The old man and the child
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| German title | The old man and the child |
| Original title | Le vieil homme et l'enfant |
| Country of production | France |
| original language | French |
| Publishing year | 1967 |
| length | 87 minutes |
| Age rating | FSK 12 |
| Rod | |
| Director | Claude Berri |
| script | Claude Berri, Gérard Brach , Michel Rivelin |
| production | Paul Cadéac |
| music | Georges Delerue |
| camera | Jean Penzer |
| cut |
Denise Charvain , Sophie Coussein |
| occupation | |
| |
The old man and the child (original title: Le vieil homme et l'enfant ) is a French tragicomedy in black and white from 1967 and the first feature-length film by Claude Berri . The film is partly autobiographical and is about the deportation over the land during the last months of the German occupation of France .
action
The film is set in France during the occupation of World War II . Claude is an 8-year-old Jewish boy who made life difficult for his parents. He steals, smokes, fights and just wants to play like all other children, but his parents are careful to get through the war without paying any attention. That's why they keep moving and finally send the 9-year-old to the country, to the parents of a Catholic friend. Before that, Claude is taught the Lord's Prayer , changed his name from Langmann to Longuet and told to always wash his circumcised penis himself so that he is not recognized as a Jew.
Pepe (French for grandfather ) quickly turns out to be an old man with many prejudices. He blames the Jews, Freemasons , Communists and British for World War II. In addition, he is convinced that Jews can be recognized by their appearance and smell. At the same time, Pepe refuses to eat animals and treats his dog almost like a human - he is allowed to eat at the table and wears a bib .
As the film progresses, scenes in which the friendship between Claude and Pepe is strengthened alternate with episodes in which the old man's views are questioned. For example, Pepe helps Claude write a love letter to a school colleague and comforts him when the teacher shaves his head as a punishment.
When Pepe mentions the typical appearance of Jews (hooked nose, frizzy hair, flat feet), the boy exclaims, for example: "But then you're a Jew!" The blackout during a dinner leads Claude to say that they are now eating like Jews by candlelight.
The film ends with the liberation of France by the Allies and the return of Claude to his parents without Pepe finding out that the boy is Jewish.
background
Towards the end of the film you can see a cheering crowd as the village is liberated, as well as women whose heads were shaved because of alleged sexual relationships with German soldiers, see horizontal collaboration . The Old Man and the Child is one of the first films to portray this form of collaboration.
reception
The lexicon of international films calls the film a “call to understanding and against prejudice”, which, however, speaks more to feeling than to “rational insight”. The autobiographically colored, formally “conventional” film impresses with its “psychological coherence” and the “impressive portrayal” of Michel Simons.
François Truffaut describes The Old Man and the Child as the first real film about the occupation and titled Berri as the new Jean Renoir .
The conclusion is supported by Roger Ebert as a happy ending called. In contrast to the mechanical Hollywood happy ending, which has little to do with the plot before it, and with which all misunderstandings are cleared up and everyone is happy, Ebert sees an organic happy ending in The Old Man and the Child . Ebert describes this as an ending that is logical and leaves viewers satisfied.
By Renata Adler , the acting performance of Alain Cohen is highlighted in counterplay with Michel Simon and described as "wonderful balance between seriousness and exuberance." Michel Simon was a great actor for her before that and was also a great actor in the film.
The Protestant Film Watcher is also full of praise: “Moving and loving problem film with a great cast, sincere disposition and a strong human impact. Definitely worth seeing [...] even for young viewers from 10. "
Awards
The film was nominated for a Golden Bear at the 1967 Berlinale . Michel Simon received a Silver Bear for best actor and Claude Berri received the Interfilm Award.
Web links
- The old man and the child in the Internet Movie Database (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ FP Viell Homme et l'enfant. (PDF) (No longer available online.) Cinéma Parlant, archived from the original on June 18, 2013 ; Retrieved December 12, 2013 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ The old man and the child. In: Lexicon of International Films . Two thousand and one , accessed December 12, 2013 .
- ^ Gerhard Midding: Claude Berri, producer (1934–2009). In: The world . January 13, 2009, accessed December 12, 2013 .
- ^ Gérard Lefort and Didier Péron: Berri, mort d'un baron du cinéma. In: Liberation . January 13, 2009, accessed December 12, 2013 .
- ^ Roger Ebert : The Two of Us. September 3, 1968, accessed December 12, 2013 .
- ^ Renata Adler : The Two of Us (1968). New York Times , February 20, 1968, accessed December 12, 2013 .
- ↑ Evangelischer Presseverband München, Review No. 259/1967, p. 348
