A childhood on Montmartre
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| German title | A childhood on Montmartre |
| Original title | Les allumettes suédoises |
| Country of production |
France Germany Italy |
| original language | French |
| Publishing year | 1996 |
| length | Part 1 - 108 minutes Part 2 - 103 minutes Part 3 - 103 minutes |
| Rod | |
| Director | Jacques Ertaud |
| script |
Bernard Revon François Velle |
| production |
Pierre Grimblat Jean Bigot Martine Chicot Nicolas Grape |
| music | Bernard Gérard |
| camera | Jean-Claude Hugon |
| cut |
Annie Coppens Monique Rizzon |
A childhood on Montmartre is a three-part literary film adaptation based on a series of novels by the French writer Robert Sabatier , which began with the volume Les allumettes suédoises (1969). The author himself appears at the beginning of the first part and introduces the main plot, which dates back a little more than 60 years , with the words "I am reliving the story of Olivier ... my story" . This suggests to the viewer that the narrated material is less a matter of fiction than an autobiographical emulation.
“ My street lay in bright sunshine”. Every time I return to my old quarter in Montmartre, this sentence shoots through my head, because all my memories are full of bright sunshine. When I was little, it felt like the sun was always shining ... maybe because I was happy then. I only had games and stupid pranks on my mind and always wanted to mess with the boys from Rue Bachelet, because I lived on Rue Labat myself. In short - I was a real little Parisian street boy. I, Robert Sabatier - or "Olivier" if you will - am now on my way to my old school ... my old school! It's silly, but I actually have the feeling that a miracle is about to happen, that I am going back to little Olivier and reliving all of my happy childhood. Happy, she was, but not always - and at the time I didn't know what life would bring me. "
Production and broadcast
Despite the great success of his multi-part series of novels, translated into 14 languages, of which more than six million copies have been sold, Sabatier has long been reluctant to approve an adaptation because the story, which is based on his life, is too intimate and sentimental for him appeared to be able to imagine them as a film motif.
The decisive impetus came from producer friend Pierre Grimblat, who dreamed of bringing Sabatier's books to the screen for 15 years. It was also he who made personal contact with director Jacques Ertaud, who in turn had an adolescence similar to that of Sabatier: Already orphaned at the age of thirteen, he grew up in the Parisian Arrondissement de l'Observatoire with wealthy relatives whose family origins were based the country, in the Ariège department , were rooted. However, Ertaud did not live to see the television premiere, he died on November 18, 1995 on his 71st birthday. The closing credits of the last part are therefore preceded by a personal thank you. The script, to which Sabatier only made small changes, was created in collaboration between the authors Bernard Revon and François Velle within two years.
For the title role Olivier Châteauneuf , the then 13-year-old Naël Marandin was selected from around 60 children, as Ertaud recognized the necessary maturity in him to be able to convincingly convey the interplay of carefree and emotionally stressful scenes that he should more live than portray . It was thanks to this fine instinct in the selection of his cast that Sabatier recognized not only the characters from his novels in the actors during the first visit to the set, but also the companions of his childhood, and the television roles eventually became more and more the real personalities of his History advanced.
The project was realized by Grimblat's film company Hamster Productions in cooperation with the broadcasters France 2 , arte , ZDF and Rai . While backdrops were used for the interior decorations, most of the exterior shots were taken at original locations in Paris and the Auvergne . For example, the Pathé studios served as jeans workspace and the Lycée Jean-Baptiste-Say as boarding school, which Olivier attended from summer 1932. The street of Rue Labat on Montmartre was modeled on an area of one hectare for production in Pontoise in the style of the 1930s.
In France, the trilogy was shown for the first time on March 4, 11 and 18, 1996 on France 2, and a large advertising campaign generated 16 million interested TV viewers. The broadcast in Germany took place a year later on September 5, 12 and 19, 1997 on the two-tone channel, i.e. in German and French, on arte. However, repetitions are rare: So far, these have only been on ZDF from December 27 to 29, 1997, again on arte from March 24 to April 7, 2001, and several times between August 19 and October 20, 2011 and June 8 and Seen on Sky Emotion on August 31, 2013 .
The individual epithets correspond to the title of one of the five novels published by then: David et Olivier (1986), whose close friendship is at the beginning, Trois sucettes à la menthe (1972), which Olivier repeatedly gets offered by Uncle Henri , and Les noisettes sauvages (1974) as a symbol of his stay in Auvergne.
action
Part 1 - David and Olivier
Paris in the spring of 1932: the twelve-year-old Olivier Châteauneuf lives with his mother Virginie, a haberdashery, in the Rue Labat on Montmartre, the district of artists and common people. Virginie has been widowed for ten years and is being courted by various admirers, which is a thorn in Olivier's side. Especially the family doctor Dr. Lehmann tries to help the young mother, but does not tell her the real reason for it. When he learns from Olivier that Virginie is allegedly visiting a friend in the hospital, he rushes to La Salle Pétrière , but his patient has already been informed about her true health by an independent doctor. Shocked that she is at risk of heart failure at all times, Virginie makes Dr. Lehmann grave allegations for leaving her in the dark, especially because of her son. He tries to make her understand that her situation is not hopeless, and finally calms her down with the promise to adopt and raise Olivier in the event of her death.
