MovieChat Forums > Jeux interdits (1952) Discussion > Sometimes hilarious esp.the father

Sometimes hilarious esp.the father

posted 18 years ago by aurelie_ledoyen
6 replies | jump to latest

My mother is French, and we grew up only hearing her speak in French. What I'd like to know is if this is the reason why I find many scenes to be hilarious. Understanding the anger behind the father Dolle's voice when he says" Elle était déja noyée la grandmere quand to l'as sorti!"(about how the grandmother Dolle was saved only after already drowning)

..or that scene in the church where Michel tries to steal the cross right after doing the name of the father, son and holy spirit signal!

...or when Paulette ad Michel ae hammering crosses upstairs and the father creeps up behind him and WHACK!

I think there are many more, don't know why but these always make me laugh. I think any scene with the father, besides George's death, is funny. He always falls into the Gouard trap! I also think it's very realistic, so maybe certain parts are funny b they're so true to life.

SPOILER

Like at the end, when Michel is telling his dad where the crosses are, he says at the mill, then "you should follow me": but while he's saying this, he's just had the crap beat out of him by his father, so when he walks by his father he raises his elbows in front of his face as defense. Classic.

My question is, does anyone else feels these or certain other parts are hilarious too, and if so, is it because you know the language or not.

Thank you...

..and every one of them words rang true and glowed like burnin' coal..

[–] dsfa2020 15 years ago

Parts of this movie are indeed funny and I don't believe it has anything to do with the language. I found myself laughing out loud on several occasions, for example when the two men fall into the grave. Actually that whole scene is hillarious - starting sith M. Dolle breaking up the cross and M. Gouard staring at him from behind, wondering What IS going on? Mme Dolle's expressions as she tries to warn her husband is priceless. And finally the priest running to the open grave ... All very well done indeed!

I would give this movie 10 out of 10. I was enthralled by it.

[–] jlent 15 years ago

When the film was released in France, French Communists were upset because the rural French were being portrayed as idiots.
No sense of humor.

[–] jrpelt 13 years ago

But they would have been found it perfectly acceptable for urban professional Parisians to be shown as self-absorbed twit-of-the-year contestatnts, right? You can't have it both ways, extremists of the world!

[–] tallard 14 years ago

Indeed, I laughed in the same places, the comedic moments additionally provide strong social criticism about patriarchy and religiosity.

***So I've seen 4 movies/wk in theatre for a 1/4 century, call me crazy?**

[–] jorta 13 years ago

I think it's important to break things up a little, when a director is portraying such upsetting subjects as the then-very-recent war, the deaths of civilians, orphaned children, the farming accident that killed George Dolle, the desertion of Francis, his forbidden trysts with Berthe, the families' feud,the desecration of gravesites and even the church--some comic relief has to come in there somewhere! Otherwise the film would have been just one dreary scene after another. I didn't feel that it made buffoons out of the characters, it just made them human.

[–] PoppyTransfusion 12 years ago

There were lol moments. Most notably, for me, the fathers wrestling in the recently dug grave and the priest leaping out of the confessional box to reprimand Michel for trying to steal the alter crucifix! Brilliant moments.

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