La Chanson de Roland (1978) - film review

In the Twelfth Century, a group of travelling storytellers accompany peasant pilgrims on their long journey to the holy town of Saint- Jacques- de-Compostelle.  They sing and enact the exploits of the valiant Roland, a Tenth Century knight who, in the reign of King Charlemagne, helped stem the advance of Arabs into France, before being betrayed by the armies of King Marsile at Roncevaux.  On their gruelling journey on foot, both pilgrims and actors must fend off marauding bandits, whilst contending with near-starvation and disease, all of which rapidly depletes their number.  Moved by the suffering endured by the peasants, one of the actors, Klaus, later gives up his life to champion their cause.

One of the most unusual of French cinema’s historical dramas, La Chanson de Roland tells a tale of heroism, faith and human suffering.  With its naturalistic performances and convincing location sets, it resembles less a historical film and more a documentary filmed in the Middle Ages.  The artistic style of the film is similar to that of Robert Bresson’s Lancelot du Lac, although somewhat less austere in its cinematography.

The film switches between a re-enactment of the exploits of a 10th Century knight Roland and a 12th century pilgrimage, a curious melange which illustrates the importance of folklore in medieval culture – past heroism somehow giving some sense to today’s otherwise meaningless existence.

With an exceptional cast (which includes Klaus Kinski, one of Germany’s premier league actors) and close attention to period detail, La Chanson de Roland is a supremely artistic film.  With its explicit depiction of human suffering and depravity, this should be an immensely depressing film – but it isn’t.   Rather, it is a beautifully painted, immensely spiritual work which evokes optimism and celebrates the better qualities in human nature.

© James Travers 2003

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