He is still clueless and has to learn the terrible truth of all things from Salzkorn, one of the two ringleaders of the warring "big asses" from Rue Bachelet, whose mother is with Dr. Lehmann works and has read Virginie's medical records. As Olivier believes in a tasteless joke, he lets himself be carried away into a fight, in the course of which a one-armed man intervenes who knows Olivier's name. At first the boy is amazed at the strange encounter, but has to worry more about his torn pants. Since the garment should last for almost a year, he has it sewn in the Zober & Sohn tailoring shop , which belongs to the father of his best friend David. Back home, he speaks to his mother about Salzkorn's claim. Not wanting to worry Olivier, Virginie pretends to only use digitalis for her heart. To take away his last doubts, she teaches her son tango steps to demonstrate that she is not terminally ill. In order to refine Olivier's dance skills, they both go to the Lapin Agile cabaret in the evenings . There Olivier openly asks his mother whether she would like to meet men and gives her the admission that she will have nothing against it as long as she does not do it in secret. When Olivier wakes up at night, but Virginie is not at home, he finds a bouquet of red roses with a card from Dr. Lehmann. The angry Olivier finds his mother in the doctor's apartment, ventilates his anger and runs away. The terrified Virginie rushes after him and suffers a slight attack of weakness. Then she confesses to him that she is not as healthy as he thinks, but continues to hide from him that the course of her illness could be fatal.
The next morning, Olivier and David report on their encounter with the mysterious one-armed man, to which Virginie is surprised. She turns to her cousin Elodie, who also lives on Montmartre with her husband Jeanneau, also known as "Jean" for short by everyone, and suggests that it could only be a certain André Privat. He was supposed to be in prison for another two years, but many prisoners were pardoned in the course of the presidential elections. Although Privat has atone for his act, Virginie is afraid of a re-encounter, which finally occurs on Olivier's 13th birthday during a visit to the theater. Privately, she openly admits that she only thought of her during her time in prison, and suggests that only the two of them could forgive each other for what happened in the past. When he finally expresses his hope of getting back together with her, Virginie postpones her wedding to Dr. Lehmann and collapses, overwhelmed. The doctor hurried to see himself confronted with his opponent, whom Virginie introduces as an old friend. In fact, she gives her confidante to understand in private that she is no longer sure about the wedding. In the late evening, Privat turns up at the Châteauneufs and arouses Olivier's interest when he is introduced to him as the best friend of his father, Pierre, who also comes from the same village. In private, Olivier immediately reveals that he had been in prison for a long time and gives him a Napoleon for his birthday - a valuable gold coin that is said to represent the basis of his fortune.
The next day, Virginie and Olivier visit his wealthy aunt Victoria, the sister of his late father. There Olivier meets his uncle Henri and cousin Marceau again and also gets to know Julienne, Victoria's goddaughter. Victoria is very concerned about her son, who has tuberculosis and who is to be treated in a sanatorium. When Marceau teases his cousin as an uneducated proletarian, because he is unfamiliar with a piano piece by Frédéric Chopin that he plays with Julienne, and also jokes that he prefers to be sick rather than poor, Olivier feels challenged and shows the perplexed Marceau his Napoleon. When Victoria questions its origin, Virginie frankly admits who the gift came from. Victoria is appalled to find out that she is privately released from prison, which sparked an argument between her and Virginie. Olivier doesn't understand the excitement that Victoria is making about private life, which is why Virginie explains to him that her sister-in-law has forgotten where she comes from because of the marital milieu advancement. In the evening Olivier asks his mother to be allowed to lie down with her because he cannot sleep. When a customer waits urgently for the fabric shop to open the next day, Virginie does not wake up. While Victoria plays with the idea of having the inventory sealed, Elodie worries about Olivier's future. For Virginie's funeral, the mourners travel to Saugues in Auvergne, where Pierre is also buried. There Olivier meets his grandparents and uncle Victor, from whom Victoria learns that the pastor refuses to read a mass for Virginie. She tries to gain entry into the church to demand a decent burial, but the clerk has to explain to her that Father Villeneuve is in a meeting. Victoria is horrified to find out that André Privat is present, and can hardly hold back her anger that he of all people got the priest to give the blessing in the cemetery. Out of consideration for Pierre's family, Private Virginie pays her last respects from a distance. When Olivier sees him, he throws Napoleon into his mother's open grave. A direct encounter between the two is prevented by Victoria, however, by forbidding Olivier to have any contact with André, whereupon he leaves the cemetery.
Back at Montmartre, Olivier is determined that his mother should have a mass after all. He wants to get the money for it from a drawer in the mercerie, but the shop has since been sealed. With David's help, he manages to break in there, but the money has disappeared, and Olivier immediately suspects his aunt. Before he leaves the store with David, he makes his best friend promise never to leave him alone. He also has a solution for the money problem ready: Together with the anarchist Bougras, with whom Olivier gets along well, as auctioneer, the "Apaches" - as Olivier's circle of friends call themselves - bring old dishes to the people older woman has left. When the “big asses” want to steal the money they have collected, Olivier flees to the Sacré-Cœur basilica and throws the 58.30 francs into the offering . After asking for the money back from the pastor and explaining the situation, he agrees to a mass. After the devotion, Olivier makes peace with Anatol, Salzkorn and their gang. When the shoemaker returns a pair of his mother's shoes with broken heels, Olivier gives them to the animation girl Mado - a young woman who lives one floor above Elodie and whom he has long raved about.
Since the global economic crisis is increasingly threatening their existence, David's parents have been playing with the idea of emigrating to Uncle Samuel in America for some time, where the order situation is said to be very good. Two weeks before departure, the two inaugurate their son, who opposes the plan - if only because he has sworn to Olivier. In order to be able to spend as much time as possible with his friend, the Zobers invite Olivier over to their home for the remaining days. When David received the best monthly report card of his year, his father asked him to take it to the shopkeeper Kulpasky, who would certainly give him something in recognition of his performance, as he had done the community honor. David and Olivier receive a carp from him, which they put in an old bathtub that was left standing on a hill at some point until it is big enough to prepare it. When his family was noticeably happy and exuberant on the Passover festival , Mr. Zober sensed a conspiracy. Because “Karpfi” has grown too dear to the two boys to want to see him lying on their plates, Ms. Zober has prepared pikeperch to celebrate the day. When he understands that Olivier has also been told, her husband, amused, accuses his son of allowing his father to make a fool of himself in front of Olivier. The mood is suddenly clouded when he jokingly asks what David will do with his new “friend”, the carp, once they are in America. The news of losing David shortly after his mother is so overwhelming for Olivier that he turns away from him, disappointed. He accuses him of wanting to leave without telling him anything about it, but David only wanted to be able to spend the last days together carefree. Since their friendship is far too close to fail, however, the two get on again quickly, whereupon Olivier shows David a card from André Privat, who invites him to his estate for the holidays. On the day the Zobers leave, Olivier releases the carp and disappears without a trace. The disappointed David has to leave Montmartre without being able to say goodbye to Olivier.
