MovieChat Forums > Au hasard Balthazar (1966) Discussion > Why People Love This Movie (Spoilers)

Why People Love This Movie (Spoilers)

posted 18 years ago by theOblivionHaha
10 replies | jump to latest

ITS A THREE STEP GUIDE TO SPIRITUAL ENLIGHTENMENT

STEP ONE-- WATCH THE MOVIE
STEP TWO-- TAKE IT SERIOUSLY/BE OPEN MINDED
STEP THREE-- SPIRITUAL ENLIGHTENMENT

Some people say this movie is about something that can't be discussed and I partially agree but mostly think those people just aren't trying hard enough. Ok the movie is about a donkey yes and since Bresson is christian most people will claim he was probably sublimanly saying something to the effect of "this is Jesus as an ass"--ok I'm fine with that but the actual meaning of the piece is much more profound than any of that and no its not nihilism.

So for the sake of arguement lets say you've already completed steps one and two and yet you still see the world as just slightly more depressing than it was before watching the film. Not bad, you've actually sat through the film and come close to understanding what Bresson was saying but you've only got half of his message.

My point is this-- yes there are a lot of negative details surrounding the death of Balthazar and yes you can concentrate on them (if you choose to)but if you keep an open mind you will start to realize that death itself is a release for Balthazar and since no one knows what happens when you die, it (death) might be a good thing. Now I'm not claiming death is the saving grace of the film (or life for that matter) but what I do know is that in the end Balthazar is not alone-- the sheep surround him so that his last moments in this life are filled with a connection to another living thing-a harmless living thing that is like himself--this same connection is what bresson is trying to extend to us--(I will now try to explain what I mean by "connection" as best I can)

As I've said the message of the movie can be "life sucks and then you die" but it doesn't have to be. The ending of the movie is designed to bring together a number of disparate images in order for you to decide which way you want to go (with the movie and in your own personal philosophy). That's the beauty of the film for some and for others the draw back to the film--it shows you the door but you have to walk through it--some people don't look close enough and think the door is shut and they are offended or fall asleep--some look through the door and see nothing but sadness and are sad--then some people look through the door for a long time (in my case I had to watch the movie twice before I was able to actually start seeing what was happening--the first time I was too concerned with the details of the actual film and not with my own personal emotional reactions to elements of my own life) yes, this is a movie about you and me and everyone else or at least it tries to be (unlike another movie that will remain un-named)

The reason I absolutely love this movie is because for a brief moment it makes me feel like I'm actually alive--actually living my life---if I told you the exact details that make me cry you wouldn't get it because they are a combination of details of the movie and details that have occured in my own life..what bresson has accomplished (I think) is a universal window into the human soul--a kind of map that you can use over and over again to find yourself--I guess almost like finding your inner child--that part of you that still believes in things without having any proof--he does this by giving just enough detail--an outline if you will--and then you are left to fill in the colors--this allows as many people as possible to participate in their own self discovery--it does take effort but the clues are there--in a way it just takes the realization that this movie is not really just about some donkey--its about you

an attempted summation (poor excuse) of what Bresson is trying to say would go something like this--"yes the world is cruel but it is also kind--i choose to end on kindness"

or "when I'm dying and I look back--no matter what has happened to me I will be able to feel nothing but gratitude for every moment of my life and if life is that good and death is part of life then death can't be so bad can it?"

There is no answer of course just what we choose to believe.

[–] nypunkeer-1 18 years ago

Your post, like the film, says more in the process of formulation than the actual arguement.
Thanks for it, I enjoyed reading. It's a shame no one else has.

[–] theOblivionHaha 18 years ago

Hey thanks for the reply. I actually felt somewhat foolish posting this because after I had done so I realized that I was really only writing it to myself to get the idea of the movie straight in my head. I kinda figured no one would read it though because this isn't exactly a "popular" movie so I left it up. And also I did want to defend the movie against the negative response some people gave it--(as if someone who didn't like the movie would actually read something this long about it) hahaha--oh well its good for a laugh anyway--thanks again

[–] nypunkeer-1 18 years ago

your welcome, that's exactly why I posted my response to Bob Weaver's thread. Helps a lot, writing things down does...

