Personal and Political Cinema

“...many filmmakers approach their work from a highly personal perspective, even when they are working within the supposed confines of genre...” (The Last Detail) When it comes to life and the human experience, it is hard to say whether we, as humans, are capable of being impartial. Our bias, political and personal, will always be present. The best we can do is become self-aware and aware of the narratives that surround us - at least this is my personal belief. Does art imitate life or does life imitate art? While some films are a blend of the two, like Grave of the Fireflies (1988, Takahata), some very clearly exist in the extremes. Take Tout Va Bien (1972, Godard and Gorin) when it comes to expressing an explicit political narrative breaking the fourth wall to do so. When it comes to films taking inspiration from the personal, sometimes there is a subconscious or conscious addition of the director or writer’s life then used to create a largely fictional story around a truth, like in Léon (1994, Besson). Others use more truth or personal circumstances than others but still add impersonal details of the plot to create or communicate the narrative in a way more pleasing to the director or writer like in Bergman Island (2021, Hansen-Love). 

BERGMAN ISLAND (2021, HANSEN-LOVE)

In the opening scene of Berman Island, we are on a ferry taking us to this island. I did not do any research into Mia Hansen-Love prior to watching this. I genuinely thought: wow what a fun father-daughter trip. I thought this was a teenage daughter and her father. Imagine my confusion when this scene occurred. There is a significant age difference, 26 years, between her then partner, also in the film industry, and father to her child. This surprise was very similar, although comparatively less uncomfortable, to my discovery of the relationship between Luc Besson, director and writer of Léon: The Professional (1994), and Maïwenn Le Besco. Mind you, I have only watched the international version but, the writing of Mathilda and Léon’s relationship was extremely raw, honest and realistic which is what piqued my curiosity into the creator. So, already there is somewhat of an unequal dynamic introduced between these two characters in Bergman Island. Almost a student-teacher relationship or at least a clear difference in stages of life is evident. 

The story within a story concept is used to communicate a personal experience used in Bergman Island. This style is somewhat similar to the film (not autobiographical) Atonement (2007, Wright) which is almost what Grave of the Fireflies (1988, Takahata) would be if it was told in the same way. In Grave of the Fireflies, it tries to atone for what is the writer of the short story, from which this movie is based on, the younger sister’s death as a result of the older brother’s actions. What is interesting is the discourse around interpreting the actions of the older brother in this movie. My grandma, a Japanese immigrant who too was a child during WW2, was raised to respect her elders even if these elders were themselves selfish and rude, would interpret the older brother’s actions as disrespectful and selfish. To the western view, the older brother’s actions could be seen as brave. Why would he stay in a home with an aunt whose resentment towards him and his sister continues to grow with her own family's hunger? Would we, as the viewer, feel anything toward a woman who feels ignored, neglected or lost possibly in part from losing some of her young adult life as a direct result of her relationship to an older partner?

The addition of Hampus in both the “real life” of the main character as well as in the “movie” was curious. I like to think of him as a representation of those people who come into our lives, strangers, who completely change our perspective. Maybe even those once friendships that devolve into acquaintances but not before they show us part of the world we would have never seen without them shifting our focus to what they see and experience. I imagine we have all been someone’s Hampus, knowing or unknowingly. I can recall a few Hampus-like characters in my life and I, just like Chris’ inclusion in both her “real life” and “movie”, will forever remember and live my life differently because of them, cherishing our interactions however fond or bittersweet the memory. We create art from our life and everyone who has been part of our life affects this art. 

The inclusion of this lingering touch between Chris and the actor who plays Joseph in the “movie” was interesting. It seems that "life" is now imitating the "movie". Perhaps this is seen as appropriate in some cultures however I see it as borderline inappropriate. I think this represents the opportunity that is formed from alliances whether they are personal or professional. Maybe highlighting the ones afforded to Chris from her association with her partner and fellow director, Tony. I suppose it is human nature to want to survive and we do this through improving our condition in life. Although I find it difficult in the long-term, I have tolerated mutually beneficial relationships because they teach me a new skill or help me improve an existing skill or connect me to an opportunity I did not think I could obtain by myself.