Part 2 - Three peppermint lollipops
The Zober family takes the train to a ship in Le Havre , on which they have booked a passage for the crossing to America. When David goes to the toilet, he is surprised by Olivier. The two friends make plans that Olivier could hire as a cabin boy or travel with them as a stowaway. David finally persuades him to show himself openly to his parents and asks them about the possibility of an adoption, which the surprised Zobers are not very enthusiastic about, since Olivier has a family despite Virginie's death. Olivier admits that he stole from Elodie in order to be able to follow the Zobers. When David's father promises to talk to Elodie and pay Olivier a return ticket, he gets angry and pulls the emergency brake. David, unable to part with his best friend, tries to escape with him, but falls and is captured again. After the final loss of all the people important to him, Olivier runs disillusioned towards a moving train in a short circuit, but it can stop in time. An undertaker who happens to be on his way to Paris finally takes Olivier with him and drops him off at Montmartre. When Olivier has the courage to face Elodie, he hears Jean cursing loudly in the apartment. In his anger over Olivier's theft, he threatens to send him to an educational institution, so he runs away. He finds accommodation in a hotel, which Privat often stays when he's in the area, and contacts his parents' friend there, who turns up the next morning and accompanies Olivier to Elodie's. She is glad that nothing has happened to him and agrees that Olivier should move to André in the Auvergne, believing that this will also do Virginie's wishes. Since Victoria could cause problems, he should leave immediately. But when it comes time to say goodbye to all friends and acquaintances - especially Mado and Bougras - Olivier realizes that he belongs in his neighborhood and cancels private again.
Elodie and Jean then convene the family council to decide what is best for the boy. Uncle Henri has now become Olivier's guardian, but is asked by his wife to support her plans. When she proposes placement in an orphanage, Elodie fends off this with the option of sending Olivier to private, which of course goes against the grain of Victoria, since in her opinion a criminal cannot be a role model. When she also learns that Olivier almost left with private, she resists the idea of accommodating Olivier, as Elodie apparently does not grant her any rights to the boy in her arbitrariness. She also points out her son's illness, which is contagious. Henri finally offers Jean and Elodie financial support to take care of Olivier - so he doesn't have to leave his familiar surroundings. When Elodie informs the two guests that this cannot be a permanent solution because she and Jean want to have a child of their own, Victoria mocks that this consideration has long been fruitless, whereupon Elodie throws the Desrousseaux out of the apartment. Jean and Henri, the "dormant Poles" of the heated discussion, finally agree on an amount of 100 francs a month. When Jean wants to cheer Elodie, who is angry with him because they had originally assumed a higher amount, Olivier suggests that they earn the remaining money. Then Jean takes out his anger on him, which in turn makes Elodie even angrier.
While his mother's shop is being repainted, Olivier writes another letter to David, who has been living in America for six weeks but has not yet replied. He withdraws more and more into himself, which also affects the contact with his friends. Only after a conversation with Bougras, with whom he is now bottling wine for the landlord Ernest, does he regain his happiness. Since the Salvation Army will stop serving soup from spring onwards, Olivier supplies the disabled Daniel, known as the "spider", whom he had protected from an attack by the "big asses" a few weeks earlier, with leftovers from home. As a thank you, the former trapeze artist gives him a book about the language of flowers, which Olivier reads with great interest and finally Mado - in supposed ignorance of their meaning - gives him a bouquet of red roses. During his visit, he also tucked a garter belt of his loved one. Jean is now hired as an editor for the film and starts working in the newsroom a week later. Olivier also learns that Elodie is three months pregnant. Although he is happy for both of them, he also has to admit sadly that he will then have to move away. To cheer him up, Elodie tells him that André is currently in Paris privately and has invited Olivier to the cinema. After a film about the First World War , which he was not particularly enthusiastic about, Olivier tries to gain something positive from this terrible time, since otherwise his parents would probably never have married (Pierre was wounded in the Battle of the Marne and looked after by Virginie). When they meet Bougras, he says that Privat is proud of his achievements in the war and tries to infect Olivier with his alleged enthusiasm for the war, which is why he angrily turns away from his young friend. During this time, Olivier's friendship with Spider deepens, who gives him his dictionary volumes with the promise of knowing everything after reading them.
When President Paul Doumer is assassinated and eventually dies of the consequences, Jean's newsroom goes into full coverage, with Jean disagreeing with the editor-in-chief that people are primarily interested in the funeral procession and the funeral the focus instead on the new elections and the "left slide in the House of Representatives" (the left won 91 seats). When he comes home, he finds a hole in a wall, which Elodie explains to him by saying that the neighbor has moved out and they now have one more room available. Olivier is sad that Spider had to go to the retirement home, but is also happy to be able to use the room until the child is born. When Jean took Olivier to work the next day for an extra role, he had to find out from the porter that his job had been terminated. Olivier seems to have to leave Montmartre five months after his mother's death. When Olivier wants to support his relatives and give them all his money, the drunk Jean freaks out and tells him on the head that he doesn't want to keep him without a job. Olivier, who has fled the apartment, now feels completely alone in the world and starts to light the Swedish matches that André gave him on his 13th birthday, accidentally starting a small fire. Bougras saves him from the angry residents and can finally talk him out of the fear of having to go to the reformatory. Finally he explains to the boy that Spider moved out of his room so that Olivier could stay on Montmartre. When Mado, whom Jean had told him, goes out with him, Olivier has no idea that his departure is already a done deal, although his relatives do not like the idea despite Jean's unemployment. It is only shortly before Uncle Henri's arrival that Olivier learns that his days in the neighborhood are numbered.
