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French director Jean-Claude Brisseau, a protege of Eric Rohmer, created controversy with his erotic films focusing on the sexuality of women from a decidedly male perspective. However, these three dramas by Brisseau feature women protagonists who live outside conventional society in other ways. Life the Way It Is (La Vie Comme Ca, 1978, 95 mins.), the second film by Brisseau, is a gritty story of working women in the modern world. Originally shot on 16mm for French television, Life the Way It Is may be the director's most radical film, with its images of suicide, group violence, and sexual pressure. Agnes Tessier leaves the comfortable confines of school to work at a chemical factory in a slum district with her friend Florence. When greeted with sexual harassment, harsh conditions, and volatile coworkers, Agnes responds by applying for the union rep position in order to challenge the status quo at the factory. Stripped down to the essentials, the film reflects the fury of working-class women. Brisseau's psychological drama Celine (1992, 83 mins.) is a lyrical tale of miracles, apparitions, and sainthood. Genevieve, the village nurse, finds Celine, a confused girl with suicidal tendencies, wandering the ward of the hospital. Genevieve takes the young girl home but is afraid to leave her alone. When Celine's stepmother offers the nurse money to take care of her stepdaughter, Genevieve agrees. A bond forms between the young girl and older woman until one day Genevieve realizes Celine has uncanny healing powers. Lastly, Workers for the Good Lord (2000, 106 mins.), an unsettling blend of black comedy and melodrama, follows the misadventures of Fred, whose wife leaves him because he cannot support her and the children. Emotionally devastated, he takes to the road with postal clerk Sandrine and a mysterious African named Maguette. The trio robs banks across the South of France until they amass a small fortune, but Fred can only think of winning back the affections of his wife. "Plays like a cross between The Wizard of Oz and It's a Wonderful Life if Karl Marx had a hand in the script" (Variety). In French with English subtitles.
Jean-Claude Brisseau---France---1978-2000---284 mins.
- Facets
- Release Date: 09/27/2011
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