A Self-Made Hero (Un Hero tres Descret)

Reviewed May 9, 1998
Released 1996
Stars Mathieu Kassovitz, Anouk Grinberg, Sandrine Kiberlain, Jean-Louis Trintignant
Directed by Jacques Audiard
 
This is a movie about a man with no imagination. His name is Albert Dehousse (Mathieu Kassovitz), and the film opens with Albert as an old man describing how "the best lives are invented." In effect, he tells us his entire life was based on one lie after another. The story opens with Albert as a boy in pre-WWII France, where he lives alone with his mother. His father died a war hero in World War I, but the term "hero" is disputed by his friend. He claims Albert's father died of cirrhosis of the liver due to his heavy drinking, but Albert's mother fiercely denies it. This is important, because it's the first invention in Albert's long life of inventions. He didn't invent this story (his mother did), but it shows him the path he wants to take in life.

Albert is an odd, reclusive boy, which isn't surprising given his mother's hysterical, overbearing nature. As a boy, he spends much of his time role-playing, alone, in his room. He rigorously and meticulously recites the same lines over and over, but he doesn't make up his lines. He has no imagination, and he borrows them from books or other people. This is true throughout his entire life, as he borrows facts and experiences from people he encounters. He borrows them and makes them his own.

When World War II breaks out, Albert is not called to military service, because he's the only son of a widow. He spends the early years of the war and the German occupation role-playing in his bedroom and watching people play tennis through his window. Through chance he meets a neighbor girl, Yvette (Sandrine Kiberlain), who takes a liking to him. Too embarrassed to tell her the truth about his occupation (none), he claims to be a writer. The only problem is he can't write. This isn't really a problem, however, as he simply copies a book into his own handwriting and reads it to Yvette and her family as if it were his own. These scenes are quite funny, and they prepare us for Albert's larger life inventions that are yet to come.

Despite being such an odd boy, Albert grows to be a rather charming young man. There's something about him that projects a quiet self-confidence, but in reality he has little. He projects this image because, although he's quiet, he's not timid. People often project wisdom and charisma onto this type of person, and that's what happens to Albert. Furthermore, Albert learns to work this angle very well. He understands the less he says, the better impression he makes and the less chance someone will discover he's lying.

World War II is very good to Albert. It allows him to meet and marry Yvette, and he's able to break away from his mother and join a loving family. His father-in-law gives him a good job, which prevents him from being shipped to Germany. Everything about the war is good for Albert except the end. Once they're liberated, he discovers something that turns his life upside down.

At the heart of this film is France's national shame over collaboration. It's more than fifty years later, and the French people are still tormented with the way many of their countrymen collaborated with the Nazis who occupied France. During the occupation, the Germans established the Vichy government, and the French had basically three options: 1) embrace the Vichy government and collaborate with the Nazis, 2) join the French Resistance and fight the Germans, or 3) attempt to live as they had before and neither fight nor resist. Hundreds of thousands of French actually chose the first option, because it afforded them a much better life. They received better rations as well as favors, exemptions, etc. The fact that such a large percentage of their population chose to do this has haunted and embarrassed the French nation ever since. Once France was liberated, the French tried to punish the collaborators as quickly as they could. The problem was there were so many and so many degrees to which they helped the Nazis and the Vichy government, it was difficult to decide what to do. The punishments included execution, imprisonment, public humiliation, and, for many, only personal shame.

In this movie, Albert remains neutral throughout the war and seems blissfully unaware that it's even happening. After their liberation, he discovers his wife and her family were members of the French Resistance, but they didn't think him capable enough to help. After this discovery, he becomes too ashamed to continue his happy, married life. All of this takes place in the first part of the movie, and I don't want to say anything more about the plot after this point (even though every description of the movie I've seen tells you what Albert eventually becomes). I don't like to give away too much plot, however, because it spoils the fun of discovering it yourself.

This is a very funny movie about human nature, and Albert learns to manipulate people perfectly through deceit. He learns to shame someone so they'll stop asking questions which may expose him. He learns how to drop an inside buzzword (that he overheard) in a subtle way that makes people fall over themselves in a rush to gain favor with him. He learns how to compliment a suspicious co-worker in a way that turns the foe into an ally. It's very funny and interesting to watch, because it's all true. This is human nature in a civilized society. Personally, I'm not good with names and faces. When someone insists I must remember them and they describe some specific event that I do remember, I will frequently go along with them to spare their feelings. Albert plays this angle very hard and very effectively.

In an odd, but highly effective technique, the director interviews several "historians" and participants throughout the film. The film is set in the WWII era, but the interviews take place today with old men who lived through that time. They relate details about Albert's life, and some of them have bought Albert's story hook, line, and sinker, while others know he's lying. The interviews provide a hilarious running commentary about Albert's life. Albert himself speaks directly to the camera as an old man, and he makes bitter observations about his life choices. All of this is perfectly done and adds much to the film.

When I sat down in the theater, I expected a drama and was surprised when the humor started to flow midway through. In addition to the comedy, there are sobering moments when we see the ugliness of war. I was amazed at how well the film balanced the two without seeming contrived, and the reality of war adds poignancy to the comedy. It's truly a wonderful film.

Reviewed by Bill Alward  Home
 

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