TOUT VA BIEN (1972, GODARD AND GORIN)

Oh, politics, my favorite topic to discuss during the holidays and at the dinner table. Tout Va Bien communicates the complex cause-effect relationship between unchecked capitalism, useless unions, underappreciated workers and the acts of protest that result from civil unrest. “The film tries to create distance from the two lead characters mostly by referring to them as Him and Her” (The Last Detail) Because of this distance from all the characters, when they are directly addressing the camera with their monologues it feels like they are talking to us, the audience. Which, considering this is a complicated topic and not one the directors wished to traditionally dramatize, was required to create a direct relationship between the audience and the political narrative. Now, there are definitely more subtle ways to do this like Mustang (2015, Ergüven) which explores the experience of young girls in a conservative part of Turkey and uses the more secular city of Istanbul as a path towards freedom and female individuality and autonomy. Although, the use of impossible-to-ignore plot points do help to efficiently communicate the purpose of movies with strong political narratives. If you have ever watched Bajrangi Bhaijaan (2015, Khan), it is, similar to Tout Va Bien, easy to discern the political themes in the movie of which are: religious differences between Islam and Hinduism and the civilian and governmental tension between India and Pakistan. This movie kind of breaks the fourth wall with the song and dance numbers to reiterate those narratives in case they were somehow missed through the, at times, dramatic reactions but this is a Bollywood film so the song and dance numbers are expected. The biggest difference I notice between Mustang and the other two films, Tout Va Bien and Bajrangi Bhaijaan, is one puts you in the position of a helpless observer who can, at most, empathise with the characters whereas the latter two create a path to participate. I must say, I do think Bajrangi Bhaijaan does a great job at both creating empathy for/humanizing all sides of the situation and a path the individual can take towards creating change.

Of course, I cannot simply ignore the casting choices and must point out the inclusion of at least two actors that were known to hold and voice strong political views: Jane Fonda and Yves Montand - the husband and wife who act as our guides through this movie’s political themes by connecting us to the characters, who are part of the problem, simply from their own attempt at doing their jobs as journalists (in real life, using their notoriety to advance their political views). Casting can be a political statement that can focus or distract from the plot either intentionally or unintentionally. Consider the casting of Memoirs of a Geisha (2005, Marshall) -  which I suppose could also be considered a personal film as well, partially based on a true story although many liberties are taken in the script and book leading to the actual Geisha to write her own. It was very controversial to the Chinese government which banned it. And also upsetting to my grandma, to have non-Japanese actors in very Japanese roles with no major ones going to Japanese actors. There is a very uncomfortable and violent history between Japan and many Asian countries- Manchuria being only one of many examples.

I am not going to get into Yves’ person but I will Jane Fonda. My grandpa (WW2, Korea, Vietnam Veteran) was not fond of Ms. Fonda. I say “was” not because he forgave her for her controversial “protest” in a Vietnam POW camp, actions that he and other Vietnam Veterans believe led to the deaths of the Soldiers in those very camps, but because he is dead. There are many points in the film where her character, American like her, comes to the realization that perhaps, her attempts to help overstep and miss their mark or even that she is unable to understand this French civilian battle with capitalists and French politics and culture. In an article on Paste Magazine, they mention the film or commentary and critique of Jane Fonda and her Vietnam protest, Letter to Jane (1972, Godard and Gorin), contradictory actions compared to her character in Tout Va Bien. This film also asks the same question “What role should intellectuals play in the revolution?” [a review of the film] So, I do think her character's realizations were unintentionally ironic and satirical. I do wonder if there were similar moments with Yves’ character and his real life which I could not catch due to my ignorance but considering he had no film directly addressed to him, there may be none. Is this an instance of life imitating art?

The ending is not at all satisfying but it is clear: Political unrest and Personal unions do not have a single finale instead they develop many continuously through each person's understanding of context and perspective - what is history without relationships and the people who participate? Compare this to Rien à déclarer (2010, Boon), which has a similar ironic but comedic ending where we are right back to where we started but with a different country’s people. This comedy uses the tension between the Belgium-French border and peoples and how they affect the love life of a Belgium woman and French border agent. In Tout Va Bien, we are back focused on the existence and exact purpose of these two characters' relationship to one another although now, instead of inside, we are outside which really ties in the "and have started to think of themselves in a historical context.". When we are in the comforts of our own home, or our information-bubble, we close ourselves off to what is outside of that. History only exists when we acknowledge there is more outside of ourselves and while we are part of it, we do not exclusively dictate history on an individual level but as a collective.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Film can turn an individual’s isolating experience into one that can help others in similar situations feel seen and less alone (The Poker House, 2008, Petty) and can attempt to capture a country’s political attitude during a specific time by presenting it in a light-heated and entertaining way (Брат 2, 2000, Balabanov). Be they personal or politically motivated, I find great value in communicating the reality and limitations of life through subtle or explicit avenues and mediums. Most of my favorite films have a mix of both personal and political narratives.