35 rhums (Claire Denis, 2008)
I guess the place to start is the classroom discussion about third world debt because that scene stands out as perplexing in a family drama dominated by themes of loss, grief, and fear of lonely obsolescence.
The film's four main protagonists are in an emotional bind of some sort. Lionel, the father, who knows his daughter, Josephine, has to stop taking care of him, grow up, and start her own life even though they share a powerful bond in the absence of their mother. They both grapple with the eventuality of parting ways like a spectre hanging over their household; there’s Gabrielle who longs for Lionel but has to be content with being more of a neighbour in the background; and Noé, an orphan who presides over his deceased parents’ furniture in the penthouse - his only link with a sense of family - and stays in France, dutifully, despite multiple job opportunities overseas. Noé loves Josephine but seems painfully aware of the father-daughter bond. There are many heartbreaking moments in this film. There's some happiness but the way in which Denis has organized the drama each character's present is haunted by the past. By death.
So I was trying to figure out where the third world debt discussion fits in.
I think the reason why Denis' film is more than just a family drama is that she makes films with a keen eye to both power relationships and the structure of social groups. In Chocolat there was the clear delineation between Protée's space and the colonizer's space. And how upset he was when that was violated. Beau Travail (which I don't remember as clearly) dealt with what was particular about homosocial masculine space in the military. In it we are made aware of power and the disparity of power is through routine actions, slowly and structurally repeated throughout the films (bathing, ironing, military drills, etc) and there is a point where something breaks down and someone steps out of line and then power comes down and shows itself. And there you have it: racism, discrimination, abuse of power, etc.
But in 35 Rhums this never happens. There is no racially motivated violence or discrimination or anything. There is just the classroom scene with the discussion of third world debt. Is it that Denis still wants us to be aware of the power dynamic between the third world and the first world even when we are watching a film about immigrants with strong ties in France: business owners, subway drivers, taxi drivers and so on - people who are more likely citizens? Why?
I think she wanted to place within us a certain feeling of otherness in her protagonists. I don’t think she wanted to make a film that merely said, “Look! Descendents of immigrant families are neurotic and messed up just like us!” I think difference was essential in telling the story. That common roots and growing up in a post-colonial dynamic influences and informs events and actions.
That’s what I assume anyway given Denis’ African upbringing and all but I won’t know for sure because Denis wasn’t at the screening to talk about it.
Oh and lastly I should mention that the character of Josephine is played by Mati Diop who is the daughter of Djibril Diop Mambéty who is the Senegalese director of Touki Bouki one of the films that made me interested in cinema in the first place.
The film's four main protagonists are in an emotional bind of some sort. Lionel, the father, who knows his daughter, Josephine, has to stop taking care of him, grow up, and start her own life even though they share a powerful bond in the absence of their mother. They both grapple with the eventuality of parting ways like a spectre hanging over their household; there’s Gabrielle who longs for Lionel but has to be content with being more of a neighbour in the background; and Noé, an orphan who presides over his deceased parents’ furniture in the penthouse - his only link with a sense of family - and stays in France, dutifully, despite multiple job opportunities overseas. Noé loves Josephine but seems painfully aware of the father-daughter bond. There are many heartbreaking moments in this film. There's some happiness but the way in which Denis has organized the drama each character's present is haunted by the past. By death.
So I was trying to figure out where the third world debt discussion fits in.
I think the reason why Denis' film is more than just a family drama is that she makes films with a keen eye to both power relationships and the structure of social groups. In Chocolat there was the clear delineation between Protée's space and the colonizer's space. And how upset he was when that was violated. Beau Travail (which I don't remember as clearly) dealt with what was particular about homosocial masculine space in the military. In it we are made aware of power and the disparity of power is through routine actions, slowly and structurally repeated throughout the films (bathing, ironing, military drills, etc) and there is a point where something breaks down and someone steps out of line and then power comes down and shows itself. And there you have it: racism, discrimination, abuse of power, etc.
But in 35 Rhums this never happens. There is no racially motivated violence or discrimination or anything. There is just the classroom scene with the discussion of third world debt. Is it that Denis still wants us to be aware of the power dynamic between the third world and the first world even when we are watching a film about immigrants with strong ties in France: business owners, subway drivers, taxi drivers and so on - people who are more likely citizens? Why?
I think she wanted to place within us a certain feeling of otherness in her protagonists. I don’t think she wanted to make a film that merely said, “Look! Descendents of immigrant families are neurotic and messed up just like us!” I think difference was essential in telling the story. That common roots and growing up in a post-colonial dynamic influences and informs events and actions.
That’s what I assume anyway given Denis’ African upbringing and all but I won’t know for sure because Denis wasn’t at the screening to talk about it.
Oh and lastly I should mention that the character of Josephine is played by Mati Diop who is the daughter of Djibril Diop Mambéty who is the Senegalese director of Touki Bouki one of the films that made me interested in cinema in the first place.