LES TEMOINS (THE WITNESSES)
France, 2007, 112 minutes, Colour.
Michel Blanc, Emmanuelle Beart, Sami Bouajila, Julie Depardieu, Johan Libereau.
Directed by Andre Techine.
Director Andre Teschine has been making films about relationships for more than a quarter of a century. He made Wild Reeds, a film similar in theme to The Witnesses.
The setting is 1984-85, a year when AIDS began to be recognised. The film shows a group of Parisians and their relationships, Emmanuelle Beart is a writer of children’s books. Her husband, a policeman in Paris (Sami Bouajila). Their physicial friend Adrien (Michel Blanc) is a doctor treating patients and is instrumental in leading to the recognition of AIDS. He is a gay man and forms a friendship with a catering student in Paris (Johan Libereau). His sister is an opera singer. She is played by Julie Depardieu. The friendships are complex, especially when the catering student and the police inspector begin a secret liaison.
The friends meet at a summer holiday house – and then a year passes with all the intricate complications of relationships – and then they meet again in the summer of 1985, reflecting on what has happened in the year.
1. The work of Andre Techine, over many decades, pictures of French life, relationships, sexuality? Crises in French history?
2. 1984-85, the retrospective perspective on history, on people, on AIDS? Techine’s creating a story, characters and understanding?
3. The title – and its reference to Sarah’s book, the friends of Manu? Testimony to him after his death?
4. The credits, the pace, Sarah and her typing, the musical score, the fast credits, the frantic tone – her life? Returning to it at the end?
5. The initial focus on Sarah, her writing, her voice-over, her comments, perspective, testimony?
6. The birth of the child, no name, the birthday at the end, his name Justin? Mehdi and his being late? Adrien assisting at the birth? Taking the child home? Sarah realising she was not cut out to be a mother, ignoring the baby, her statements about being a mother? The milk, wearing earphones and the baby crying? Letting her mother look after the child? Her writing and obsessiveness? The fact that she was writing children’s stories? The background to her marrying Mehdi, the story of the courtship? Their various jobs? Her life, work, the holiday, the seaside? Adrien and Manu coming to the holiday? The summer, sunbathing, in the boat, happiness?
7. Introducing Adrien, as a doctor, work, prowling the parks, the gay man and the 80s? Meeting Manu, asking whether he was police or not? Going home, love, friendship, sharing, the cooking, going on the holiday, the boat, his persuading Sarah to get the boat from her parents? The happiness with Sarah and Mehdi? The summer?
8. Manu and his coming from the mountains, in the park, prowling, his homosexuality? The platonic friendship with Adrien? At home, the cooking? Sharing the room with Julie, their background, his sister? Life in the apartment? The hotel as a brothel? The club across the street, the prostitutes? His friendship? Sandra? His observing the police, the raids? Going with Adrien to the sea, wanting the ride in the boat, enjoying the company, swimming, getting into difficulties, Mehdi saving him? His gratitude? Bringing the gift? The attraction? Going into the woods, the approach, the beginning of the affair, their meetings? Keeping this from Adrien?
9. Mehdi, the background of his life, relationship with Sarah, the baby, his missing the birth, his tenderness with the child? His work with the police? The open marriage and their discussion about relationships? Sarah and her relationship with the editor – seeing him later? The prostitutes, the brothel, the raids? His warning Manu? The friendship with Adrien, the holiday, saving Manu and the effect? His description of saving him, touching him, resuscitation? The gift and his reaction? The affair and its effect on him?
10. Julie, her background, family, with Manu, singing, the hotel? Her wanting to protect her brother? The career, the training, auditions, performance? Her final decision to go to Munich? A woman alone, her mission to sing?
11. The transition to winter, Adrien and the alienation, his jealousy, discovering the truth about Mehdi? His desperation?
12. Mehdi, his work, the raids, getting the job for Manu, visiting him in his caravan?
13. Manu and the affair, the job, happiness, the illness, AIDS as unknown, his wanting to be alone? Adrien discovering the truth? Mehdi coming, checking? Sarah and her wanting to meet him?
14. Manu and his deterioration, Adrien and his help, care? His death – going into the snow? His funeral? Adrien and Julie going, the mother, Adrien getting the photo? Julie returning, singing, Adrien listening, a moment of grief?
15. Sarah and the discovery? Meeting Manu? Throwing her book away, the editor, the discussion, starting the book again? The tension with Mehdi, the baby?
16. The background of AIDS, unknown in the early 80s, the research, the details of Adrien’s work, the conferences?
17. Adrien, the funeral, his prowling again, meeting Steve, the American background? Taking him home? The meeting with Sarah and Mehdi for Justin’s birthday?
18. The birthday party, one year passed, what had happened to each of the central characters? Sarah and her final comments and witnessing?
