Les roseaux sauvages
Encyclopedia
Wild Reeds is a 1994 French drama film directed by André Téchiné
, about the sensitive passage in the adulthood and in awakening of sexuality by four youths at the end of the Algerian War
.
), a shy young man from the lower middle class, is working towards his high school diploma. But he spends most of his time talking about movies and literature with his best friend, Maïté (Élodie Bouchez
), whose mother is his French teacher. Mme Alvarez (Michèle Moretti) and Maïté are communists. At the boarding school, François becomes acquainted with the sensual son of a farmer, Serge (Stéphane Rideau
). At night, he joins François in the dormitory to chat. Finally he draws him into an erotic relationship.
While Serge acted out of curiosity, François discovers his latent homosexuality and develops a deep attraction for Serge. He confides this discovery to Maïté, who swallows her disappointment to encourage him to come out of the closet. While Serge becomes more and more interested in Maïté, she declares herself to be interested in nobody but feels a platonic love for François.
The Algerian War and its horrors crash headlong into these young grazes of the heart. Serge's brother dies at the front, the mother of Maïté loses the reason to have refused to help him to desert.
Into this mix, an Algerian-born French exile, Henri (Frédéric Gorny), appears in the boarding school and aggravates all the conflicts. Supporting the OAS, he brings with him the traumas of the war. He makes François face up to his homosexuality in a cynical way and provokes Serge's hatred. But it's especially the tempestuous meeting with Maïté who goes to destabilize the two of them, when the ideological confrontation collides with their mutual attraction.
In the contact of their differences, each of them learn, little by little, to qualify their judgments and their vision of life.
As the Algerian War is still, in certain way, a taboo on many points, films on the subject were rare or subject to debate (The Little Soldier (Le Petit Soldat), Avoir vingt ans dans les Aurès, La question
).
s, Les Roseaux Sauvages won Best Film, Best Director (André Téchiné
), Most Promising Young Actress (Élodie Bouchez
) and Best Original Screenplay.
André Téchiné
André Téchiné , is a French screenwriter and film director. He has had a long and distinguished career that places him among the best post-New Wave French film directors....
, about the sensitive passage in the adulthood and in awakening of sexuality by four youths at the end of the Algerian War
Algerian War of Independence
The Algerian War was a conflict between France and Algerian independence movements from 1954 to 1962, which led to Algeria's gaining its independence from France...
.
Plot
The film is set in south-west France in 1962. François (Gaël MorelGaël Morel
Gaël Morel is a French film director, screenwriter and actor.- Biography :Morel was born in Villefranche-sur-Saône, Rhône, France, a small town of 30,000 inhabitants outside Lyon...
), a shy young man from the lower middle class, is working towards his high school diploma. But he spends most of his time talking about movies and literature with his best friend, Maïté (Élodie Bouchez
Élodie Bouchez
Élodie Bouchez-Bangalter is a French actress. She is best known in the United States for her role as Renée Rienne on the fifth and final season of the television show Alias...
), whose mother is his French teacher. Mme Alvarez (Michèle Moretti) and Maïté are communists. At the boarding school, François becomes acquainted with the sensual son of a farmer, Serge (Stéphane Rideau
Stéphane Rideau
Stéphane Rideau is a French actor born near Agen. Although intending to pursue a career in sports, he was discovered in 1992 at a rugby game and then auditioned for a role in the film Wild Reeds by André Téchiné. He was, at the time, sixteen years old.He would later on play the role of a gay...
). At night, he joins François in the dormitory to chat. Finally he draws him into an erotic relationship.
While Serge acted out of curiosity, François discovers his latent homosexuality and develops a deep attraction for Serge. He confides this discovery to Maïté, who swallows her disappointment to encourage him to come out of the closet. While Serge becomes more and more interested in Maïté, she declares herself to be interested in nobody but feels a platonic love for François.
The Algerian War and its horrors crash headlong into these young grazes of the heart. Serge's brother dies at the front, the mother of Maïté loses the reason to have refused to help him to desert.
Into this mix, an Algerian-born French exile, Henri (Frédéric Gorny), appears in the boarding school and aggravates all the conflicts. Supporting the OAS, he brings with him the traumas of the war. He makes François face up to his homosexuality in a cynical way and provokes Serge's hatred. But it's especially the tempestuous meeting with Maïté who goes to destabilize the two of them, when the ideological confrontation collides with their mutual attraction.
In the contact of their differences, each of them learn, little by little, to qualify their judgments and their vision of life.
Cast
- Élodie BouchezÉlodie BouchezÉlodie Bouchez-Bangalter is a French actress. She is best known in the United States for her role as Renée Rienne on the fifth and final season of the television show Alias...
as Maïté Alvarez - Gaël MorelGaël MorelGaël Morel is a French film director, screenwriter and actor.- Biography :Morel was born in Villefranche-sur-Saône, Rhône, France, a small town of 30,000 inhabitants outside Lyon...
as François Forestier - Stéphane RideauStéphane RideauStéphane Rideau is a French actor born near Agen. Although intending to pursue a career in sports, he was discovered in 1992 at a rugby game and then auditioned for a role in the film Wild Reeds by André Téchiné. He was, at the time, sixteen years old.He would later on play the role of a gay...
