Truffaut and the French Cinema

Leon and Mathilda

As I was reading Truffaut's article "A Certain Tendency of the French Cinema" I tried to reassess my attitude toward French cinema. I like watching movies but most of them are not French-French. By this, I mean they are not what Truffaut would qualify as "defending the French flag twice a year at Cannes and at Venice."

I am a fan of Luc Besson's movies. Unfortunately, this French filmmaker is thought to be "Americanized," because his films are made for the mass market. Did the years he spent in the U.S. influenced or denatured his French fiber? What if he was the one who influenced American movies?

French movies are known to be highly philosophical. So are Luc Besson's movies.
I discovered the French filmmaker with his movie "Leon," released in 1994. When I compare "Leon" to "The Chorus," a movie in the pure French tradition, made by the French filmmaker, Christophe Barratier, I believe Luc Besson has not deviated from the French tradition. He simply makes movies that correspond to the expectations of his contemporaries.

Clement in "The Chorus"

"Leon" was released in 1994 and "The Chorus" in 2004. In addition, the plot of "Leon" is the modern New York, while "The Chorus" takes place in a rural orphanage in France, shortly after World War II. In both films, the protagonists include a male adult (Leon and Clement) who in one way or another had no hope. In other words, their lives are meaningless until they are transformed by a female teenager, in the case of Leon, and male teenager, in the case of Clement.

Both Leon and Clement give the only thing they have and cherish to these teenagers who have nothing to rely on in life. Leon gives his life so that the teenage girl may live and Clement uncovers and develops the musical skills the teenage boy has. Interesting enough, both adult protagonists owe their redemption to the teenagers they teach and to whom they pass on what they have.

Obviously, as a professional killer, Leon takes the lives of people while playing with his gun. However, his teaching and sacrifice allow the teenage girl to live with a more promising future.

Similarly, by preventing people to enjoy music, Clement dispossesses people from a crucial element that balances their lives: music. Thanks to his teaching, he allows a young gifted individual to perpetuate effect of music on human's life: soften manners.

I like both movies and consider they have been made by French filmmakers with two different approaches. In a next post, I will compare the narratives of both movies.