La Vie est à nous (1936) - film review

As a reaction to the rising tide of fascism that is sweeping across Europe in the 1930s, the French communist party call upon workers to support their cause and unite to ensure a better future for themselves, their families and their country.  The benevolence of the PCF is illustrated through heart-warming tales of working class folk.  It is thanks to the communist party that an ageing working is reinstated in his factory job, that an impoverished farm worker manages to prevent his belongings from being auctioned off, and that a young unemployed man discovers solidarity with others in his position.

Made in February and March of 1936 by a team of French Communist Party activists and sympathetic film technicians, La Vie est à nous is a bold and effective piece of party propaganda, intended to bolster the PCF’s chances in the French elections in May of that year.   The film is a curious mixture of newsreel images (which both ridicule and vilify fascism), short dramatic sketches and direct party political announcements espousing the virtues of Marxist-Leninist dogma.

1936 was something of a turning point in France’s political history, marking the dramatic rise in the popularity of left-wing politics (culminating in the election of the Front Populaire) and an improvement in workers’ rights.  Whilst the film may now appear dated and unsophisticated, it captures the enthusiasm and sheer unbridled optimism of the time in a way that few other records of the period do.  The film’s Utopian vision of a society united behind a common cause (principally to stop fascism and support workers) would have been irresistibly attractive to the French nation when the film was made, but now appears naïve and (when one recalls the grim reality of Soviet communism) mildly disturbing.

Jean Renoir was one of a number of young directors sympathetic to the communist cause who contributed to the film.  His impact can be seen throughout the film, but most notably in the opening schoolroom sequence and the short dramatic sketches illustrating the benevolence of the PCF.  His style is similar to the neo-realist approach he experimented with in his earlier film, Toni .  Renoir later tried to disassociate himself from the film, saying that he had little creative input and agreed to make it not because he supported the PCF but because he wanted to make a statement against fascism.  Other prominent contributors to the film include Jacques Becker (who both directs and appears in the film), Jacques Brunius and Madeleine Sologne (who makes her film debut here).

The film was banned by the censor and could only be seen in private meetings, hence limiting its potential impact on the French elections in May 1936.  Its greater value is in providing a powerful visual record of the time for future generations.

© James Travers 2002

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