George Benlian on movies, books and few other things

The two of us - First feature by the late Claude Berri

"Le vieil homme et l'enfant" (AKA "The two of us" in English" )was made in 1967 by the late Claude Berri.

This heart-warming first feature is based from childhood memories of the young Claude during the period of the Second World War. He was sent to the countryside by his parents to be away from the dangers of war. An elderly couple looked after him without knowing that the young boy was a jew.

This is a simply made story that keeps our attention intact. Although the action takes place in a tragic episode of Last Century, the movie has an optimistic feel and remains a beautiful message of hope. The child is mischievous in his ability to hide his true identity. On the other hand, the old couple represents the Human kindness despite the man being a supporter of the Marechal Petain. He is a candid bigot with a limited comprehension of the situation. Nevertheless, he is a good man. 

The choice of engaging Michel Simon for the role of the grandpa is highly applauded. Simon is my favorite actor of all time. Born in 1895 in Switzerland, his career spans fifty years with an impressive number of movies some great some average and some rather mediocre. However, even in the later case, Michel Simon was always able to be wonderful. I remember seeing two movies at the Videotheque de Paris in 1996 one after the other. Both movies were made the same year. In "Fric Frac" he was the most convincing alcoholic vilain with great naivity while in 'Circonstances attenuantes", he was playing a witty judge with absolute charm and distinction.

 

"The two of us" is available at the Criterion Collection. The special edition features three interviews with Claude Berri realised in 1967, 1975 and recently. It is impressive to see how the young and modest Claude of the sixties became over the next decades the most influential personality of the French Film Industry. Two other interviews with Michel Simon and Alain Cohen (The later was also done recently and we can see the young Cohen as a middle age man) are also part of the extras.

    

The last Tycoon of French Cinema, Claude Berri died from a heart attack

The death of cinema personality Claude Berri will definitely end an important chapter of the History of French film industry. 

Claude Berri was born Claude Langman in a Jewish Family in 1934. He began an acting career in the fifties before becoming a film maker at the age of 32 directing Michel Simon in his highly acclaimed first feature "Le vieil homme et l'enfant" (Known in English as The Two of us). It is availble through Criterion and  i was planning to rediscover it in the near future. Berri's first movies were all autobiographical. His third, "Le cinema de papa" remains one of the best movies about father and son relationship wonderfuly played by Yves Robert and Berri. "Sex shop" made in 1972 was a representative comedy of French society of that era where pornography was rapidly becoming a phenomenon. His next four movies also made in the seventies continued to explore social behaviour through relationship between couples, friends and even adult versus teenager.

Berri was considered as the quintessential contemporary social issues observer when in the mid eighties he made a complete change by adapting two stories by french popular writer, Marcel Pagnol. Both "Jean de Florette" and "Manon de Source" made consecutively in 1986 made him renown all over the World and perhaps helped him to undertake ambitious projects not only as director but also as an astute producer who knew how to make profitable and well respected movies. In 1993, he adapted Emile Zola's classic novel "Germinal" and in 1996 he went back to the era of Second World War by making a movie about a French resistant couple, Raymond and Lucy Aubrac. Both movies are my favourites and are highly recommended.

His last four movies were rather a come back as an observer on contemporary issues. His last one, "Ensemble, c'est tout" from a novel by Anna Gavalda was about young people. It's always interesting to watch movies about the youth made by veteran directors. I think their fresh approach on a much younger age group provides a new territory to explore.  In this field, Eric Rohmer is definitely the best representative.

Twenty movies as director in forty two years of career is quiet impressive. However, Berri will also be remembered as the last tycoon of French cinema. He started producing his own films and some of his friends like Maurice Pialat and Roman Polanski. His great sense of choosing successful and ambitious projects made him very rich from the eighties through to his last project "Bienvenu chez les cht'is" released a year ago and gaining the number one position of the most successful french production at the box office. More than fifty films were produced by Berri and only a handful few didn't actualy make money.

Claude Berri was also a serious and passionate art collector. For him, art and commerce were complement one another. In the later part of his life he lived couple tragedies with the suicide of both his wife and then his elder son, Julien who was a paraplegic due to an accident two years before his sad end.