Henri wants to give Olivier the best possible education and takes him to the boarding school he will attend in the future. He should stay there for the summer and be instructed in order to counteract his restrained performance and thus guarantee a good connection with the requirements of the higher school. In the evening, at Olivier's request, the two of them visit Lapin Agile , where he is reminded of the evening with his mother. When there is a pillow fight later in the dormitory for which Olivier is held responsible, he tries to defend himself, which is why he is then cut and marginalized by all of his classmates. In addition, he is constantly in the shadow of his cousin Marceau, who was one of the best graduates. He turns up surprisingly and tells Olivier that he can now leave the boarding school and spend the rest of the summer in Victoria's city apartment. Once there, he proudly tells him that his parents gave him a trip to New York for New Year's Eve. He also brings Olivier closer to jazz music using the example of Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong and offers him a benzene cigarette, an "intoxicating oil for the spirit", to smoke. When Victoria sends the boy to the kitchen for dinner, Marceau joins him, who is annoyed by his mother's behavior, since she had actually taken Olivier into the family. After all, it is thanks to the thick skull of his cousin that Olivier is also allowed to dine in the dining room. When Julienne comes to visit and Marceau imitates her superficial courtesy to Victoria, Olivier joins in with amusement, which is why his aunt sends him to his room. Again there is an argument between Victoria and Marceau. When Olivier woke up to loud noises at night, he overheard Marceau going weak. He promises his new brother that he will keep it quiet.
Part 3 - Wild hazelnuts
Marceau appears at a concert he told Olivier about the day he arrived at Victoria, and he meets Louis Armstrong, who invites him to New York's Cotton Club for New Year's Eve . Olivier overhears Marceau coughing up blood in the dressing room, but he explains that he has torn his lips, which is more common with trumpeters. Back at boarding school, Olivier meets Dr. Lehmann again, who also had to leave Montmartre because he did not have enough patients because of the crisis, and now works as a school doctor. He asks him whether Marceau's symptoms suggest a serious course of the disease, which the doctor confirms. This is how he really becomes aware of the true extent of his cousin's relapse, but instead of facing this fact, Marceau raves about a woman who is 15 years older than him and whom he met at the communist party conference. When Olivier has to admit that a poem written by Marceau didn't exactly work out, he counters that Olivier doesn't know women because he has never been in love. Olivier then tells about Mado and shows him her garter, which Marceau assumes, however, to come from Virginie's shop. Nevertheless, he promises him that he will see Mado again. When Olivier urges his cousin to seek treatment, Olivier fends off with the claim that Olivier wants to take his place in the family in the meantime and reminds him of his promise.
Meanwhile André contacts Henri privately, who agrees to a joint meeting. The latter asks him to see Olivier because he believes he can be a father to him. He is also convinced that Henri's family has no real bond with the boy. But Privat eventually has to realize for himself that Victoria would never let that happen after he tried to kill Olivier's parents. In addition, Henri points out that, in the end, the day must come when Olivier will learn the whole truth about private, and that an absolution on his part would destroy the image that the boy had so far of his parents, whereby he has private right to do so questions. However, André kept in touch with Olivier and had an elegant pen sent to him by post, which the director confiscated to prevent his classmates from envious of the expensive gift. Since the penholder was bought near Saugues, Victoria, who was asked to be the director, does not have to speculate who the sender might have been and forbids her nephew to accept anything from private in the future. As Olivier asks the reason for their refusal, Victoria tells him about an event in December 1917 when Privat turned up at her house and tried to shoot Pierre and Virginie. Having doubts about the story, Olivier also inquires of Marceau, who was too young at the time to be able to remember anything. However, he shows Olivier a mirror hidden behind a curtain in his room, in which the two bullets are still stuck. Marceau, who has meanwhile been turned down by the courted communist, describes the events as an ordinary jealousy drama between two men who love the same woman.
To keep his promise, Marceau sneaks into boarding school one evening and lies in bed in Olivier's place so that he can visit Mado. He makes his way to the Bouchon de Champagne , where the young woman works. Since children are not allowed in there, he and Mado, who is very happy to see her “little fiancé” again, dance a tango on the street. Marceau also receives a visit from an old love, but their encounter is less pleasant: Charlotte, who works in the sanatorium from which the tuberculosis patient was released after an inconspicuous pneumothorax , has to tell Marceau that a letter is on the way to his parents, in which the doctors report that based on the samples that Marceau submitted during a routine examination, a severe relapse can be assumed. When she assesses his condition critically, he accuses Charlotte, with whom he has experienced his first time, of self-interest, since it would certainly help her to be able to regularly look after the sick person again. Since he sees his stay in America in danger, Marceau tries to intercept the message, but in the first batch there is only a letter from David to Olivier. When he met the caretaker again at noon, he learned that mail was being distributed several times a day and that she had already brought the new delivery upstairs. Indeed, Henri received a notification concerning his son, but from an American friend who agreed to take Marceau in over New Year's Eve. When a letter from the sanatorium is found, Marceau claims it concerns a glass door that he accidentally damaged. In his opinion, the allegedly demanded compensation falls into the area of goodwill, since the treatment itself was expensive enough. To keep up this appearance, he calls the head of the facility and clarifies the alleged misunderstanding. He then forged a letter in the name of his parents, stating that the patient should be treated near Paris for family reasons in the future.
