35 RHUMS (35 SHOTS OF RUM)
France, 2008, 92 minutes, Colour.
Alex Descas, Mati Diop, Gregoire Colin, Ingrid Caven.
Directed by Claire Denis.
35 Shots of Rum is very different from most of Claire Denis’s films. With her long and strong interest in Africa, she made Chocolat in the 1980s. During the 1990s she made some humane dramas in France. However, during the 21st century her films have varied: life amongst the troops in Jibuti in Beau Travail, Paris life in Vendredi Soir and the rather incomprehensible but beautiful L'Intrus.
This film is much more straightforward. It is also very warm and humane. In fact, it is rather sweet.
Claire Denis still continues her interest in Africa, this time focusing on migrants from Africa who live and survive in Paris. The central character is a train driver and the film opens with a very long segment of watching the trains in the Paris system. His daughter is a student of economics at the university. They live in an apartment block where there is an eccentric and rather isolated young man (Gregoire Colin) and a taxi driver who is very fond of the train driver. Other characters include a train driver who has to retire, finds it very difficult, kills himself. This is a grim note which gives a strong sense of reality to the otherwise warm presentation of human relationships.
The film captures much of the atmosphere of the city of Paris, is very attentive to detail of life in the apartment, the strong relationship between father and daughter, the father wanting the daughter to know that she is free to leave home whenever she wishes. They also make something of a pilgrimage to Germany to the family of her mother and her mother’s grave. The ending is particularly understated – with a nice symbolic gesture of showing two rice cookers (one of which appeared at the beginning and audiences may think has disappeared altogether).
1.The title of the film, its meanings, Lionel and celebrations, Rene’s retirement and his not drinking the thirty-five shots, the ritual at the end, the wedding? Thirty-five shots for Josephine’s wedding?
2.The views of Paris, the opening and the trains, day and night, the rail lines? The trains themselves, the passengers? The apartment block, the apartments, Lionel and Josephine’s, Gabrielle’s, Noe’s? The interiors, the different styles of the apartments, the rooms? A sense of place, a sense of the people? The bars, the streets, the rain? The musical score and its mood?
3.The introduction to Lionel, watching the trains, his age, African background, motorbike, Josephine at home, the father-daughter relationship, the love, the meals together, the ordinary details of life, showers, cleaning? Lionel at work, the train driver and these scenes? The farewell to Rene, the party, not drinking the thirty-five rums, Rene’s death on the tracks and his grief? Gabrielle and the friendship, the past, not encouraging her? Wanting Josephine to feel her freedom? Noe and his being alone? Lionel liking him? Going to the concert, the rain, the breakdown, the bar, his dancing with the woman, spending the night? The visit to Germany, the background story of his marriage, his wife’s death? His mother-in-law and the family? His going to the grave with Josephine? The wedding, getting dressed, the finale with the rice cookers?
4.Josephine, her age, on the train, at home, cooking, a loving daughter, at class, the discussions about economics in Africa and debt, her studies, jogging with Noe, the bond between the two, her working in the record shop, Reuben and his approach, her response? Going to the concert, the breakdown, dancing with Noe, sitting down? Her father going with the woman, Josephine’s anger, vigorously cleaning the house? The trip to Germany, talking with her relations, talking German, the grave? The end and the wedding?
5.Gabrielle, taxi driver, her passengers, conversation? Her relationship with Lionel in the past, Josephine finding her note? Her being frustrated? Going to the concert, the car breaking down, in the bar, her silence afterwards because of Lionel? Happy at the wedding?
6.Noe, enigmatic, travelling, his work, his apartment, jogging, sharing things with Josephine, the concert, the dance, the possibility of going overseas, the happiness of the wedding?
7.The students, the discussions in class, Reuben and his approach in the shop?
8.Rene, age, his reaction to leaving, the celebration, going to the bar, talking, travelling with Lionel in the cabin, his death on the tracks?
9.The African themes, African migrants, Africans in France?
