RUMOURS

Canada, 2024. 118 minures, Colour.

Cate Blanchett, Rolando Ravallo, Charles Dance, Nikki Amuka-Bird, Roy Dupuis, Dennis Menochet, Alicia Vikander.

Directed by Evan Johnson, Galen Johnson, Guy Maddin.

Esoteric and exotic are two words that come to mind while watching films by a Canadian rector, Guy Maddin. While he does have narrative and character development, his interest seems to be on the different kinds of impact films can have. His work is praised by critics. But, the average audience is bewildered.

While Rumours is probably the most accessible of his films, it still seems to have bewildered many of the public. To many, this seems so absurd a narrative, that they give up on it.

The basic plot outline, however, seems fairly direct. A meeting of leaders of the G7 takes place in ta castle in a German forest. The seven leaders meet for lunch, served in a pleasant gazebo, discussions, personal interactions, conflicts, and then their being stranded, lost in the forest at night. But, what happens to them in the forest, exposing of the limitations of their characters, the threats of impending apocalyptic doom, certainly takes them and the audience on unexpected paths.

The film does have the advantage of having Cate Blanchett in the central role as the German Chancellor, accented English and all. The other central character is the Canadian, Roy Dupuis, the most complex character of them all and he is given the final rhetorical declarations. The rest of the cast are strong character actors, including Charles Dance, of all people, as the ageing, prone to nod off, American President (and, just as it was a to explain his very proper British accent, he is cut off and we never know). Dennis Menochet dominates his scenes, a large man, -the intellectual, the French president. And Nikki Amuka-Bird, is a black prime minister from the UK.

The film might be seen as a political drama. However, the expose of the limitations of each of the leaders, leads to a satiric approach. The task for the leaders that we watch is their preparing for the communiqué, something like a school project amongst them, small groups, stating the obvious, truisms, platitudes. And then there are many farcical situations, some comedy. And, the three directors have though had an interest in conventions of horror films – so, excavations of 2000-year-old corpses, zombies, sex-obsessed, cavorting in the forest, and an AI program that is a perverse controller, and an overlarge-sized brain out their amongst the trees.

When asked to indicate approach to appreciating Rumours and its satire, a review suggests itself. What if the leaders of the G7, meeting there at the gazebo, all nodded off like the American President and had a communal nightmare. This would be the nightmare, cut off, lost, the very human limitations made all the more manifest, their being manipulated as the world seems to be going to its doom – and, rhetorically, standing there on the balcony, proclaiming some kind of hopeful G7 statement that might transcend the doom. Which means that both the leaders and we ourselves as the audience are often bewildered.

1. The work of the directors? Exotic and esoteric? Ironic comedy? Drama? Touches of horror?
2. The title, rumours, rumours of war…?
3. The basic premise, the meeting of the G7, the world leaders, economic situation, the official statement, reassurance? The screenplay and the presentation of the leaders, strengths, and expose of weaknesses, personal incompetencies, self-importance, relationships, affairs? Their characteristics representing their nations? The meeting, lunch, the gazebo, discussions, the small groups, preparation of the statement?
4. The German setting, the forest, the Castle, the gazebo, the forest? The events in the night, the darkness? The trees, the zombie-like creatures, the excavation of the bodies, Sylvain falling in, the sexual behaviour of the zombies, the ferry, the crossing of the water? The final scenes in this castle? The musical score?
5. The German leader, memories of Angela Merkel, Cate Blanchet, the accent, in charge, hosting, her concerns, the attraction to Maxine, going to search for him, the sexual encounter, the aftermath? Her support, guidance? The encounter with Celestine, her being able to understand and translate?
6. Maxime, Canada, the crises at home, the past affair with the British Prime Minister, his Celestine, the present with the German, his personality, his wife, deceptions? His crises and running away, the drinking, the clash with the British Prime Minister, the sexual encounter with the German leader, wandering in the forest, the discovery of the giant brain, discovering Celestine, the interactions with her? His carrying Sylvain after his collapse?
7. The French Prime Minister, pomposity, large, history, his book on graves, the excavations, his literary quotes, historical quotes, relationship with the other members, especially with the Italian Prime Minister, his notes blowing away, his pursuing them, in the forest, falling into the grave, the struggle with the body, his collapse, Maxine carrying him, the wheelbarrow, the ferry?
8. The Japanese Prime Minister, quiet, participating in the activities?
9. The Italian Prime Minister, small, friendly, quiet, the cured meat in his pocket, helping everyone, is a special concern about the French Prime Minister, the wheelbarrow?
10. The British Prime Minister, black, businesslike, the past relationship with Maxime, f ending him off, the participation in the activities?
11. The American president, as played by Charles Dance, the British accent, the almost explanation but not given? Age, superiority, leader of the free world, yet his falling asleep, his wanting to sleep, the Italian Prime Minister saving him?
12. The satire, the discussions for the statement, like small school groups discussing, the obvious, the platitudes…? The expose of the foibles? Lost in the forest, the zombies, the crises?
13. Celestine, the past, the talk about a new world order, her language, her documents, past with Maxime, the translation, rescuing her? Talk about Astrid?
14. The phone, the messages, Astrid, the little girl, asking for rescue, the group making their way to the Castle, entry, finding the Pres, the AI control, the accusations of sexual abuse, manipulation of characters? The death of the president?
15. The finale, the world up in flames, the rhetorical speech, the seven on the balcony? How much satiric? How much some kind of hope despite everything?