LES PETITS FUGUES (LITTLE FLIGHTS)
France, 1979, 140 minutes, Colour.
Michel Robin, Fabienne Barraud.
Directed by Yves Yersin.
A very attractive Swiss film. It is slow moving, reflective and thoughtful. However, it captures life on a Swiss farm and the tensions between the old days and these days of modernisation. It shows the generation gap. It shows the needs of the Italian migrants working in Italy. However, it focuses on an old man, his buying a bike and the discoveries and little escapes that the bike gives him.
He goes into the town, he follows a glider, he travels to a motor racing carnival, he goes on a helicopter to look at the Matterhorn. This portrait of old age and the blossoming of an old man is most attractive and is reinforced by Michel Robin's excellent performance. Robin also performed very attractively in Claude Goretta's The Invitation. A worthwhile film, well recommended for thoughtful audiences.
1. An enjoyable and satisfying film? The nature of its appeal? Its humane qualities? A Swiss production with universal appeal?
2. The Swiss background of the film, the countryside, farm, town? The landscapes of Switzerland? The mountains and the Matterhorn?
3. The picture of farm life: work and its detail, life in the house, Pipe's room? The discussions about a takeover, modernising? Money and banks? The inevitability of change? The film's comment on the necessity of change, the manner of change and its effect on the people involved?
4. Pipe as the focus of interest and sympathy? The build-up to the arrival of the bike? The comedy in the sequences of his learning to ride? His following the glider and discovering new worlds? The humour of the buying of the petrol? The visit to the chocolate factory? The almost crash with the policeman? His encountering the group on the road going to the motorcross rally? his exuberance in watching the races, friendship with the winner and his family? The winning of the camera and his taking the photos? his getting drunk and annoying people and his being brought home? The sour reactions of the people at the farm? The confiscation of the bike and its effect on him? His joy in taking so many photographs – and the comedy in the way that he took them, arranged them? especially of himself and the Matterhorn? his final collage of photos? The nature of his little escapes and their effect on him in his old age? His discovering happiness, enjoyment?
5. The effect of the consequences of his being drunk, John's anger with him, the taking of the bike and its effect? his giving himself to the photos and the great detail of taking photos? His awareness of himself? his hiring the helicopter and the exhilaration of his going round the Matterhorn? The photos and his memories?
6. The photos and what they revealed about people's interest and his attitudes towards people? The cinematic effects of taking the photos? the pause, the centring on Pipe's interest? (and the effect of the cinematic style of the film itself echoing the taking of photos, the length of the shots and the audience supplying in their waiting the emotions of the sequence?
7. John and his sternness, the meals, the rules of the house, his anger towards Alain? His eventual resigning from the farm? The mother and her kindness towards people, the birthday cake for Luigi? her illness and going to the hospital? The portrait of an old couple and their old style in working and running the farm?
8. Josiane: the younger generation, her child? Moodiness, going to work and not going to work? The chocolate factory? Playing cards? The friendship with Luigi, the sexual encounter? her wanting to leave? her rudeness at home, her parents' reaction to her, Pipe's friendship? Her need to break out of this world? Luigi and his being Italian, his hard work on the farm, friendship with Pipe, the humour of the system of loading the bags on the truck? his birthday and the cake and the present? Playing cards? Sexual liaison with Josiane? The pathos of his being dismissed by Alain? The film's comment on the migrant workers? Luigi's comments about availability of work in Italy?
9. Alain and the new generation, the discussions with the adviser, his severe attitudes towards Pipe? Marianne and her love for Alain? Her work in the hospital, helping the family, looking after the home when the mother was in hospital?
10. The range of people in supporting roles: the policeman and his criticism of Pipe, the group at the motor-cross rally? The winners and their friendship with Pipe and his having a meal? The group criticising him when he was drunk?
11. The film's detailed presentation of the rally, the exhilaration of motorbike riding? The detail of Pipe's behaviour and annoying people at the carnival for example with the mustard? The long sequence of the helicopter ride around the Matterhorn, grandeur and beauty? The audience discovering its significance with Pipe?
12. The film's humane presentation of people, way of life, varying values?
13. The insight into an old man and his way of life, values, work, discovery of enjoyment?
