Summary
Garris, a young man scarred by his experiences of World War I, settles in a marshland
community in Southern France. Later, he thinks of leaving but cannot bring himself
to abandon his friend Riton, who can barely cope with his nagging wife and three wild
children. The two men scrape an honest living doing odd jobs and selling snails
and frogs in the nearby town. One day they strike up a friendship with Pépé,
a retired factory owner who used to live in the marshland when he was young.
Jo Sardi, a celebrated boxer, ends up in prison after a brawl with Riton. When Sardi
leaves prison, his first thought is to find Riton and kill him...
Review
Initially panned by the critics but then proving to be a popular success with cinema-goers,
Les Enfants du marais is the kind of French film which appeals to international
film audiences. It depicts a way of life which accords with a non-French person’s
idealised view of life in France - a way of life which certainly exists no longer and
probably never really existed at all.
Whilst the film is unashamedly simplistic and shows nothing of the real hardship of living
in a marshland community in the 1930s, it is totally charming and makes for a pleasant
cinematic experience. The acting is generally of a high calibre, which is perhaps
what most makes this a satisfying film, in spite of the film’s structural and technical
weaknesses. Every character in the film is a three-dimensional human being, marred
by some eccentricity or personality disorder, and the way they interact and discover enough
commonality to form friendships is both fascinating and genuine.
What mars the film most is its awkward structure and, in particular, the unnecessary use
of voice-over to try to present the film from one character’s perspective (it just does
not work). The sub-plot with the boxer (played by footballer Eric Cantona) appears
like a last minute addition and breaks up the narrative badly, ruining the flow of the
film and resulting in a contrived and false ending. Whilst these clumsy additions
tarnish the film they do not, thankfully, destroy it. Thanks largely to its
beautiful location photography and engaging performances from its attractive cast, Les
Enfants du marais is still an attractive and poignant film.
© James Travers 2002
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