Olivier is now so against the grain of his cousin that he threatens to tell Henri and Victoria about him, but Marceau has him in hand because of his nightly visit to Mado. Since Olivier has disappeared after their argument, Marceau drives to his old school to call him sick. During a conversation with the vice principal and Dr. Lehmann got the idea that Olivier could have gone to Montmartre. Although he is happy to see his old friends again, he also has to discover that he has long since ceased to feel at home in the neighborhood. Bougras has since moved away, and a strange man opens the door to Mado who is getting rid of him. Elodie continues to wait with Ernest and sends Olivier to his former neighbor Mme Haque, who looks after Elodie's son Gilbert. She reports to the boy that Jean is now back to work, but has not yet found a permanent job and - according to the rumors of the people - drinks a little too much. According to Mme Haque, one could not speak of happiness when his mother died, but he was still good for his future, since his relatives gave him completely different options. When he watches Elodie lovingly playing with her son, Olivier escapes the situation and is lured by the sound of trumpets to the Sacré-Cœur, where Marceau is waiting for him. In the meantime he has understood and promises Olivier to tell his parents the truth. As proof of his sincerity, he gave him his passport and visa. Since his cousin suspects a trap, Marceau burns the papers in front of his eyes.
Six months later, Olivier receives a card from Marceau, who asks him to find a way to be sent to his grandparents in Auvergne, since the sanatorium is near Saugues. So Olivier places a ladder on the school wall and leaves his scarf next to it. He also hides Mado's garter and Bouchon de Champagne's business card in his bed. Since the compromising artefacts point a little too clearly to Olivier, Henri initially believes in a prank by his classmates. When the principal asks the culprit in front of the class to present himself, Olivier pretends to have sneaked up to a woman at night, which Victoria acknowledges with a slap and then takes him from school. In Saugues Olivier meets his uncle Victor again, who is a master of blacksmithing and who is supposed to take Olivier into an apprenticeship. The latter tells him that his grandfather is already looking forward to seeing him, as he now has problems walking and is bored at home. His grandmother Louise, on the other hand, is very dismissive because Olivier has caused her daughter a lot of trouble. When André Privat shows up on the farm, the old woman drives him away with a gun. Olivier now keeps his grandfather company and reads to him from the newspaper. When they came across a report about the announcement by the NSDAP that a large part of the Germans had followed Hitler's call to burn all books considered “harmful to the people” and “subversive” , which Olivier does not understand, his grandfather explains to him that people are thereby be kept from thinking and, as it were, like machines should work. The old man notices that his grandson reads very well and asks him why he is so bad at school, to which he has no answer. However, they agree that they are both rebels and as such decide to visit Marceau in secret, which they disguise as a trip to the cattle market. On the way to the sanatorium, however, they are surprised by Victor, to whom Olivier has to promise not to take part in such actions anymore.
When he wants to visit his grandmother in the pasture, Olivier meets André again. Since he no longer wants to talk to him after everything he has learned about private and is also not interested in his version of the events, he asks him to leave him alone in the future. The grandmother remains cool and distant, but finally thaws when Olivier tries to feed the cows with sugar instead of salt. She tells him the story of the Devil's River, according to which an unbeliever is said to have come to work every Sunday and allegedly on a stormy day when he came very close to the abyss with his cart, from the hand of the devil into the river was pulled. Olivier doesn't believe the story at first until he discovers the remains of a donkey cart at the bottom of the murky lake. Then he can drive the cows back to the farm. Victoria soon pays her parents a visit there, having previously been with Julienne at Marceau's. He's still not feeling better, which is why doctors are considering thoracic surgery to remove six ribs to make room for the diseased lungs. While talking to her father, Victoria realizes that Olivier seems to be enjoying his grandparents' home and wonders if she wasn't too strict with him. Her father tries to make it clear to her that the boy is inquisitive and intelligent, which is why he has to return to Paris after the holidays for a decent education. When the two meet, Victoria is pleased to see him again. On the way to the sanatorium, she reveals to her nephew that the doctors barely give her hope of a cure, despite the upcoming procedure. Although she asks Olivier to keep this a secret from his cousin, but he notices himself that he has been given up. Rather, he is still amused by Olivier's boarding school leaving. He confidently asks him to take care of Julienne, whom he has mistreated that morning, in his place. She can hardly come to terms with Marceau's fate and mourns the dream of the future as a woman at his side. Olivier can reassure her with his optimism and apologizes for Marceau's unjust behavior. Julienne is so insecure that she demands a kiss from Olivier, but then immediately disappears.
As she wants to leave the next morning, Olivier takes her to the train station in Langeac . When she gives him the impression that she wants to kiss him goodbye, he gets ahead of her, which Julienne harshly rejects. Annoyed, she compares Olivier to his mother and describes Virginie as a woman without morals who has constantly changed lovers. Olivier tries to defend his mother and rejects any guilt for her private act. Julienne knows the real background and makes hints about it, but sends Olivier to André himself, who lives on a castle estate nearby, and asks his forgiveness from the departing train. On his private estate, he asks him directly why he wanted to kill his parents, and learns that André was Virginie's first husband. Shortly after the marriage, he and Pierre were called to the front at the same time, while Virginie worked as a nurse and looked after Pierre, who had returned wounded. A few months later, Privat learned through a letter that the two were now living together in Paris. When he became part of General Nivelle's corps in the spring of 1917 , he detonated a hand grenade, deliberately sticking his left arm in an arrow slit. While he was celebrated as a war hero, he returned to Paris after a stay in the hospital, where he first wanted to shoot Pierre and Virginie and then judge himself. As the attempt failed, he was sent to prison. However, he cannot explain to him why Virginie had always kept from her son the fact that she had known his father long before their wedding. Olivier doesn't want to believe what his parents did to André and renounces them. However, Privat denied him the right to do so, since the main culprit was the war, which had mixed up everything. However, Olivier is so furious that he destroys a bust of his mother and runs out of the house.
With Charlotte's help, Marceau pays Olivier a visit to the pasture the day before his operation and makes it clear to him that they will probably see each other for the last time. Using his own situation, Marceau tries to explain to his cousin how important it is to be able to forgive. In addition, he could not despise and condemn his parents for having loved each other. Although the hope is vanishingly small, the two forge a plan to celebrate the turn of the year with Louis Armstrong in New York. As requested by Marceau, Olivier visits his parents' grave the day before he leaves for Paris. In parting he leaves a red rose as a sign of passionate love.
