Adapted from a novel by Pierre Drieu La Rochelle,
which had left a deep mark in Louis Malle’s mind, Le Feu Follet is generally regarded as the French auteur’s greatest
masterpiece, and remains as a cornerstone in French cinema. A deeply affecting
and an incredibly fatalistic piece of work, this is a bleak and downbeat
chronicling of the last 24 hours in the life of a man grappling with profound and
debilitating existential crisis. The protagonist in question is Alain Leroy (magnificently
portrayed by Maurice Ronet), a 30-something alcoholic writer recovering from
his addiction in a private rehabilitation clinic. Though his recovery is being paid for by his
wife, the two are both physically and emotionally separated – she resides in
New York, while he’s having an affair with her best friend. His doctor feels
that he has been fully cured and is ready to leave, but he is still afflicted
with depression and has been contemplating with thoughts about suicide. While
on a one-day trip to Paris, he meets up with a former girlfriend (Jeanne
Moreau), one of his best friends who is now comfortably settled in his
bourgeois family life, and some of his former acquaintances who invite him to a
lavish party, and during this he reassesses his dysfunctional life and comes
to terms with the vacuum, hopelessness, and in turn, utter meaninglessness that
define his existence. Brilliant B/W photography, exquisite vignettes of Parisian
streets, the splendid and evocative score, and the wonderfully constructed narrative
arc, added rich strokes of aesthetic beauty to this minimalistic, melancholic and
humanistic examination of human frailty and loneliness.
Director: Louis Malle
Genre: Drama/Psychological Drama/Existential Drama
Language: French
Country: France
2 comments:
Shubhajit---
Joaqim Trier's new film OSLO, AUGUST 31ST is also based on the same novel that Malle adapted for his extraordinary film, and I am happy to report that Trier achieved similar results with a film I must say ranks among the finest for 2012. This is that rare case where two films from different periods have hit the mark profoundly.
Terrific review here!
Wow, I wasn't aware of this Norwegian film you've made mention of. And your recommendation of it has just pushed it right at the front of my must-watch list - more so given the kind of stature that Le Feu Follet enjoys among cinephiles. Thanks a lot Sam for sharing this bit of info; on my part, I'll do my best to see this film as soon as I can. Thanks also for the appreciation.
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