French - Canadian film maker Denys Arcand has recently released this delicious little joie de vivre of a film. The film's subject involves watching the cancer stricken last days of Remy, a 50+ year old Marxist (and every other "ist" as those "ists" and "isms" come into and out of fashion) leaning university history / literature professor. Remy tries to make amends with his well off son, who works in the trading business in London. We also get to see Remy's wife, a wide cast of friends, female daliances and lovers, and his daughter via satellite who happens to be sailing the Pacific when the bad news comes through.
The Barbarian Invasions is so much fun to watch because it really is what one would imagine French film is SUPPOSED to be like, but never is. The film is full of great characters, deep thoughts and conversation, beautiful French women, saucy dialogue, and contains a serious dollop of social commentary. Along the way, we get to see the joys of socialized medicine - complete with waiting lines, overcrowded hospitals, overworked medical personnel, unused resources, theft of personal belongings by hospital employees, bribery, excuse laden bureaucrats who wield jargon as to why they can't do this or that, and "I don't give a damn about you" labor union employees. In the end, Remy's son finds out from a doctor friend that using heroin will make the pain of the final descent far easier to bear than legal morophine. Ergo, his son ends up skirting the law in an effort to make his father's last days easier and ends up getting him out of the clutches of the hospital system.
Note to Paul Krugman and the New York Times editorial board. Maybe you can explain to readers how my brother, who survived a heart attack last week thanks to American medicine, would have made it through the waiting lines in France, Canada, the UK, or anywhere else.
But the real joy about the film is that it ends with nearly heart rending end to Remy's life. His wife, son, and friends are all there, so he is comforted. As Remy's death approaches, our word obsessed professor desperately searches for reasons as to whether his life had any meaning and whether he had made any mark in this world worth bothering about.
Verdict from The Mighty Wizard: Forget about the subtitles and go see Barbarian Invasions. It's a 9 out of 10!
Posted by The Mighty Wizard at March 7, 2004 10:44 PM