PLEIN SUD
France, 2010, 90 minutes, Colour.
Yannick Renier, Lea Seydoux, Nicole Garcia, Michelin Presle.
Directed by Sebastian Liefshitz.
Plein Sud continues the theme of Sebastian Liefshitz’s films. He focuses on young men, their journeys, their discovery. His La Traversee won a SIGNIS award for its portrait of a young man from France going to America to search out his father.
This film focuses on a young man, disturbed, introverted. He takes three passengers on his trip to the south. They are young, wilful, obnoxious. The girl, pregnant as we see at opening of the film, is unsettled and capricious. Her brother is trying to understand his sexuality. The other young man is quite ordinary, but out for a good time.
As the four go on the road, flashbacks are inserted about the driver’s past life, grim facts including the suicide of his father and the institutionalising of his mother. It has had an effect on him and he is on his way to see his mother, released from an institution after twenty years. The film also challenges him as regards his identity, his sexuality.
1.A French perspective, the younger generation, relationships?
2.A road film, the journey, the towns, camping out, the coast, Spain?
3.The landscapes, the ocean, the water, the pounding waves? The final river?
4.The title, the journey, Sam’s quest?
5.Sam as central, his car, the purpose of his journey? Picking up Matthieu and Lea, interacting with them, the initial video taken by Matthieu, Lea provocatively dancing? The sexual issues? His neutrality? Matthieu and the kiss? Driving, picking up Jeremie, the discovery of the gun? The purpose of the gun, Sam as morose? Calling in to see his brother, their talking about their mother, memories? The brother allowing the group to stay in the yard? Sam’s life, memories? The camping, Jeremie and Lea with the gun? Waiting for Lea impatiently? Letting the group off at the bus stop? At the sea, the young people on the beach, the night, Matthieu and sex, his leaving, Matthieu chasing him? Going to Spain, finding his mother, his reactions to her, in the light of his memories, his walking to walk with her, his decision to leave? His contemplation by the river, throwing the gun in the river? Stripping, diving into the water, being cleansed, floating, to…?
6.The flashbacks and their insertion, the mother and father in the car, the mother and her tantrum, the father suddenly shooting himself? Sam watching as a boy from the window? His looking at his father’s embalmed body, fingering the bullet-hole? The two boys watching, the younger and the older, playing swords? The relationship with the grandmother and the walk with her? The boys being separated, Sam fostered, the discussions with Lucie, her mother? His mother’s visit, wondering whether she would take him away or not? His memories of his mother talking to herself, calling Alex Harold and the bath? Their plea for her to stop talking to herself? The character of the father, his love, putting on Sam’s coat, his silence? The mother and her madness, in the institution, twenty years, allowed out, the job, the friend, the medication? Her honest talking to her son?
7.Alex and his life, settled, job, girlfriend, separated from his mother?
8.The group, idle, wilful, bored, sulking, obnoxious? Young people and the music on the beach?
9.The opening with Lea, the foetus? Her lack of decision about the future? Her dancing, flirting, Jeremie and the relationship? Her moods, walking on the beach? Her choices about a child and giving birth?
10.Matthieu, sex, brotherly concern for Lea, with the video camera, taking everything? With Sam, the experience, chasing him?
11.Jeremie, ordinary, relationships?
12.A film of insight and understanding?
