L’Avare (1980) - film review

Harpagon lives a frugal life although he has accumulated a fortune, which he has buried in his garden.  The old man is ruthlessly tight-fisted and, to further his wealthy, he intends to marry his daughter off to a wealthy man whilst he himself marries a wealthy heiress.  Unfortunately, his daughter is in love with another young man, whilst the woman he plans to marry is already beloved, by his son...

This is a rollicking film adaptation of Molière’s famous comedy.  Whilst remaining true to the original play, this film still manages to sparkle with originality and fun.

Louis de Funès doesn’t just play the part of the miser Harpagon – he is Harpagon, right down to his threadbare socks.  In a performance that surpasses brilliance, de Funès’s portrayal is both exceptionally funny and unequivocally poignant.  He reminds us that Harpagon is not a villain – he is really a sad, sad figure who deserves our pity more than our contempt.  In between tyrannising his children and flogging his servants, Harpagon is a tragic figure who, unloved by humanity, is driven to an obsessive love of money. De Funès manages to draw out that unhappy side of the character without ever letting up on his relentlessly obnoxious behaviour for one moment.

In keeping with the theme of the play, the sets are unusually spartan for a French period drama, with Harpagon’s horses represented by a blown-up sketch!  However, this strangely works to the film’s advantage.  With such scintillating dialogue and acting, an impressive background set would be just a distraction.

That not withstanding, the film does employ some spectacular scene shifts – at one pointing projecting Harpagon onto a theatre stage so that he can deliver one of his asides.  This kind of visual gimmickry is a little distracting but it does seem to work within the context of the play.

© James Travers 2000

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