Cast and dubbing
| actor | role | Appearances | Voice actor | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | |||
| Naël Marandin | Olivier Châteauneuf | × | × | × | Daniel hose |
| Anne Jacquemin | Virginie Châteauneuf | × | Susanne von Medvey | ||
| Martine Guillaud | Elodie | × | × | × | Katharina Müller-Elmau |
| Daniel Rialet | Jean | × | × | Frank Röth | |
| Jean-François Garreaud | André private | × | × | × | Oliver Stritzel |
| Adriana Asti | Victoria Desrousseaux | × | × | × | Heidi Treutler |
| Rudiger Vogler | Henri Desrousseaux | × | × | × | Rudiger Vogler |
| Olivier Sitruk | Marceau Desrousseaux | × | × | × | Pascal Breuer |
| Carole Agostini | Julienne | × | × | × | |
| Isabelle Leprince | Mado | × | × | × | Katrin Fröhlich |
| Dora Doll | Albertine Haque | × | × | × | |
| Maurice Barrier | Bougras | × | × | Wolfgang Hess | |
| Philippe Clay | spider | × | × | Gerd Vespermann | |
| Philippe Tansou | Landlord Ernest | × | × | × | |
| Paul Le Person | M. Gastounet | × | × | ||
| Klaus Mikoleit | Dr. René Lehmann | × | × | Dominique Paturel (French) | |
| Jean Lescot | Isaac Zober | × | × | ||
| Attica Guedj | Esther Zober | × | × | ||
| Sylvain Thoirey | David Zober | × | × | Dimitri Guldener | |
| Bruno Esteves-Sanches | Water bag | × | × | × | |
| Charles Redon | Loulou | × | × | × | |
| Antoine Hauguel | Riri | × | × | × | |
| Antoine Blesson | Ernest | × | × | ||
| Samuel Dupuy | Anatol | × | |||
| Romain Redler | Grain of salt | × | |||
| Susset | × | × | |||
| Bernard Musson | Boarding school director | × | × | ||
| Guilhem Pellegrin | Latin teacher | × | × | ||
| Paul Crauchet | grandfather | × | × | Alvin Meyer | |
| Regina Bianchi | grandmother | × | × | Ursula Traun | |
| Jean-Marie Juan | Uncle victor | × | × | ||
| Juliette Croizat | Charlotte | × | |||
| Blanche Raynal | Maid Marguerite | × | × | × | |
| Dolphins cool | Maid Blanche | × | × | ||
| Short appearances | |||||
| Gilles Demurger | Admirer of Virginie | × | |||
| Jean Valmont | Professor of Medicine | × | |||
| Pierre Bonzans | Customer M. Turgan | × | |||
| Idriss Hamida | Albert, owner of Lapin Agile | × | × | ||
| Marie Bonnet | Singer in the Lapin Agile | × | × | ||
| Mauricette Gourdon | Caretaker Mme Lacase | × | × | ||
| Anne-Marie Jabraud | Customer Mme Chamignon | × | |||
| André Dupon | Church servant Baptiste | × | |||
| Jean-Louis Debard | Father Villeneuve | × | |||
| Jean Terensier | Pastor (Sacré-Cœur) | × | |||
| Jacques Brylant | Chandler Kulpasky | × | |||
| Roger Trapp | Cobbler | × | |||
| Alain Chabat | conductor | × | |||
| Laurent Gendron | Undertaker | × | |||
| François Viaur | Hotel manager M. Dupré | × | |||
| Mario Santini | School principal (Montmartre) | × | |||
| Hervé Pauchon | Editor | × | |||
| Alain Choquet | Editor-in-chief | × | |||
| Pierre Decazes | Porter Fernand | × | |||
|
François Gamard Paulette Frantz |
angry residents | × | |||
| Jean-Pierre Jacovella | Sommelier M. Maurice | × | |||
| Philippe Dehesdin | Head waiter | × | |||
| Jean Haas | Advertiser for Mado | × | |||
| Colette Charbonneau | Mme Trouillet (boarding school) | × | |||
| Robert Plagnol | Supervision in the dormitory (boarding school) | × | × | ||
| Louis Armstrong | × | ||||
| Alexandre Le Provost | Announcer in the jazz club | × | |||
| Bernard Dumaine | deputy boarding school director | × | |||
| Bernard Cazassus | Inlet Jules | × | |||
| Jean-Baptiste Valeur | Accordion player Gigi | × | |||
| Françoise Dupré | Neighbor (Bougras Apartment) | × | |||
| Frédéric Sauzay | Lovers of Mado | × | |||
| Marc Faure | history teacher | × | |||
| bus driver | × | ||||
| Girl from Victor | × | ||||
| Jacques Vacheron | friendly neighbor | × | |||
| George's terrace | Horse dealer | × | |||
| Estate manager | × | ||||
| Dialogue script and direction: Marina Köhler | |||||
publication
DVD and streaming offer
The three-part series has been available on DVD since December 7, 2018, and the release was initiated by the film and radio play publisher PIDAX . However, it is not the original episodes from the 1990s that can be seen, but their abbreviated versions of the Sky Emotion broadcast, which are also presented under the alternative title Alone in the World and have different episode names. In contradiction to this, the common headings are given on the two data carriers. The characteristic umbrella brand Eine Kindheit auf dem Montmartre was also adopted for the cover design, which is borrowed from the German-language novel published in 1989, but is never shown in the images shown.
In France, the mini-series has been available for purchase from KOBA Films since November 3, 2010 , and can be enjoyed in full.
