A Very Long Engagement
Links
—Review
—Trailers, Photos
—About this Film
—Spiritual Connections
War is hell. There are very few war films that communicate a message any different from that one. A Very Long Engagement is a film which shows the hellacious nature of war, but also shows the toll it takes on the non-combatants; the families of those who are fighting and dying. Yet in the hands of director Jean-Pierre Jeunet, the film is also a warm and quirky and romantic fairy tale version of the horrors of war. This description may seem impossible to swallow for some. But picture what was done in the film Life is Beautiful, by Roberto Benigni. Set amidst the holocaust, Benigni was able to tell a warm and often funny story which never disrespected the serious loss the Jews suffered. Jean-Pierre Jeunet loves to tell stories, and he adds fairy tale elements to many of his films, or presents them in outright fairy tale form, such as his City of the Lost Children. This tale is no different. Our heroine is Mathilde (Audrey Tautou), a polio sufferer who sets out on a quest to figure out what happened to her lover, Manech (Gaspard Ulliel), during a World War I trench battle.
Mathilde’s quest is one of hope. She hopes against conventional wisdom that her man is not dead. When others tell her not to risk being hurt, and to accept Manech’s death, she refuses, claiming that hope is all she really has to keep her going. Hope and love for Manech are the driving forces behind Mathilde’s quest. And Jeunet shines in the “quest� format of this film. Along her way Mathilde meets a variety of colorful and imaginative characters. From a prostitute who painstakingly plans the murders of every officer who sent her man to his death, to a bartender with an incredible mechanical wooden hand, Mathilde pieces together the mystery of her lover’s disappearance from their own tales. As we hear the stories of many others, we see the toll that war has taken on each of the people who loved someone in the war, or fought in the war themselves. We also see the battle where Manech disappeared from many different viewpoints. Each person Mathilde meets has a different perspective on the events of the battle, and we are given the truth piece by confusing piece. Through this story-telling device we see the chaotic nature of war as well as the tragic losses that were suffered.
A deep truth found in the film is the tenuous nature of hope. Each letter that the postman brings to Mathilde will literally either make or break her heart. The viewer can never be too sure whether Manech is alive or dead, and this reviewer won’t be the one to spoil that for you. Isn’t hope truly frightening throughout our lives? If we risk to hope in something, our hearts may be crushed. But, if we refuse to risk, and we hope in nothing, then what are we really living for?
Mathilde’s hope was in the survival of her lover. Hebrews 11:1 tells us “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.� From a Christian viewpoint, the hope we must have is in the truth of God’s Word, and in the salvation Jesus provides. But isn’t it frightening to hope? We humans have some common traits among us, and one such commonality is fear. We all have trouble escaping the fears of this life. It must be a decision on anyone’s part to truly place their trust and hope in Jesus Christ. And often this decision needs to be made over and over again. There is no guarantee that our fear of the unknown will ever leave us. But, there is a guarantee, found over and over again in the Bible, that God will never leave us. (Matt. 28:20)
In the hell of World War I, Mathilde was separated from her lover Manech. Viewers will see the unique quests that both characters travel throughout the course of this deeply imaginative and visually unique film. All Mathilde, and the viewer, can do is hope that Manech has survived this hell on earth. Can we really afford to hope in something we can’t be totally sure of? Well, can we afford not to?
Links
—Review
—Trailers, Photos
—About this Film
—Spiritual Connections
—Review
—Trailers, Photos
—About this Film
—Spiritual Connections
War is hell. There are very few war films that communicate a message any different from that one. A Very Long Engagement is a film which shows the hellacious nature of war, but also shows the toll it takes on the non-combatants; the families of those who are fighting and dying. Yet in the hands of director Jean-Pierre Jeunet, the film is also a warm and quirky and romantic fairy tale version of the horrors of war. This description may seem impossible to swallow for some. But picture what was done in the film Life is Beautiful, by Roberto Benigni. Set amidst the holocaust, Benigni was able to tell a warm and often funny story which never disrespected the serious loss the Jews suffered. Jean-Pierre Jeunet loves to tell stories, and he adds fairy tale elements to many of his films, or presents them in outright fairy tale form, such as his City of the Lost Children. This tale is no different. Our heroine is Mathilde (Audrey Tautou), a polio sufferer who sets out on a quest to figure out what happened to her lover, Manech (Gaspard Ulliel), during a World War I trench battle.
