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Wild Reeds
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Wikipedia article
'Wild Reeds' is a 1994 French drama film directed by Andr Tchin about the sexual awakening of four teenagers and their subsequent sensitive passage into adulthood at the end of the Algerian War. The film was selected as the French entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 67th Academy Awards, but not nominated.Margaret Herrick Library, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
Plot
The film is set in southwest France in 1962. Franois (Gal Morel), a shy young man from the lower middle class, is working towards his high school diploma. He spends most of his time talking about movies and literature with his best friend, Mat (lodie Bouchez), whose mother Mme Alvarez (Michle Moretti) is Franois's French teacher. Mme Alvarez and Mat are communists. At the boarding school, Franois becomes acquainted with Serge (Stphane Rideau), the sensual son of immigrant farmers. At night, he joins Franois in the dormitory to chat. Finally, Serge draws Franois into an erotic relationship.
Franois discovers his homosexuality and develops a deep attraction for Serge, who has only acted out of curiosity. Franois confides this discovery to Mat, who swallows her disappointment and encourages him to come out of the closet. When Serge becomes increasingly interested in Mat, she declares herself to be interested in nobody.
Serge's brother Pierre dies while serving in the army in Algeria, and Mat's mother suffers a nervous breakdown, having previously refused to help Pierre desert. An Algerian-born French exile, Henri (Frdric Gorny), enrolls in the boys' boarding school and aggravates their conflicts, adding a political conflict. He is obsessed with events in Algeria and supports the OAS, which opposes Algerian independence and defends the rights of French settlers there. He treats Franois without sympathy and bluntly tells him to own up to his homosexuality. His political stance provokes Serge's hatred. Henri finally engages Mat, his political opposite, and they yield to their mutual attraction.
Each member of the quartet develops in the course of the film, shifting repeatedly from stubborn positions to more flexible appreciations of their circumstances, explained in French class by a reading of "The Oak and the Reed", one of La Fontaine's Fables.
Cast
* lodie Bouchez as Mat Alvarez
* Gal Morel as Franois Forestier
* Stphane Rideau as Serge Bartolo
* Frdric Gorny as Henri Mariani
* Michle Moretti as Madame Alvarez
* Jacques Nolot as Monsieur Morelli
* Eric Kreikenmayer as Pierre Bartolo, the Groom
* Nathalie Vignes as Irne, the Bride
* Michel Ruhl as Monsieur Cassagne
* Fatia Maite as Aicha Morelli
Production
The project was first conceived as part of a television film series dealing with adolescence, 'Tous les garons et les filles de leurs ges', entitled 'Le chne et le roseau' ('The Oak and the Reed'), which made up the first 55 minutes of 'Wild Reeds'. But after completing the script, Tchin decided to make it a full theatrical release. Based on his own life story, it is his biggest personal success in France and his most intimate film.
It is one of limited number of films on the politically delicate subject of the Algerian War. They include 'The Little Soldier' (1963), 'Avoir vingt ans dans les Aurs' (1972), and 'La Question' (1977).
Music
* "Barbara Ann" The Beach Boys
* 'Adagio for Strings' Samuel Barber
* 'Wo die Zitronen blhen' & 'Frhlingsstimmen' Johann Strauss II
* "Runaway" Del Shannon
* "Let's Twist Again" Chubby Checker
* "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" The Platters
* "Soave sia il vento" (from 'Cos fan tutte') - Mozart
Reception
Critical response
The film was met with widespread critical acclaim and holds a rare 100% "Fresh" ratings on Rotten Tomatoes.Box office
In France the film received limited release, playing at a total of 40 cinemas and opening in second place at the French box office gaining 37,688 admissions its opening weekend. In total the film had 589,301 admissions in France and was the 51st highest-grossing film of the year. The film opened on one screen in Montreal, Canada on 18 November 1994 and grossed $7,000 in its opening weekend. It was released in the United States on May 10, 1995 grossing $38,192 in 7 theaters, eventually grossing a total of $917,915 in the United States.Accolades
and lodie Bouchez promoting the film at the 1994 Cannes Film Festival.
At the 1995 Csar Awards, 'Les Roseaux Sauvages' won Best Film, Best Director (Andr Tchin), Most Promising Young Actress (lodie Bouchez) and Best Original Screenplay.
*'Csar Awards' (France)
**'Won': Best Director (Andr Tchin)
**'Won': Best Film
**'Won': Best Writing (Olivier Massart, Gilles Taurand and Andr Tchin)
**'Won': Most Promising Actress (lodie Bouchez)
**Nominated: Best Actress – Best Supporting Role (Michle Moretti)
**Nominated: Most Promising Actor (Frdric Gorny)
**Nominated: Most Promising Actor (Gal Morel)
**Nominated: Most Promising Actor (Stphane Rideau)
*'Un Certain Regard, Cannes Film Festival' (France)
**Nominated
*'Los Angeles Film Critics' (USA)
**'Won': Best Foreign Language Film
*'National Society of Film Critics' (USA)
**'Won': Best Foreign Language Film
*'New York Film Critics' (USA)
**'Won': Best Foreign Language Film
*'Won': Louis Delluc Prize
See also
* List of submissions to the 67th Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film
* List of French submissions for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
References
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