minutes, Colour.

Benjamin Voisin, Cecile de France, Vincent Lacoste, Xavier Dolan, Salome Dewaels Jeanne Balibar, Andre Marcon, Gerard Depardieu, Jean-François Stevenin.

Directed by Xavier Giannoli.

Lost illusions is a period drama based on part of a novel by Andre to Balzac. It has a significant cast of French actors, leads and supporting, along with Canadian writer-director, Xavier Dolan.

There is greater attention to the period, after the Napoleonic wars, the re-establishment of the monarchy in France, especially during the 1820s. And, great attention to costumes and decor.

The film opens in the French countryside, the poor, the workers, a printing factory, and the mansions of the aristocracy. Then the film moves to Paris, again with the aristocracy and socials, with the more impoverished and their apartments, and a focus on the small magazines, the newspapers, the printing presses.

The focal character of the film is Lucien, played by Benjamin was in, a combination of a poetic visionary and man of ambitions, especially wanting the title of his aristocratic mother rather than the ordinary surname of his father. And he works at the printing press. Write poems, sits in the countryside contemplating. Is also in a relationship with a local Countess, played by Cecile de France. They both go to Paris.

This is a story of rise and fall, the ambitious young man thinking he can conquer Paris, but finding reality. He is befriended by a journalist, played by Vincent Lacoste, who introduces him to the world of journalism.

And, this is where Lost Illusions is quite contemporary in its themes despite the 19^th century decor and costumes. There is cynicism in the journalism, the small magazines, ambitions, rivalries, paid for reviews of books and plays, the highest bidder, the move towards fake news. In these aspects, the film is quite arresting, a kind of 19^th-century mirror of contemporary news on social media issues.

There are romantic complications, the hypocrisy of the aristocracy in seeming to support the young man and then unmask him, humiliate him. He befriends a young prostitute who has ambitions for acting, to perform are seen on the Paris stage, is supported, is undermined – by an especially sinister character who is in the pay of theatre producers, hires audiences, gets into applaud or his according to the highest payment he receives.

The film is interesting with Gerard Depardieu as the editor of a book company, not a reader, but able to exploit situations. There is some humanity in another character, a writer, whom Lucien admires, played by Xavier Dolan.

The film shows the moral decline of Lucien, his drinking, his continued infatuation with the Countess, his gambling – and the humiliations by his fellow journalists.

He returns to his country hundred, strips, walks into the lake – and the audience is left to ponder whether he is equivalently drowning or his being washed clean, a kind of baptism for a new life.

1. The reputation of De Balzac, 19^th-century, French literature? 21^st-century interpretation?
2. 1815 to 1830, France, after the revolution, after the Napoleonic wars and Napoleon’s defeat, restoration of the monarchy, French society, change, the new century?
3. The period, costumes and decor, homes, mansions, present society, printing works, editorial offices, government, theatre, an atmosphere of change? The musical score?
4. Paris, alive, yet the critique of society, decadence, hypocrisy?
5. Lucien’s story, his background, father and name, mother and title, his family, age, in the countryside, contemplating, poetry, printing, his poems? Prospects? Pride? The encounter with Louise, her patronage, the relationship, the dedication of the problems, the gift of the book, her husband and her estrangement, the social visit, his name, his being mocked, reading the poem, the applause, slight, the husband and his insults?
6. Lucien, going to Paris, ambitious, finding somewhere to live? Financial difficulties? Jobs? The encounter with Etienne? Etienne as a writer, journalist, taking Lucien under his wing, going to the meetings, the other journalists, the philosophy of journalism, reviewing, exploiting condemnations, financial deals for promotional condemnation? The small papers, the success, amalgamating, the reputations, the readership? In these 19^th-century parallels with 21^st century journalism and fake news? And social media?
7. Lucien, his ideals, but easily bypassing them, his writing the reviews? But his ambitions with his poetry? The reputation of Donaut, editor, finance, deals, is not reading, Lucien meeting him, rejection? Donaut and his clientele, Nathan, his book, publication, reviews? Donaut, changing his mind, meetings with Lucien, publishing the poetry? The portrait of an opportunistic publisher?
8. The contrast with Nathan, his befriending Lucien, his character, writing, Lucien attracted, admiring his writing? The commission to criticise his book, Lucien resisting, the meeting with Etienne, the newspaper editor and his plot, to bring down Lucien, Lucien writing anonymously the carve up review, the consequences?
9. Lucien, relationship with women, the encounter with Coraline and Florine? Their lives, prostitution, support from wealthy men? The set-ups? Coraline and her hopes for acting, performing Racine? The rehearsals? Her relationship with Lucien, his spending money on her, clothes, accommodation? His gambling, drinking? Her concern, visiting Louise for help?
10. The character of Singali, his role with the influential, organising audiences, stacking theatres, the mechanisms for applause or disdain, training the audiences to applaud or hiss? Lucien giving him the money, the promises, the night of Coraline’s performance, the crowds gathering, Louise and the Baron, the Baroness, Etienne? Lucien and his expectations, the crowd turning on Coraline, hissing, projectiles, the disaster of the evening?
11. The consequences for Coraline, tuberculosis, her collapse, her death?
12. Lucien, the betrayal by Etienne? The mockery of the journalists? His financial situation? The importance of his name, his mother’s name, Louise giving him a contact, the official request for his official name, his articles, the government and its condemnation of him, the refusal?
13. Louise, the failure of life in Paris, Lucien and his visit, her leaving the city?
14. Nathan, a true friend, support, Lucien betraying his principles in dealing with Nathan?
15. Lucien, return home, to the provinces, his stripping, walking into the water, the film ending, the audience deciding what decision he would make, the water a kind of drowning or the water kind of cleansing, a baptism for a new phase of life?