As soon as entering in competition in Venice, “La Francophonie” Alexander Sokurov immediately won the special position: in fact documentary film pulled into the leaders of the local ratings.
Calling Sokurov’s one of the few cultural giants of European cinema, The Hollywood Reporter says that he is the only one of the directors who are able to collect the crowded room to the movie about the museum.
The premiere was held in the Festival Hall of the Grand Prix of ritual applause: the audience standing welcomed the director and his actors, and this would continue for much longer if he had not interrupted Sokurov enthusiasm, bowing to the audience and resolutely headed for the exit.
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There is no prophet in his own country. In Russia, Sokurov has never received so many sincere thanks to the crowded halls. His pain for Russia it somehow did not hear, she neglected it did not share. Now he has made a film in the Louvre and the Louvre, but still – about Russia. On why she has not yet managed to enter into the family of European equal.
This is – as it were incidental, arising as a digression, but in fact – the main, most explosive, most exciting director topic.
“Francophonie” – the author’s direct statement Sokurov. In it, he came close to his ideal – the literature, which he had always reproached the cinema as the elusive specimen. In the literature you can appeal directly to the reader. Literature gave virtually all the prophets in human history – not by chance that the first question asked by the author, addressed to Tolstoy and Chekhov. But genius is adjacent to the eyes, everything is permitted, and the consequences should be dealt already own. The film is a single monologue-reflection. This monologue, his free composition followed by all other components. Intonation monologue – calm, even a little shy: Sokurov is not going to become flush with the Titans, does not want to be clever, and sometimes it seems ingenuous. But this simplicity sage capable of almost all the children’s questions overwhelm opponents intellectual constructs.
“Francophonie” has already been compared with the stream of consciousness of late Godard, but above all it will remind “Ordinary Fascism” by Mikhail Romm. Almost entirely composed of chronicles, the mounting number is dictated by the logic of thinking Sokurov.
The terms of reflections can extend arbitrarily far, and then will continue in the minds of the audience, giving rise to an avalanche of new associations. But there is a constant angle: art as a witness and keeper of human history. Sokurov finds its higher and more important than ideologies and political structures, which the pampered world. It is constantly exposed to attacks of the barbarians, it is destroyed by wars, it is fragile. Sokurov’s film begins a dialogue on Skype with a certain Captain Dirk, who leads the ship through the storm with the world’s masterpieces, and every moment it threatens to sink. Metaphor tactful, Dirk’s voice melts into air the storm, but the image of European civilization, reeling under the blows of deadly century read clearly.
The Louvre here – as a citadel, is managed to resist. His collection gathered during those same wars and conquests, Napoleon personally oversaw the creation of the largest museums in Europe. No monarch is not able to be aware of the long-term consequences of their cases, and Sokurov lot and pretty mocks man in the cocked hat, smugly tossing the halls, pointing in the monarch on a donkey, the Mona Lisa and smugly exclaiming: “This is – I am! “. The real test for the Louvre will come in 1942, when the Nazis occupied Paris, and a German officer Franz Wolff-Metternich, the director of the Louvre, Jacques Zhozharom, despite the political situation, will join forces to save belonging civilization treasures, “What would we be without museums! No France Louvre there is no Russia without the Hermitage! ” – Says the author of the film.
These few games short story with a very discreet participation of different actors can not konstrastiruyut to chronicle not look yourself: operator Bruno Delbonnel, continuing the aesthetics of “Faust”, amazingly managed to fit them into a common pictorial series of paintings and documentary film frames, giving the whole a general muted color, and when the figures of living people are likened to the shadows of the past (as is known, for the shooting of his films, Sokurov created a whole optical laboratory where invented a special lens, giving the effect of old, faded, stained and Chronicle). To permanently remove questions demanding spectators on the edge of many cadres, “Francophonie” zmeitsya optical soundtrack – as published in the edition of the film strip.
The monologue is not illustrated in these diverse and multi-temporal frames – he continues in them. His logic is freely developing ideas that can be transferred from the metaphor to the historic character of the Napoleonic era in the besieged Leningrad and empty, turned the hospital Hermitage. From the fact of the Nazi officer and co director of the Louvre grows deep theme brotherhood of European nations as the carriers of a single cultural code – but this range are excluded Eastern Europe and Russia, and the treasures of Leningrad for the same Europeans are no longer included in the register of the first values. I have already noted certain – and even cultivated, in principle – simplicity many turns the picture; So, here Sokurov’s voice sounds undisguised resentment. Especially sad that his native Russia is now cultivates this his absurd separately and also wants to build it into an absolute.
Those who do not take music all just background, easy to find the same themes in a very inventive soundtrack. Then suddenly it sounds naive “Old French Song”, invented by Russian Tchaikovsky. That, in the final, on an empty bagroveyuschem panel screen voice will sound rusted metal anthem of the Soviet Union, too, to break through the thick ghostly time. Voices from the edge of Europe, which now and then try to isolate the stockade, cutting off the blood vessels of life itself.
“Europe has always seemed to me to come from a close-knit family – old, with traditions, – says Sokurov. – Its basis – the culture. The European countries have created a culture grand, illustrious, where music, visual arts and literature are homogeneous. I have a strong belief that France and Germany – like sisters. Everyone has their own character, they sometimes argue, often their relationships are complicated. We are in the film for the successful side of their relationship. In the years of armed conflict, our two heroes were able to come to an understanding … “.
Here he He interrupted his monologue. In summary and in the film. Without words it is clear: there will be understanding – there will be nothing. And voiced political formula will be only hot air. As the hymn died away on idyllic unbreakable union of free republics. Like sleepwalking repeated in the film, excellent in fact a triad: freedom – equality – fraternity.
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One of the most lyrical, quiet, soulful and fought moments of the film on the spot – at the very end: Sokurov welcomes its heroes Zhozhara and Metternich, to his office for a direct conversation. They sit at the wall puzzled to hear about their future, which they tell time wise author of the picture. This is an incredibly poignant in its simplicity scene: suddenly lit up, it becomes clear how little we destined to accomplish in his life and how value suddenly permeated her every action, and how to line up like sand castles, even the most successful of fate. To, scattering, turn again into the sand. And the Louvre and the Hermitage will stand in spite of all ages. While they sweep to the ground some madman.
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About the chances of winning film in Sokurov’s Venice competition immediately began to speculate international observers. It is clear that as long as he stands here as a lone rock above the plain. On the other hand, say Pythia, Sokurov only three years ago, took the Golden Lion for his adaptation of “Faust,” and it is unlikely the jury under the leadership of Alfonso Cuaron dare to crown the highest honor in Venice the same director twice. But all these arguments about the construction of objectivity festivals too scattered in the sand. And art gives way to the next politikanstvu.Ne the first time, however.
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