5 x 2 (CINQ FOIS DEUX)
France, 2004, 90 minutes, Colour.
Valeria Bruni Tedeschi, Stephane Freiss.
Directed by Francois Ozon.
Since 1999, Francois Ozon has become a world-class director with a world-wide reputation. In 1999 he made a small film, Criminal Lovers, which was in competition in Venice. He followed that with his own French adaptation of Rainer Werner Fassbinder’s Water Drops on Burning Rocks. In 2001 he made the striking psychological drama Under the Sand with Charlotte Rampling, following it with a musical starring eight of France’s leading actresses including Catherine Deneuve, Danielle Darrieux, Emmanuele Beart, Isabelle Huppert, Ludovine Sagnier, and followed it with a different kind of film, The Swimming Pool, a murder mystery and psychological thriller with Charlotte Rampling and Ludovine Sagnier. With 5 x 2 he again changes course, although his focus is, as in most of his films, on his female characters.
One of the striking features of 5 x 2 is its structure. It begins at the end, so to speak, with divorce proceedings. As it moves backwards in time, it covers five significant moments in the lives of the two central characters.
This particular technique was used in the 1980s by playwright Harold Pinter in his play and the film version of Betrayal. It means then that the response of the audience is to the moment in hand on-screen knowing where it will lead while continually moving back to the beginning of the relationship.
Ozon is particularly well served in this film by his leading lady, Valeria Bruni- Tedeschi. Valeria Bruni- Tedeschi is one of France’s most distinguished actresses and has appeared in films for most of the significant French directors. She also wrote and directed her own film in 2003, It’s Easier for a Camel. The husband in the film is played by Stephane Freiss. The veteran couple Francoise Fabian and Michael Lonsdale appear as the heroine’s parents.
The moments that the film focuses on are the divorce and its aftermath (a bizarre sexual encounter which highlights brutality and augurs badly for the future), a domestic scene of guests for dinner including the gay brother of the husband, the sequence of the birth of their child where the mother goes into labour and is supported by her parents (cantankerously arguing with each other) and the husband is not able to face up to the reality of the birth, the joy of the wedding sequence and her strange experience when the wife cannot sleep and wanders out to watch the guests, including her parents, still dancing and where she encounters an American who makes advances towards her and, finally, the beginning of the relationship where the couple meet on a resort beach and swim out at the end of the film towards…
While the structure has been used by Pinter, other directors are entitled to try their hand at this method and Ozon has been very successful.
1.The themes of the film, relationships, the focus on women? The portrait of Marian?
2.The structure of the film, the acknowledgment of Pinter, the action going in reverse, from end to beginning?
3.The French perceptions in the film, city life, homes, hospitals, workplaces? The wedding sequence? The beach sequences? Authentic atmosphere and times for these events?
4.The director’s use of Italian songs, from the 60s, their mood, the lyrics as direct comments on the action and characters? Jerome Kern’s ‘Smoke Gets in Your Eyes’?
5.The title, five moments in the life of the couple? Five relationships? Five different kinds of love?
6.The opening, the long and factual detail of the divorce, the clauses, the agreement? The tone of the film and its seriousness – and audiences later realising that this was really the end of the film? The explanation of Gilles and Marian, their son, the breakdown of the marriage?
7.The aftermath of the divorce, Marian and Gilles going to the hotel room? The discussion about the history of the divorce, the relationship with their son, property, visits? The hotel room, each and their motivation for going? Marian and her modesty, the bathroom, in bed, their talk, Gilles and his wanting the sexual encounter? His becoming more violent, virtual rape of Marian? The aftermath, her going to the bathroom, seeing the open window, his harsh talk to her about not dying for her? The bitterness in their relationship? “
8.Gilles, his being seen generally through Marian’s eyes? Sympathy or not? His relationship in the past, before marrying Marian, his relationship after their separation? His general unhappiness?
9.The scene of the dinner, whether audiences realised this took place in time before the divorce or not? The possibility of getting together again? The tension? Marian coming home from work, Gilles at home with Nicholas, preparing the meal? Getting ready, Gilles’ brother coming to visit, for dinner, Matthieu and his being late? The discussions during the meal, about relationships? The brother as homosexual, his relationship with Matthieu? Their discussion about homosexual relationships, commitments, Matthieu and his explanations of fidelity, impossibility of commitment, one-night stands that meant nothing? The brother, his age, making concessions for Matthieu? Gilles and his discussion about the party, its turning into an orgy, his participation, Marian’s watching – and his becoming more and more exaggerated in his telling the story? Matthieu and his leaving early to go to a party, the brother not going, being too old? Marian and Gilles discussing the relationship, Marian being optimistic, Gilles and his negative attitudes?
10.The moment of the birth of Nicholas, Gilles at work, Marian going to hospital with her mother, the premature baby, the cord smothering the baby, the tests, the operation, the pain of the birth? Gilles at dinner, unable to go to the hospital? The rain, sitting in the car, going inside, meeting Monique, the clash, seeing the baby and his seeming disappointment? His escaping away from the hospital, talking to Marian on the mobile phone, her asking him to get clothes? Monique, her relationship with her daughter, Marian’s father coming, the clash between the two, the shouting and the fighting in the ward? The father and his patience, kissing his daughter, sitting in the car? The mother blaming him and not herself? The baby, small, Marian getting out of bed and going to look at her baby?
11.The movement back to the wedding, the preparations, the joy of the ceremony, the aftermath, the deep commitment? The reception, the meal, going to the room, Gilles tired and going to sleep, Marian going out, watching the guests dance, including her parents dance lovingly? At the water, the chance encounter with the American, the discussion, his advances, her response – her going back to the room, declaring her love for Gilles?
12.The step back to the holiday, the beach, Gilles and Valerie, their four-year relationship? The meeting with Marian, her having worked with Gilles, his not knowing her well, inviting her to the meal? Valerie and her friendship? Marian and her friend and the plan to go to Senegal but her being by herself? Going to the comedian and the theatre, Valerie’s refusal, Gilles being a good sport and participating in the comic act? In the room with Valerie? Valerie going on the hike, Gilles and his going to swim, meeting Marian and the sunbaking – and their going into the water together, swimming out together towards …?
13.A portrait of men, of women, commitment, fidelity, infidelity, the break-up of a marriage, the place of a child?
14.The other relationships, Marian and the American, Gilles’ brother and his boyfriend? Gilles and Valerie? Marian and Gilles? Her parents?