[–] Chwelve 18 years ago

I like your reading of the film. I'd like to respond with a few of my own thoughts regarding this rich, passionate, and powerful film.

I think there is more to be had with the analogies drawn between Balthazar and Christ, however--and they are not merely allegorical or inherently religious either, I think Bresson expresses ideas and feelings that are deeply important not only in any religion or philosophy, but in any culture. The images and motifs used in the film to link Balthazar with Christ are not (thankfully) overtly obvious, but they are significant and difficult to ignore--the final image with Balthazar dying among the flock of sheep was even more powerful when considered in context of its Christian overtones.

But back to my thesis--I think there are aspects of the film directly associated with Bresson's Christianity, but this is in no way a simple bit of allegory or some sort of symbolic prosyletizing. Balthazar expresses the humble, silent passion of a Christ figure--a role perfect for the "beast of burden" that he is. The film is deeply sympathetic to all of its major characters, and I think we are able to relate to most all of them at different times, which is important not only in terms of storytelling but also in terms of the film's theme and content. I think we all play the "beast of burden" role for one another at some time or another, just as others act to relieve our own pains and afflictions in life. This interconnectedness is at the center of the film and at the center of life--it is life's great joy and life's great tragedy, and we feel Balthazar's beautiful nobility in the peace he finds in taking upon himself the trials and the sorrows and the pains which surround him and are inflicted on him without ever seeming to complain. It is in many ways perhaps a deeply unhappy way of viewing the world--but in some unexpressable, extraordinarily wonderful way I think it can also be very inspiring and perhaps more uplifting and deeply joyful than to simply live a life of simple quiet and ease.

[–] ttdragster14 18 years ago

Well, I would definitely agree with all of the analyses on this board so far, and while I had had the thoughts about the life-affirming aspects of the ending and the option in making the ending either depressing or inspiring, I had not thought of the inter-connectedness and the universal "beast of burden" role we all play interpretation. I really like that.
Regardless, no one has said anything about the implicit ridicule Bresson seems to make toward Christianity, as well. While I think it is very clear that the movie can be read as a Christian allegory, the film, on the most basic of levels, still compares Christ to an ass. This in itself must be taken as a criticism of the faith.
While it might be viewed as glorification, I think there is a certain point in which Balthazar can only be viewed as pathetic and the viewer may even aknowledge his stupidity. While it is in no way Balthazar's fault for his ignorance, the ignorance is still the cause of his suffering. Therefore, I wonder if this is in some way a critique on Christ's suffering being partly the result of ignorance. Also, the hypocrisy of Christians in the film, with Gerard doing evil things in one scene and singing in church in the next. THis must be a condemnation of Christianity.
While I like both of the interpretations of the film that were given previously better than this reading, I still think that the evidence of scrutiny on the actions of the Christian and the mere figure of Balthazar being a donkey disprove the pure allegorical theories.
Just a little addendum.

[–] PriceOfAnarchy 18 years ago

Just to let you know there are others out there... good post!

[–] bw92116 18 years ago

But how does it end on kindness? I don't see any kindness towards the end of the film. The last act of kindness I can find is when Arnold saves Balthazar from being put down.

[–] theOblivionHaha 18 years ago

The sheep surrounding Balthazar at the end can be considered an act of grace. That Balathazar in his final moments is surrounded by other animals like himself offers some kind of reassurance that he is not alone and by extension can translate into an assertion that we ourselves are not alone. The music played at the end is melancholic but is also (I believe) designed to portray a kind of saddened grace that is intended to help reveal a feeling of hope in the viewer. Honestly its very hard to pin my ultimate emotional reaction to any single element of the film for me its more of a personal resolution that arrives as a result of contemplationg the film as a whole. The widely held opinion though is the sheep, very simply yes but rightfully so in that it does not overtly romanticize the expereince. In a way it leaves all the romanticism to us which in turn allows us to define some aspect of our own personality and that for me is the main attraction to the film.

[–] beyondtheclouds 18 years ago

Thank you.

[–] Filler_Killer 9 years ago

I also thank you for your text. It's posts like yours and tony mcarea that still make it worth dwelling around IMDb's boards.

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