Shortening the game lengths
The cutbacks in content result in the loss of almost half an hour of running time, which affects numerous sequences. For example, the charming introduction with Robert Sabatier is omitted, the plot begins comparatively suddenly. In addition, some changes are based on recuts. The opening of all three episodes was redesigned in such a way that the uniform, prefixed intro was discarded and the mentions contained therein were integrated into the likewise modified opening credits. This now marks the beginning of each episode, whereas in the 1995 production it was only recorded before the first part. In the continuations he was left out in favor of a brief summary of the previous plot, the cast and production were mentioned in the opening scene. Since this was no longer necessary in the later form of presentation, the introduction to the second part is very cropped. The final scene of the last part was also modified, in which the credits were already running when Olivier was sitting at his parents' grave. He actually lingered there for a moment, accompanied by the onset of the main musical theme, before leaving the cemetery and blurring the picture.
The summing up introductions were also not retained in their actual form. The visual elements of these retrospectives are newly composed and are commented on by a woman's voice instead of the former male voice, and the previously varying background music has been replaced by a fixed piece that neglects the lightness or severity of the emotions presented. On the other hand, the size of the single players has remained relatively the same, they differ in time by only two or ten missing seconds.
Overall, the first part was reduced by a full twelve minutes, the two sequels by eight minutes each, without revealing any content-related indicators such as nudity or crude language. So they only aim to align the individual playing times, which is clearly illustrated by an overall overview.
| episode | Shortened and deleted scenes / comments on inconsistencies |
|---|---|
|
"David and Olivier" (- 12 min.) |
|
| Except for the visit to Aunt Victoria, Olivier's move to Elodie, which is followed by his return to school, the mass for Virginie including the subsequent encounters on the church forecourt and the departure of the Zobers, all other scenes that were not mentioned here were up to Shortened by 20 seconds. The same applies to parts 2 and 3. | |
| The incident when the spider is thrown into the well by the "big asses" can be seen in the earlier version before going to the theater for Olivier's birthday, in the newer version shortly after Virginie's death. The guerrilla war between the two gangs actually traced the carefree everyday picture of the children on Montmartre and was then only picked up once again when Anatol and Salzkorn tried to steal the money they had collected for the fair before a peace agreement was reached. | |
|
"Three peppermint lollipops" (- 8 min.) |
|
| Olivier's selfless willingness to help in Spinne's room, where he learns of his past, as well as his departure from Montmartre and the arrival at boarding school, as well as the final part of the episode of Victoria's return from her summer vacation at the estate in Montrichard to the Julienne's invitation and the associated dinner on the occasion of Marceau's recovery follows, before he finally collapses. | |
| Editing mistake I: During their visit to the cinema together, Olivier turns his gaze to private, looking from behind in the direction of the screen, only to stare back in shock in the next shot. A little later, the two of them break the eye contact they had thrown without first considering each other. A short piece was removed here when Privat was holding Olivier's hand in a reassuring manner, which is particularly noticeable in the tone of the current film. | |
| Editing mistake II: When Olivier's boarding class receives a Latin paper back, the teacher notes down an example of his incorrect translation to the amusement of the classmates and then corrects it. Since this sequence is missing, the sentence suddenly appears on the previously blank board. | |
|
"Wild hazelnuts" (- 8 min.) |
|
| The Latin lesson with an interrupting medical visit, Marceau's jazz performance during a Chopin piece and Henri's meeting with private as well as Olivier's visit to the pasture on the Devil's River were completely taken over. | |
| Average error: When asked by the history teacher what happened in 1685, the invoked Delépine responds with the murder of Henry IV. By François Ravaillac , whereupon his classmate Susset with the appropriate solution Aufhenung of the Edict of Nantes by Louis XIV. To Word reports. This passage has been changed in such a way that the initial question is not asked, only Delépine's answer and the confirmation by the teacher appear. This not only changes his position in the room suddenly, as he had actually approached Delépine when he told him why his idea could not be right, but also suddenly turns to the front of the table when he praises Susset. In addition, because of the reworking, both students stand alternately from their place, without one having sat down or the other standing up. | |
| Since the title melody starts this time during the final scene and doesn't start all over again, it turns into a virtuoso variation during the final credits of the trilogy, but only in the earlier version. |
Deviations in dialogues
In addition to the newly recorded summaries, the choice of a previously unused synchronized recording in the third part appears particularly noticeable. Contrary to the original broadcast, Olivier is not reporting to his grandfather about the book burnings in the German Reich, but about fights between nationalists and communists during a demonstration of 300,000 unemployed for new jobs in Paris. The structure of the conversation was preserved, there are still a slip of the tongue from Olivier's reading, as well as the old man's comment that no one knows which direction the “train of the world” is taking once it has derailed.
This change marks the only discrepancy, the purpose of which is to ignore any contentious representations. This is not the case with all other opposing variants.
