Misericordia

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I just watched a new film by the French writer director Alain Guiraudie. It is definitely worth watching for several reasons. It’s an amazing film, the thing that most impressed me is how well thought out it is. The script is terrific, a gem of a micro production, it all takes place in a small rural village surrounded by forests. A great location, plus if you are making a film and don’t have a hugh budget keeping locations simple is the way to go. It looks like this film was shot in this tiny village, the surrounding forests, the town church, cemetery, an apartment, a house in the woods. That’s pretty much it. But it was plotted exquisitely , you didn’t need any more locations. So step one, brilliant script, full of unexpected twists and turns, sex, murder, guilt, all dealt with in a fresh surprising, philosophic way.

Bravo! The acting is also great! Step two, hire great actors! Casting is so key! these actors are all top notch, especially the abbe! So amazing and to me the heart and soul of the film. Jacques Develay is inredible, he has a way of saying so much with just a glance, a great film actor and ballsy! There is a scene where he jumps out of bed, roused by the local policeman, with a hard on!

I mean that takes courage and commitment! My favorite scene in the film is where the Abbe asks Félix Kysyl ( the protagonist Jérémie Pastor) to hear his confession. The priest wants to confess to the other guy! How amazing, there have been many confessional scenes in films but none like this! And that’s what so great about this film, it works in a genre fashion, a thriller, a murder mystery but it turns the genre on it’s head, keeps the audience guessing, you never know what’s going to happen next.

And the Third element that makes it great. Unanswered questions, it doesn’t spell things out and explain everything, there are plenty of hints about people’s pasts, but that’s it. You have to reach your own conclusions, this draws the audience in, makes them a part of the story.

Alfred Hitchcock called this phenomenon the “Cold Chicken” effect. After the people got home from watching the film, they went to the fridge, got out the cold chicken leftovers for a midnight snack and began discussing the film. And if there were anbiguous points that they could disagree on it sometimes inspired them to resee the film to clarify points of their discussion. Hitchcock said this effect added considerably to his box office returns. Anyway Cinema is Alive and Well as long as films like this continue to be made!