Film Review
One of the most startling and disturbing French films of the 1980s is
this stark portrait of adolescent neglect, which offered a vision of
contemporary society that was both shocking and extremely
prescient. It was the second film to be directed by Jean-Claude
Brisseau, who had previously made the equally uncompromising
Un Jeu Brutal (1983), and would
later find international renown with his lurid depictions of adult
sexuality, notably
Choses secrètes
(2002).
De bruit et de fureur
is unquestionably Brisseau's most substantial film to date, one that savagely
propels the spectator into a world of unremitting brutality and
hopelessness, where children are constantly neglected and abused, adults
behave in the most criminally irresponsible way imaginable, and no one
appears to have respect or consideration for anyone else. Welcome
to the housing estates of Paris, to what French politicians
glibly refer to as
les quartiers chauds.
This is not an easy film to watch - its unrelenting nihilist
perspective makes it a cry of despair that is both distressing and
chilling - and yet it is thoroughly compelling. The centre of
attention is Jean-Roger, a kind of demonic alter ego of Truffaut's
Antoine Doinel who, lacking any moral boundary, acts like a teenage
anarchist who is hell-bent on trashing the world around
him. François Négret's intense and
provocative performance makes this one of cinema's most harrowing
portrayals of adolescence. What is more disturbing, however, is
the ease with which Bruno, the nice kid with the budgie, is so easily
lured into Jean-Roger's world - not because he has any propensity for
evil, but because there is no alternative. He never sees his
mother, he has no other friends and Jean-Roger offers not just
companionship but approval and a role model. The only ray of hope
in this mire of social decay is offered by Bruno's teacher, but in the
end even this is not enough to banish the darkness that swamps Bruno's
life and makes his existence completely unbearable. Combining
harsh social realism with some unsettling surrealist flourishes and
a few touches of wry black comedy,
De bruit et de fureur is a film
that both captivates and appals, and having watched it you cannot help
feeling as though you have been repeatedly punched in the
stomach. A society in which adults routinely neglect their
children and behave like children themselves deserves everything it gets.
© James Travers 2010
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.
Film Synopsis
After the death of his grandmother, 14-year-old Bruno goes to live with
his mother on a low income housing estate on the outskirts of
Paris. Bruno hardly ever sees his mother, who communicates with
him via messages pinned up on the wall, so he spends most of his time
alone in her fifteenth floor flat, with only his budgerigar Superman to
keep him company. At school, he finds a new friend in Jean-Roger,
a rowdy delinquent who makes life Hell for his teachers.
Like Bruno, Jean-Roger has been neglected by his parents. His
father is a violent thug who has converted their flat into a shooting
range, whilst his own father lies ignored in an adjacent
room. Jean-Roger wants to join a gang of delinquents who
terrorise the estate, but his initiation rites require him to rape a
woman in front of his mates. Bruno's one distraction from this
brutal world is his growing affection for his schoolteacher. She
patiently sits with him and helps him to overcome his learning
difficulties. But will she be enough to save him, or is he
destined to turn out like Jean-Roger?
© James Travers
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.