Dir. Danis Tanovic, 2005, France, 102 mins
Cast:
Emmanuelle Beart, Karin Viard, Carole Bouquet, Marie Gillian
Review by Michael Blyth
The title and credits sequence of Tanovic’s latest film suggest something that resembles a dark, psychological thriller. The striking opening, which blends abstract images of hatching birds with swirling, deep red shadows, certainly generates a palpable sense of foreboding. Instead, what unfolds is a rather sober melodrama about three estranged sisters united by bonds of desire, abuse and solitude, the hell of the title being the self-made prisons each woman situates themselves within.
Sophie (Beart) is the eldest of the three sisters, an unhappy woman who suspects her husband of having an affair. Celine (Viard) is single and spends her days caring for her elderly mother (Bouquet), with whom she shares an uncomfortable and strained relationship. Meanwhile, youngest sister Anne (Gillian) is a student, secretly engaging in an affair with her college tutor. When a mysterious man begins pursuing Celine, a series of revelations begin to unfold, and the three sisters are forced to confront buried family secrets and the possible reasons for their troubled relationships.
Adapted from one of a trio of ideas created by Krzysztof Kieslowski based around the themes of Heaven, Hell and Purgatory, Tanovic’s film recalls Kieslowski’s own Three Colours trilogy in its central concept revolving around a triptych of female protagonists. While the women in those films were unrelated (save for a coincidental union at the trilogy’s climax), the sisters on show here seem equally disparate, having had their sisterly bonds severed at an early age. And, again like Kieslowski’s previous trilogy, the three actresses (all magnificent, Viard in particular) are only united on screen in the film’s final act. This structure, which devotes equal screen time to each story, employs thematic parallels and visual signifiers to flow seamlessly from sister to sister, invoking memories of both The Hours and Robert Altman’s 3 Women as the lives of our heroines seem to merge into one whole.
Each storyline is united with a common theme of stalking. Sophie pursues her husband whom she suspects of infidelity, Anne is followed by a mysterious man, while Celine’s desire for her tutor becomes increasingly obsessive. Tanovic’s nomadic camera effectively complements this theme, particularly in Sophie’s story, creating a labyrinthine world of dimly lit corridors and hotel rooms as she desperately seeks the truth. Often situating characters within doorways or viewed through windowpanes, Tanovic also creates an oppressive feeling of dread and claustrophobia that echoes the sense of confinement each woman feels. Yet, like the opening credits, this sense of impending doom is somewhat misleading. The film occasionally plays with thriller characteristics, but it is a promise that is thankfully never fulfilled. The film is too astute to succumb to any genre expectations, and this slight teasing with the audience adds an unexpected richness to the story. Anne says it best when she realises her stalker does not have the intentions she suspected, and in a moment that echoes the thoughts of the viewer, states, “I watch too many movies”.
Momentum Pictures have announced the UK Region 2 DVD release of Hell (L’Enfer) for 21st August 2006 priced at £19.99.
Extras include a making-of and the original trailer.
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