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Csar (film)
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Wikipedia article
'Csar' is a 1936 French film, written and directed by Marcel Pagnol. It is the final part of his Marseille trilogy, which began with the film 'Marius' and was followed by 'Fanny'. Unlike the other two films in the trilogy, 'Csar' was not based on a play by Pagnol, but written directly as a film script. In 1946 Pagnol adapted the script as a stage play.
Plot
Honor Panisse is dying, cheerfully, with friends, wife, and son at his side. He confesses to the priest in front of his friends; he insists that the doctor be truthful. But, he cannot bring himself to tell his son Csariot that his real father is Marius, the absent son of Csar, Csariot's godfather. Panisse leaves that to Fanny, the lad's mother. Dissembling that he's off to see a friend, Csariot then seeks Marius, now a mechanic in Toulon. Posing as a journalist, Csariot spends time with Marius and leaves believing tales that Marius is involved in burglary and drug trafficking. Only after the truth comes out can Marius, Fanny, Csar, and Csariot step beyond the falsehoods, benign though they may be.
Cast
*Raimu as Csar Ollivier, bar owner
*Pierre Fresnay as Marius Ollivier, son of Csar
*Orane Demazis as Fanny Panisse, wife of Honor
*Charpin as Honor Panisse, husband of Fanny
*Andr Fouche as Csariot Panisse, son of Fanny
*Alida Rouff as Honorine Cabanis, mother of Fanny
*Milly Mathis as Claudine Foulon, aunt of Fanny
*Robert Vattier as Adelbert Brun, retired customs official
*Paul Dullac as Flix Escartefique, retired ferry captain
*Marcel Maupi as Innocent Mangiapan, ferry stoker
*douard Delmont as Dr Flicien Venelle
* Thommeray as Elzar Bonnegrce, parish priest
In popular culture
* The famed restaurateur and founder of California cuisine, Alice Waters, was so taken by this film that she named her Berkeley restaurant "Chez Panisse". The caf upstairs from the restaurant is decorated with posters from the films 'Marius', 'Fanny', and 'Csar.'
* The main characters from the films Marius, Fanny and Csar make a cameo appearance in the Asterix comic book 'Asterix and the Banquet'.
References
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