David O'ConnellHell (L'Enfer)
October 3rd 2008 03:35
Three sisters whose lives have drifted apart are the focus of Danis Tanovic’s 2005 film, an austere French production with a first-rate cast and the distinction of being written by the late Krzysztof Kieslowski’s partner, Krzysztof Piesiewicz.
The great Polish director gave the world the Three Colours Trilogy, and L’Enfer is the second part of a further trilogy he was developing before his death in 1996. His co-screenwriter Piesiewicz has overseen the continued realization of his vision however, with Tom Tykwer having directed the first chapter, Heaven, in 2002.
The film begins with a dramatic, very brief, pre-credits scene - a flashback from the past - which will have long-term ramifications for our three main characters, though it’s not until well into the film that the mystery can be pieced together with a fuller comprehension of the depths of “hell” these women have endured.
The sisters have no contact with one another any longer, their unhappy lives digressing after the events of childhood, including a crucial one that resulted in their father being sentenced to prison and the family unit crumbling away.
Their current lives are tumultuous enough; Sophie (Emmanuelle Beart) is struggling to come to terms with the fact that her husband is cheating on her and no longer loves her. This knowledge almost incapacitates her as she struggles drearily to cope with the pain, her two young children virtually ignored.
Anne (Marie Gillain) has been having an affair with a much older man, a history professor, whose family she claims is the only one she has; now he’s broken their relationship off and she is devastated, unable to come to terms with his rejection.
Celine (Karin Viard) leads a lonely, solitary existence, the only child to remain in contact with their emotionally crippled mother who can no longer speak and lives in a nursing home. At her regular drinking hole she's recently had to shrug off the unwanted advances of a younger man Sebastien (Guillaume Canet), but he is not pursuing her for the reasons she thinks – in fact he holds the key to the past of these desolate sisters and his revelation will change everything for them and motivate a reunion, a major skeleton in their closet finally exhumed.
These truths, concealed for so long, will put their lives into new perspective, and as painful as that may be, the sisters, through the initiative of Celine, must confront them and their mother Marie (Carole Bouquet).
The film is artfully made, with a sumptuous visual approach, director Tanovic (best known for 2001’s No Man’s Land) seemingly fond of overhead crane shots and confronting close-ups which give the most intense scenes a convincing immediacy, as well as recreating, in a way, the general aesthetics of Kieslowski's films.
The three lead actresses are all solid in an ultimately compelling drama, though it does requires patience to slog through the first 30 minutes as we see random scenes from the sisters' lives interspersed with one another without any obvious connection initially. The clever structure finally becomes clear however as the pieces slowly come together like a puzzle resolving itself.
Here's the trailer:
The great Polish director gave the world the Three Colours Trilogy, and L’Enfer is the second part of a further trilogy he was developing before his death in 1996. His co-screenwriter Piesiewicz has overseen the continued realization of his vision however, with Tom Tykwer having directed the first chapter, Heaven, in 2002.
The film begins with a dramatic, very brief, pre-credits scene - a flashback from the past - which will have long-term ramifications for our three main characters, though it’s not until well into the film that the mystery can be pieced together with a fuller comprehension of the depths of “hell” these women have endured.
The sisters have no contact with one another any longer, their unhappy lives digressing after the events of childhood, including a crucial one that resulted in their father being sentenced to prison and the family unit crumbling away.
Their current lives are tumultuous enough; Sophie (Emmanuelle Beart) is struggling to come to terms with the fact that her husband is cheating on her and no longer loves her. This knowledge almost incapacitates her as she struggles drearily to cope with the pain, her two young children virtually ignored.
Anne (Marie Gillain) has been having an affair with a much older man, a history professor, whose family she claims is the only one she has; now he’s broken their relationship off and she is devastated, unable to come to terms with his rejection.
The 3 sisters: Celine (Karin Viard), Anne (Marie Gillain), and Sophie (Emmanuelle Beart)
Celine (Karin Viard) leads a lonely, solitary existence, the only child to remain in contact with their emotionally crippled mother who can no longer speak and lives in a nursing home. At her regular drinking hole she's recently had to shrug off the unwanted advances of a younger man Sebastien (Guillaume Canet), but he is not pursuing her for the reasons she thinks – in fact he holds the key to the past of these desolate sisters and his revelation will change everything for them and motivate a reunion, a major skeleton in their closet finally exhumed.
Guillaume Canet as Sebastien, who holds crucial information to unlocking the past
These truths, concealed for so long, will put their lives into new perspective, and as painful as that may be, the sisters, through the initiative of Celine, must confront them and their mother Marie (Carole Bouquet).
The film is artfully made, with a sumptuous visual approach, director Tanovic (best known for 2001’s No Man’s Land) seemingly fond of overhead crane shots and confronting close-ups which give the most intense scenes a convincing immediacy, as well as recreating, in a way, the general aesthetics of Kieslowski's films.
The three lead actresses are all solid in an ultimately compelling drama, though it does requires patience to slog through the first 30 minutes as we see random scenes from the sisters' lives interspersed with one another without any obvious connection initially. The clever structure finally becomes clear however as the pieces slowly come together like a puzzle resolving itself.
Here's the trailer:
| 71 |
| Vote |
subscribe to this blog
