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Credits
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Summary
A young man, François, returns to his home town in rural France after many years
and is struck by how things have changed. His childhood friend, Serge, has become
an alcoholic, trapped in a loveless marriage and given to bouts of violence and depression.
The town people seem despondent and resigned to the fact that their community is on the
wane. They resent François’s presence and criticism of their ways, but François
is determined to do what he can to help, especially his former friend, Serge.
Review
One of the earliest of the French New Wave of films in the late 1950s/early 60s, Le
Beau Serge has a rough and ready feel to it that gives it an edge of authenticity
and emphasises the sadness without dipping into sentimentalism. We see the town
through François’s eyes and, as a result, we can identify with his point of view.
At first we share his pity for the town people and the tragic Serge, who seems to have
had a pretty raw deal, stuck in a secluded provincial town whilst François is set
to become a man of the world. But then, little by little, we see what lies beneath
the surface and find that the towns people are the architects of their own misery and
probably deserve all they get.
The interplay between the four central characters is handled very well, with some memorable, often contradictory, exchanges between the various pairings of the four characters. However, it is Jean-Claude Brialy who dominates the film as François, the outsider who passionately wants to improve the lot of his former neighbours. The harshness and remoteness of the town people is emphasised by the excellent photography of the Sardent countryside.
The main disappointment is the background music.
There are too many seemingly inconsequential scenes which are accompanied by a discordant
"twang", seeming to attach great import to events of the least significance. A minor
fault, but it detracts and mars an otherwise very good film.
© James Travers 1999
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