Mathilde’s quest is one of hope. She hopes against conventional wisdom that her man is not dead. When others tell her not to risk being hurt, and to accept Manech’s death, she refuses, claiming that hope is all she really has to keep her going. Hope and love for Manech are the driving forces behind Mathilde’s quest. And Jeunet shines in the “quest� format of this film. Along her way Mathilde meets a variety of colorful and imaginative characters. From a prostitute who painstakingly plans the murders of every officer who sent her man to his death, to a bartender with an incredible mechanical wooden hand, Mathilde pieces together the mystery of her lover’s disappearance from their own tales. As we hear the stories of many others, we see the toll that war has taken on each of the people who loved someone in the war, or fought in the war themselves. We also see the battle where Manech disappeared from many different viewpoints. Each person Mathilde meets has a different perspective on the events of the battle, and we are given the truth piece by confusing piece. Through this story-telling device we see the chaotic nature of war as well as the tragic losses that were suffered.A deep truth found in the film is the tenuous nature of hope. Each letter that the postman brings to Mathilde will literally either make or break her heart. The viewer can never be too sure whether Manech is alive or dead, and this reviewer won’t be the one to spoil that for you. Isn’t hope truly frightening throughout our lives? If we risk to hope in something, our hearts may be crushed. But, if we refuse to risk, and we hope in nothing, then what are we really living for?
Mathilde’s hope was in the survival of her lover. Hebrews 11:1 tells us “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.� From a Christian viewpoint, the hope we must have is in the truth of God’s Word, and in the salvation Jesus provides. But isn’t it frightening to hope? We humans have some common traits among us, and one such commonality is fear. We all have trouble escaping the fears of this life. It must be a decision on anyone’s part to truly place their trust and hope in Jesus Christ. And often this decision needs to be made over and over again. There is no guarantee that our fear of the unknown will ever leave us. But, there is a guarantee, found over and over again in the Bible, that God will never leave us. (Matt. 28:20)
In the hell of World War I, Mathilde was separated from her lover Manech. Viewers will see the unique quests that both characters travel throughout the course of this deeply imaginative and visually unique film. All Mathilde, and the viewer, can do is hope that Manech has survived this hell on earth. Can we really afford to hope in something we can’t be totally sure of? Well, can we afford not to?Links
—Review
—Trailers, Photos
—About this Film
—Spiritual Connections
6 Comments:
This is a beautiful film. With "Amelie" and now this film, Jeunet might be my favorite director. We were lucky that our local theater played it recently. His films are so pleasurable to watch. It is also, in my estimation, a very political movie.
One perspective that I have not yet read by any other reviewer involves the political overtones of the movie -- I believe the Mathilde character represents France after WWI. In WWI, the French suffered the most. As Americans we have no idea of what such large-scale slaughter and devastation can do to a national psyche. This movie is evidence that scars from WWI still remain.
There are many references throughout the film to the corruption and cruelty of the French government throughout the war. A study of the period reveals that the French army's treatment of its own soldiers during the war is among the most gruesome in all of history -- entire platoons were gunned down for "cowardice". Men were forced to serve in the army or be killed for treason. This would be common knowledge to a French audience, but practically unknown here in the US.
Mathilde's hope represents the nation's hope that something good might still exist after going thru such a hell. Her polio represents how the nation was crippled by the war.
Just my armchair analysis.
Keith
Melbourne, FL
Keith-
Wow, I never would have seen a metaphor that deep. I will be the first to admit that I see films through American eyes, and would not have been able to identify as closely as you have with the French suffering after WWI. Thanks for your thoughts.
ED
Keith-
Wow, I never would have seen a metaphor that deep. I will be the first to admit that I see films through American eyes, and would not have been able to identify as closely as you have with the French suffering after WWI. Thanks for your thoughts.
ED
Keith-
Wow, I never would have seen a metaphor that deep. I will be the first to admit that I see films through American eyes, and would not have been able to identify as closely as you have with the French suffering after WWI. Thanks for your thoughts.
ED
Whoops...I got an error message each time, but guess it posted each time, too!
PS- If you are loving Jeunet...check out City of the Lost Children...it is wild!
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