Tout le monde n'a pas eu la chance d'avoir des parents communistes (1993)
Directed by Jean-Jacques Zilbermann

Film Review

Jean-Jacques Zilbermann's idiosyncratic brand of cinema got off to a flying start with this ironic yet endearing examination of political idealism in post-war France.  It is easy to be put off by its verbose title, but Tout le monde n'a pas eu la chance d'avoir des parents communistes is an engaging film that deals sympathetically and intelligently with a rarely broached subject - whether there is any worth in having political convictions in a world in which idealism has seemingly been swept away forever and has nothing but evil connotations.

With its meticulous attention to period detail, the film impresses most with its authentic representation of an ordinary family living in France during the 1950s, a time of austerity and political uncertainty.  Whatever shortcomings there may be in the screenplay are amply made up for by the warmth and sincerity that Josiane Balasko and Maurice Bénichou bring to their perfectly judged performances.  More than anything, Tout le monde n'a pas eu la chance... offers a rare chance to appreciate one of the enduring achievements of the Soviet Union, namely the Red Army Choir.  After this promising debut, Zilbermann went on to carve a distinctive niche for hismelf, with such films as L'Homme est une femme comme les autres (1998) and Les Fautes d'orthographe (2004).

Film Synopsis

September, 1958.  On the face of it, Irène and Bernard would appear to be the perfect married couple.  They run a shoe shop and have a son and would seem to lead a harmonious existence.  In truth, they are a couple divided by their political affiliations.  Bernard has no strong political leanings in any direction, unlike Irène, who is an unashamed communist of the most committed kind.  She has good reason to be grateful to the Soviets - if it had not been for the intervention of the Red Army at the end of the war she would have died in a Nazi concentration camp.  But few people in Irène's immediate entourage share her enthusiasm for communism, nor her determination to vote against President de Gaulle in the imminent referendum that will result in the creation of the Fifth French Republic.  Irène's political convictions receive a dramatic boost when she learns that the choir of the Red Army have just arrived in town.  Before she knows it, she has fallen head over heels in love with the choir's handsome lead singer, Ivan...