(OT) A great movie

[olivier in france]

I saw the new Jeunet film Friday night, the french title is « Un long Dimanche de Fiancailles », it should be well distributed in the US after the success « Amelie » had. While « Amélie » was about a dreamed France of this era that no longer exists and that probably never existed, the new movie is about a past France that is still very present, at least in the soul of most Frenchmen. It made me think a lot about my own country and how important WW1 (the period described in the movie) has been for us. In a lot of aspects, and that may be a French originality , WW1 has been much more important in the building of Today’s France than WW2. You can find there a lot of the roots of the cultural differences between France, the US and/or England. While the US and the English « personalities » are mainly built on the WW2 victory (as the germans still deal with the defeat in their collective mind) , the Frenchmen are still deeply affected by WW1, a war without winners, a bloodbath. And much more than that, a war where the Governments, the Nations , the Patries showed how meanless and blind they could be. After the War department ordered the execution of thousands of young soldiers that did not want to be used as « cannon meat » anymore , the French have never been the same. So yes we do not trust the government, yes we do not trust the Army, yes we do not feel comfortable with patriotism, nationalism, and « great ideas ». We are cynics, « dodgers », « complainers », whiners irrespectful of almost anything. On our Town Houses they should write « Carpe Diem » instead of « Liberté , Egalité, Fraternité », cause we lofe life more than anything, as we love good food, sex and short weeks of work. We love to abuse the State, to go on strike, to foul our IRS and to put our money in swiss banks. We hate politicians, the military, the clergy and our bosses. And you can understand why we can hate a guy like GWB… I use to say to some of my friends they should read « East of Eden » by Steinbeck if they want to understand what America is. So for you, american friends, If you want to understand France go watch this movie. And go even if you don’t give a damn about France, it’s a wonderful movie !