UN SECRET
France, 2007, 105 minutes, Colour/black and white.
Cecile de France, Patrick Bruel, Ludivine Sagnier, Julie Depardieu, Mathieu Amalric.
Directed by Claude Miller.
Claude Miller has made a number of interesting dramas over many years. This time he tackles a novel about French Jews, World War II and the holocaust, a story which Miller feels that he can identify with because there are elements of his own family history in it.
Miller uses an unusual device to literally ‘colour’ his storytelling. Most of the events in the film take place from the mid-1930s to the immediate post-war years and up to the mid-50s and early 60s. However, there are flashes-forward throughout the film to the central character and his relationship to his parents in 1985. These segments are in black and white.
In the 1980s, middle-aged Francois (Mathieu Amalric) has been called by his mother (Cecile de France) to look for his father (Patrick Bruel) who has been extremely upset about the death of his dog. Francois finds him, comforts him, is puzzled by his strong emotional attachment to his dog, especially as he recalls his father’s life before and during the war – and the family’s secret.
It is a great disadvantage in writing a review of Un Secret that, of its very nature, the film has important elements that should not be referred to but left for the audience to discover. So be it.
However, while these elements are not exactly new because of the many memoirs of these times and the explorations of the ways in which Jewish people in France, Germany and other European countries handled their crises, they are presented here in a sufficiently interesting way, especially through the characters who we get to know well (or, when the secrets are revealed, not quite as well as we thought we did).
Young Francois, a weakly child who receives physiotherapy, especially from Louise, a neighbour and long-time family friend (Julie Depardieu), admires his champion swimmer mother but is intimidated by his demandingly athletic father. His father has had him baptised after the war but this secret (not the main one of the film) is to be kept from his Jewish grandfather and relations. As he grows older, Louise decides to tell him the details of his family background.
The film is made in that calm French way, focusing on characters and their feelings, lots of scenes of family get-togethers, meals as well. When the film goes back to the war years, especially the traumas of occupied France and Vichy France, there are some interesting complexities.
This is a thoughtful film and its message about the experiences of the 20th century Jews in Europe and at the hands of the Nazis is: lest we forget.
1.A 21st century perception of World War Two, the Holocaust, Jewish identity?
2.The structure of the film: opening in 1955, the return to the 1930s, the 1940s? Advancing to the 1960s? In colour? The black and white for the fast-forward scenes in the 1980s? The effect of reality and memory? The musical score?
3.The evocative locations in Paris: the shop, the neighbourhood, home, Louise’s home, school, the swimming pool? The 1930s and 40s, the atmosphere in France, costumes and décor? The war experience? The move to the south, the house, the woods, the river? The contrast with the city?
4.The title? Its relevance for the original novel and the author’s memories? Claude Miller and his own history and identifying with this?
5.The focus on Francois, his age, relationship with his parents, his mother and the swimming pool? His father and the gymnastics, Francois as weak, unable to fulfil his father’s demands, the physiotherapy, his work with Louise? His dreams and his imaginary brother, the brother’s skills? His ordinary life, the shop, as an adolescent, his friends, Louise and the telling of the story? The gradual revelation of the details, his going to her shop, the effect on him?
6.His being baptised, the family keeping it a secret, his name, his parents present, the not telling of the grandfather? The celebration, the role of the grandfather in the family? The later significance of the baptism and concealing the Jewish identity?
7.The intercutting of the episodes in 1985, Francois and his counselling work, with the boy lacking self-esteem? Contact with his mother, Louise? His father, the death of the dog, going searching for his father, finding him, his father’s grief, Francois’ voice-over and his comment about his father’s emotions concerning the family and concerning his dog?
8.The return to the 1930s? Francois’ father, the marriage, Hannah and her looking forward to married life? An atmosphere of joy? Her brother Robert, his being married to Tania? Their all coming to visit? The family sequences, the atmosphere, the Jewish identity, the Jewish ceremonies? Yet Maxim and his roving eye towards Tania?
9.The marriage, the baby, the husband and wife together?
10.The introduction of the war, the atmosphere, Robert going to war, his service, the news about him, in prison? His death? The effect on Tania?
11.Maxim, his concealing the Jewish identity, getting everybody to go to Lyon, the extended family and the preparations? Their going south? Tania’s arrival?
12.Hannah, her anger at Tania, the gifts and her rejection? The decision to go, the preparation of the false documents, getting ready to go with her son? The police arrival, her remaining with her son, their arrest – and the later information about the immediacy of their deaths?
13.Maxim, in the country, critical of Hannah, his sadness at her death? The affair with Tania, marrying her, the birth of Francois? The fact that all this history was kept from Francois?
14.Francois, his growing up, hearing the story from Louise? His reaction to the story, the reality instead of a phantom brother?
15.His coming to terms with himself, with the issues? Seeing him in the 1950s and 60s? The flash-forwards and seeing him and how he had developed as a man, poise, with his parents, professionally?