as Serge Bartolo - Frédéric Gorny as Henri Mariani
- Michèle Moretti as Madame Alvarez
- Jacques NolotJacques NolotJacques Nolot , is a French actor, screenwriter and film director.- Life :Jacques Nolot was born on 31 August 1943, Marciac, Gers, a small village in Southwest France. A fragile child, Nolot was doted upon by his mother, a woman who had three children with three different fathers...
as Monsieur Morelli - Eric Kreikenmayer as Pierre Bartolo, the Groom
- Nathalie Vignes as Irène, the Bride
- Michel Ruhl as Monsieur Cassagne
- Fatia Maite as Aicha Morelli
Conception
It was at first a television film of command under the subject "Tous les garçons et les filles de leurs âges", Le chêne et le roseau (The Oak and the Reed), which includes the first part of Wild Reeds. But Téchiné decides to bring out the film in theatrical, in his completed script. Of autobiographical inspiration, it is his biggest personal success in France and his most intimate film also.As the Algerian War is still, in certain way, a taboo on many points, films on the subject were rare or subject to debate (The Little Soldier (Le Petit Soldat), Avoir vingt ans dans les Aurès, La question
La Question
La Question is a book by Henri Alleg, published in 1958. It is notorious for precisely describing the methods of torture used by French paratroopers during the Algerian War from the point of view of a victim...
).
Music
- Barbara Ann Beach Boys
- Adagio pour cordes Samuel BarberSamuel BarberSamuel Osborne Barber II was an American composer of orchestral, opera, choral, and piano music. His Adagio for Strings is his most popular composition and widely considered a masterpiece of modern classical music...
- Wo die Zitronen blühen & Frühlingsstimmen Johann Strauss IIJohann Strauss IIJohann Strauss II , also known as Johann Baptist Strauss or Johann Strauss, Jr., the Younger, or the Son , was an Austrian composer of light music, particularly dance music and operettas. He composed over 500 waltzes, polkas, quadrilles, and other types of dance music, as well as several operettas...
- Run Away Del ShannonDel ShannonDel Shannon was an American rock and roll singer-songwriter who had a No. 1 hit, "Runaway", in 1961.- Biography :...
- Let's Twist Again Chubby CheckerChubby CheckerChubby Checker is an American singer-songwriter. He is widely known for popularizing the twist dance style, with his 1960 hit cover of Hank Ballard's R&B hit "The Twist"...
- Smoke gets in your eyes The PlattersThe PlattersThe Platters were a vocal group of the early rock and roll era. Their distinctive sound was a bridge between the pre-rock Tin Pan Alley tradition and the burgeoning new genre...
Response
The film was met with widespread critical acclaim and currently holds a rare 100% "Fresh" ratings on Rotten Tomatoes. It was released in the United States on May 10, 1995 grossing $38,192 in 7 theaters its widest release eventually grossing a total of $917,915 in North America. In France the film received limited release playing at a total of 40 cinemas and opening in second place in the French box office gaining 37,688 admissions it's opening weekend. In total the film had 589,301 admissions in France and was the 51th highest earning film of the year.Accolades
At the 1995 César AwardCésar Award
The César Award is the national film award of France, first given out in 1975. The nominations are selected by the members of the Académie des arts et techniques du cinéma....
s, Les Roseaux Sauvages won Best Film, Best Director (André Téchiné
André Téchiné
André Téchiné , is a French screenwriter and film director. He has had a long and distinguished career that places him among the best post-New Wave French film directors....
), Most Promising Young Actress (Élodie Bouchez
Élodie Bouchez
Élodie Bouchez-Bangalter is a French actress. She is best known in the United States for her role as Renée Rienne on the fifth and final season of the television show Alias...
) and Best Original Screenplay.
- César Awards (France)
- Won: Best Director (André Téchiné)
- Won: Best Film
- Won: Best Writing (Olivier Massart, Gilles Taurand and André Téchiné)
- Won: Most Promising Actress (Élodie Bouchez)
- Nominated: Best Actress – Best Supporting Role (Michèle Moretti)
- Nominated: Most Promising Actor (Frédéric Gorny)
- Nominated: Most Promising Actor (Gaël Morel)
- Nominated: Most Promising Actor (Stéphane Rideau)
- Un Certain RegardUn Certain RegardUn Certain Regard is a section of the Cannes Film Festival's Official Selection. It is run at the Salle Debussy, parallel to the competition for the Palme d'Or.This section was introduced in 1978 by Gilles Jacob...
, Cannes Film Festival1994 Cannes Film FestivalThe 1994 Cannes Film Festival started on 12 May and ran until 23 May. The Palme d'Or went to the American film Pulp Fiction directed by Quentin Tarantino.-Official Selection:*Clint Eastwood *Catherine Deneuve...
(France)- Nominated
- Los Angeles Film CriticsLos Angeles Film Critics AssociationThe Los Angeles Film Critics Association was founded in 1975. Its main purpose is to present yearly awards to members of the film industry who have excelled in their fields. These awards are presented each January...
(USA)- Won: Best Foreign Language Film
- National Society of Film CriticsNational Society of Film CriticsThe National Society of Film Critics is an American film critic organization. As of December 2007 the NSFC had approximately 60 members who wrote for a variety of weekly and daily newspapers.-History:...
(USA)- Won: Best Foreign Language Film
- New York Film Critics (USA)
- Won: Best Foreign Language Film