Since I watched this film and its companion piece ("My Mother's Castle") out of order, I felt I had a unique perspective on this movie. It was a little like watching the "Star Wars" prequels, minus all of the computer animation. I was able to see some of the background for the story that I had so much enjoyed, but I also was able to take in a self contained story. One could watch either of these films independently, but seeing them both brings greater texture to the world.
This movie shows us the arrival of the two movies' protagonist, Marcel. We see him being born to this school teacher father and doting mother. The family settles in the lovely town of Marseilles in the south of France, and they begin to build their life as a family. A baby brother is born named Paul, and finally, a little sister. As the movie goes along, it is clear that the mother (Augustine) has a sister who desires a husband, and she finds one in Jules. Jules is a devout Catholic who does not hide his feelings toward his secular brother in law, Marcel's father Joseph. Joseph is a bright eyed school teacher who is heavy on book smarts, and who beams with excitement as he teaches his students of the possibilities that await them in the 20th century. Eventually, Jules and Joseph decide to treat their respective families to a holiday villa in the Provence, just outside of the town of Marseilles.
The villa ends up being not only the primary setting for both this film and its companion film, but also something which symbolizes something greater. More on that in a minute. Suffice it to say, the family loves their holiday home. As viewers, we can almost feel the lazy summer in the sir as we watch this film, even though I watched it in the middle of a Minnesota winter. As the family settles into their summer home, the book smarts of Joseph begin to be outshone by the outdoor saavy of Marcel's Uncle Jules. This is crushing for little Marcel, as he sees his father as perfect. As his father and uncle go hunting, he begins to see how little his father knows about the outdoors. While Marcel follows his uncle and father in their hunting, he befriends a country boy, and begins to scheme on how he can make the alluring desert of the Provence his permanent home.
Marcel's desire to make the country his permanent home feeds into what I believe is the principle theme as these two films. The theme is longing. There in lies the genius of thee films. One needn't ever visit the Provence to identify with the family. The scene that drove this point home the most was one of the last scenes in the movie. As the holidays draw to a close, school beckons both the teacher and the student back to their home. As the adults contemplate leaving their summer retreat, they begin to point out some of the shortcomings of their villa. They complain of the lack of indoor plumbing, and yearn for their modern appliances back in Marseilles. Marcel listens to these musings with absolute disgust, as he views their comments as blasphemous. To him, the Provence has become a paradise on earth. It is a place with no shortcomings, and he is enraged by the adults and their worldly comforts.
All of us long for rest and repose. We all have a place that acts as one. All of us long for such a villa. For my family, our "villa" has become a rental cabin in Brainerd, Minnesota. When I was growing up, my family loved getting away to the mountains. We visited the Sierras, the small town of Big Bear, and the great National Parks of the West. I also always regarded my home in La Habra as a place of escape and repose. What is important about all these places is that they act as a piece of heaven on earth. They are places devoid of care. They are places which elicit nostalgia. I couldn't help but smile in recognition as this film ended. For even though the nuts and bolts of the story are quite different than from my upbringing, the feelings are the same. Great art does just that. It gives us familiar feelings, even with characters with whom we have precious little in common.
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