| episode | Original version | Alternative version |
|---|---|---|
|
"David and Olivier" / "Don't leave me!" |
In the opening scene, Anatol Salzkorn asks if he knows what the word “gougnafiers” (dt .: idiot) that Olivier writes on a school display case should mean. | Anatol asks Salzkorn whether he knows what “the word” might mean. |
| At the sight of the frail spider at the wash fountain, Mme Haque says pityingly that “something like that” doesn't belong on the street, but rather looked after in special houses. While Bougras then calls the fighting gangs for a revolution, she wonders what has become of France. | Mme Haque comments derogatory that “something like that” should be locked in special houses. When Bougras shows the boys that only anarchy can save the world from stupidity, she scolds him indignantly whether they have no other worries. | |
| In the alternate version, Victor's conversation with Olivier during the carriage ride to Saugues to Virginie's funeral is lost in the dominant background music, while his words are easier to understand in the original version. | ||
| Waiting for the mourners in front of the church, it pains Olivier's grandfather to see his grandson for the first time on such a sad occasion and that it was believed that time would heal all the wounds of the past. When his wife complains that the pastor does not open the portal, the old man waves it aside, because he would not kneel in front of him anyway. While she must be thinking how to love a communist like him, he thinks that they once closed their doors to Virginie, which he was sorry about now. | The grandfather regrets the circumstances under which he meets his grandson and realizes with resignation that it will suddenly be too late for reconciliation when death comes, but his wife is determined that she would never have made peace with "this person". Her husband teases her by still blaming Virginie for her son's death because she once lured him to Paris, but warns that she cannot help the factory accident that killed Pierre. | |
| Before Olivier shows up at Mado's house to give her Virginie's shoes, she sings a French song. | Mado trills the melody of the song while getting dressed. | |
|
"Three Peppermint Lollipops" / "The Secrets of Life" |
When M. Gastounet reprimands his students about a water fight, Mme Haque teases that he thinks he is better because he farts louder than his "ass is used to". | Mme Haque snappy draws Gastounet's attention to the fact that he doesn't have to think of himself as anything better, since he doesn't shit marble either, and describes him as a "smart ass". |
| Jean celebrates his promotion exuberantly with Elodie. The original French sound can be heard briefly. | Jean's boyfriend dance is completely synchronized, he sings a German text. | |
| Olivier orders plum cake for dessert in the restaurant. Already in the first part, Mado compares the enjoyment of his favorite food with Virginie's joy in going out with men. | Olivier orders strawberry cake from the head waiter. Mado's explanations at the time as to why young widows often remarry have fallen victim to a cut. | |
|
"Wild hazelnuts" / "Farewell and reconciliation" |
After Marceau was spurned by his communist, he listens to "painful music" and suffers as a "rejected lover in silence". He philosophizes lethargic about the "pure, parentless child on the street", who will never forget certain moments in his life, but will appreciate them before Olivier speaks to him about the private assassination attempt. | Marceau tells directly when Olivier sits down that the beloved had sent his letters back unopened and not even read his poem - the synchronization is adjusted according to the abbreviation. Olivier then freely expresses his request to him without going into Marceau further. |
| Olivier sings a song by Bougras (“Damned on earth”) and is looking at his pocket watch when he hears Marceau coughing heavily in the next room. | Olivier hums the tune of the song before going into Marceau's room and threatening to tell his parents about his health if he doesn't do it himself. | |
| When Olivier and his grandfather make their way to the sanatorium in a carriage, only idyllic music is played. | In the same sequence, Olivier tells about the years of war with the "big asses" and how peace was finally made. | |
| Even when Julienne and Olivier board the train in Langeac, there is initially no conversation. | Julienne dreams of one day becoming a pianist, which is why she practices the piano for two to three hours every afternoon. | |
| Olivier reports privately how he volunteered in the spring of 1917 to scout out a position that had been worn out by the Germans. He would have grabbed a hand grenade, detonated it and deliberately stuck his arm in the loopholes so that it would be torn off him in the explosion. After a short stay in the hospital, he went to Paris to shoot Pierre and Virginie and then kill himself. After his confession, Privat hopes that one day Olivier will be able to forgive him. | Privat describes how he had agreed to scout a location that they wanted to take the next day. He had taken a hand grenade and marched “to the enemy”. On the way he should have ignited it and his arm was torn off. When he got to the hospital in Paris, he decided to kill Olivier's parents first and then himself because his life had become meaningless. But because he loved Virginie as much as he still loves her today, he could not have shot her. | |
| During his visit to the pasture, Marceau reveals to his cousin that he will be going back to school in Paris after the holidays. Therefore, the day before leaving, he should tell his parents at the grave that he loved them and if he believed in it they would hear him, whereupon Olivier remembers the language of flowers and decides to give them a red rose. When they talk about a trip to America together at the turn of the year, they abuse each other for fun and fall into each other's arms, desperate, yet relaxed. | Marceau asks Olivier to return to Paris and continue school, which Olivier refuses. Through Olivier he had learned what generosity is, which is why he now explains to him that generosity also includes forgiveness. When Olivier helplessly asks him how he can forgive his parents, Marceau reassures him that he would find a way, whereupon Olivier suggests visiting their grave. When they talk about the turn of the year, they ponder on this opportunity to celebrate extensively in the Cotton Club and embrace in anticipation. | |
criticism
“The film is a declaration of love for Montmartre, the most popular of all Parisian quarters. It is in the world of small artisans and business people that Olivier has a happy childhood and true friendship. In order to bring the romantic flair of Montmartre back to life, a whole street, Rue Labat, was recreated in the style of the 1930s for the shooting. "
Awards
The three-part series won the International Critics' Prize in the “Miniseries” category at the 36th Festival de Télévision de Monte-Carlo in the spring of 1996 ; Anne Jacquemin received a Silver Nymph for her performance.
Web links
Databases
- A childhood in Montmartre in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- Alone in the world in the German dubbing index
- Picture gallery for the trilogy on Getty Images
items
- Au pays des “Noisettes sauvages”, toute la commune se souvient de Robert Sabatier , on: LaMontagne.fr, published on August 21, 2015.
- Balade dans les pas de Robert Sabatier , on: L'éveil.fr, published on August 14, 2019.
- Sur les traces de Robert Sabatier au pays de Saugues , on: MagicOrangePlasticBird.com, published on July 31, 2017.
Notes and individual references
- ↑ Thoughts of Robert Sabatier at the beginning of the first part of the trilogy.
- ↑ Interview with Robert Sabatier , in: Dossier des Sender arte, p. 8.
- ↑ Interview with Pierre Grimblat , in: Dossier des Sender arte, p. 4.
- ↑ Interview with Jacques Ertaud , in: Dossier des Sender arte, p. 6.
- ↑ Interview with Robert Sabatier , in: Dossier des Sender arte, p. 9.
- ↑ a b A childhood on Montmartre , on: Prisma.de.
- ↑ A childhood on Montmartre , on: Arte.tv, published December 12, 2014.
- ↑ La Télé au Foyer , on: Humanité.fr, published on March 2, 1996.