L'Avare (1980)
Directed by Louis de Funès, Jean Girault

Film Review

L'Avare (a.k.a. The Miser) is a rollicking film adaptation of Molière's famous comedy of the same title.  Whilst remaining true to the original play, the film sparkles with originality and fun throughout, and is one of the career highpoints for its lead actor and director Louis de Funès (in fact, it was the only film that de Funès directed).  This comedy icon doesn't just play the part of the miser Harpagon - he is Harpagon, right down to his threadbare socks.  In a performance that probably ranks as his best, de Funès's portrayal is both exceptionally funny and unequivocally poignant.  He reminds us that Harpagon is not a villain, he is really sad wretch who deserves our pity more than our contempt.  When he is not tyrannising his children or flogging the dear life out of his servants, Harpagon resembles a tragic figure who, unloved by humanity, is driven to an obsessive love of money. De Funès's main achievement is that he succeeds in arousing our sympathies whilst never letting up on his character's obnoxious behaviour for a moment.

In keeping with the penny-pinching theme of the play, the sets are exceptionally spartan for a French period drama, but this works to the film's advantage.  With such scintillating dialogue and amazing acting, an elaborate set would be a pointless extravagance.  That said, there are some ingenious scene shifts - at one point, Harpagon is projected onto a theatre stage just so that he can deliver one of his asides.  De Funès was assisted in directing the film by his close friend Jean Girault, who directed many of his other popular comedies, including, notably the famous Gendarme films.  Several of the actors who played alongside de Funès in the Gendarme films also appear in this film, including Michel Galabru and Claude Gensac.

Film Synopsis

In the 17th century, after a life of scrimping and saving, Harpagon has managed to build up a substantial personal fortune.  He may be rich, but he doesn't like to show it, and so he leads a modest bourgeois existence, in the company of his grown-up children Cléante and Élise.  The latter both have aspirations of marriage, but are afraid to broach the matter with their father, since he has resolved that if they marry it should be for money, not love.  Cléante is in love with Mariane, who comes from a family of modest means, whilst his sister has fallen for her father's steward, Valère.  Whilst Monsieur Jacques, Harpagon's faithful coachman, is sympathetic to their plight, Cléante and Élise see no way of persuading their father to bless their respective wished-for unions.  Cléante's hopes appear to be completely dashed when Harpagon announces his decision to marry Mariane himself.

By now, Harpagon has become almost obsessively mistrustful of his entire household, fearing that they all intend to rob him of his fortune - ten thousand ecus - which he has carefully buried in his garden.  When the money goes missing the old man is thrown into a sudden panic, and Monsieur Jacques uses this occasion to get even with Valère by accusing him of the theft.  Summoned to his employer's presence, Valère admits that he knows who took the money and offers to return it to him, on condition that he allows him to marry Élise, whilst also sanctioning Cléante's betrothal to Mariane.  For the man who worships money above all else, the deal is easily struck...