There's a certain type of epic picture that just isn't made any more, epitomized by films like Lawrence of Arabia. Certain movies try--Lord of the Rings and The Aviator are two recent efforts--but I think Indochine sticks out in my mind as the last truly epic film made (with The Last Emperor preceding it by a few years).
What's great about Indochine (Oscar, Best Foreign Film, 1992) is not only that it deals in an honest, no-holds-barred manner with the true spectre of the 20th century--the end of colonialism--but also that it's an amazing characer story at the same time, sacrificing nothing in its exploration of the weaknesses and boldness of its protagonist, a rubber plantation owner excellently portrayed by Catherine Deneuve.
And, if all that weren't good enough, it's also got an amazingly attractive guy in it:
le beau d'Indochine 
More saliently, Indochine makes me wonder what the spectre of the 21st century will be. Terrorism? The end of civil liberties? American "empire"? Burgeoning democracy? Will future generations look back and see contradictory visions in our world outlook? The tragedy of past generations is so easily spotted and beautifully laid out in film...how does one go about navigating a course while considering the hypocrasy of our own generation?
All important questions as Bush II tries to settle his legacy.
Agreed.
ReplyDeleteI saw Indochine when it came out. It was a great story, a real yarn. It also made a number of serious points, about culture, belonging and politics. I imagine the impact was greater in France, since it challenged the myth that speaking French and living French makes one French. It presented a good view of colonialism, and even exposed a bit of its brutal economic underpinnings, something Jewel in the Crown hedged.
ReplyDeleteWhat charmed me at the time was that the movie seemed aimed at an amazingly French fantasy, living in a collapsing empire while wearing absolutely great clothes. It's sort of like those fantasies where you put on your dinner jacket or evening gown and go drink Veuve Cliquot, gossip and flirt at a penthouse party while watching the Japanese torpedo the naval base in the harbor. Pierre Christin and Annie Goetzinger did a whole series of bande dessinée, that's French for manga, feeding this fantasy.