Charmand, Charmand or 'Orange, Orange!' as she would say.
Welcome almost 50 years back from my present time. Escape the present reality, if you don’t like it, to the past, back to the past.
Yes, I agree with you, once the movie was cleaner, the actors livelier, not so obscene, greedy, without squinting. We once believed and trusted them, even in the West. Today, as soon as we see them offering us a loan in the next advertising or miracle... It's just groovy. But you can't do it without it. Another age, different manners, even immorality another. Money and fame change people. Or was everything the same before, just a little covered? And today everyone is running to bare on the big screen of a smartphone, smart TV. The first “mosquito” just today was killed on the screen, right on the face of Pierre Richard seems to have killed the mosquito. Movie escape. And our hero is an unwitting participant.
What is different and at the same time different from our time? Those who say that nothing changes are right, and those who say that the world changes are right. It is funny to look at the clothes of another era, the uniforms of servicemen and others. The cars are different, but also mostly with four wheels. And, of course, the shooting is different. The color, graininess of the frame, even the clarity is completely different than that of modern digital. All this gives the film a certain color in every sense, even the sound (overscreen translation here).
All this is twisted by the fact that it is possible that this and other similar films you saw in childhood. and the main actor of this movie you have already seen much older, an old man deep with a deep white gray.
And on top of that, you think that many modern movies, despite their blockbuster budgets and scripts, don't elicit as much emotion. And they're often more mediocre. After all, you can shoot much easier and much more interesting, and without any graphics, without pumped / pumped graphon.
But it still seems. We can't eat a lot of old movies. It’s like ice cream, which you can eat one or two at a time, and five or more – too much ... too much that then it will be disgusting to look at it for months. The old movie can be watched, you need to watch, but in moderation, although none of us knows the measures, especially film lovers in relation to the movie, especially beloved and native.
Our movie and the road movie and what else. Perhaps even a bit of "Knocking to Heaven" of its time. There are chases, shooting, escape from something and somewhere... we all run away from something, mainly from reality, into our illusory world, into our illusion, into our Wild West World, where everything around and everything around must happen as we subconsciously want it.
And we want love, passion, tender and strong kisses, adventures. This is all there is, and even something relatively close to the 18+ category. Some of the pictures here are not suitable for children. See that at the first rentals of the movie (in the USSR) was censored and cut out of it inappropriate shots, and here in the online full version, which needs to revise the age rating, although the norms of everything, probably.
It looks like five ice creams, two cups of tea. I shouldn't have... What's so much about our movies? Stunts, especially automobiles of all stripes.
Gerard Uri - director, master of comedy, who worked with such great actors as Louis de Funes, Pierre Richard, etc., staged this comedy "Escape" in 1978.
Lawyer Jean Duroc (Pierre Richard) visits his client Galar (Victor Lanu) on death row. The phrase “death row” already says a lot: this man Galar is in a difficult situation. His fate is the sentence of the highest penalty. To reduce him to even a life sentence, Jean Duroc must receive a pardon from the first person of the state - Charles de Gaulle at the time. The film takes place in the late sixties. Almost ten years ago from the time of filming: 1978. The film shows that this is a turbulent time for the country: riots, barricades.
Galar was in different places of the globe, among which it is necessary to highlight Vietnam, with which he is connected by something bright in his difficult fate. But is Galar guilty of what he is accused of? This man is courageous, brave, brave. Maybe that's how fate made him. He is fair in his own way, principled. And fearlessness in front of all the sharp turns of fate, including in this film, make this image strong, resilient, truly courageous. How he holds in his hands, sitting in the boat, a sheet with his pardon! A romantic love for a girl from Vietnam, the desire to be with her, to take care of her. Thoughts about her, calls to her on the first possible occasion, also reveal this image. Are they supposed to be in the movie, and if so, under what circumstances? Love for her is the little light that was in his life, besides life itself and the unexpected freedom that suddenly became possible for him. But at the same time, he is capable of some negative actions in the film. The image is not easy.
Pierre Richard in the image of Jean Duroc played a man primarily decent. This is what his own father describes. With whom Duroc lives, taking care of him. Duroc, unlike Galar, is sensitive, vulnerable, emotional. He's honest, kind, hardworking. But in life he is still not lucky, before life for some reason he is helpless.
Director Gerard Urie correctly foresees that these people, images: Duroc and Galar, almost opposite to each other, will be an excellent mutually necessary complement to each other, which is able to withstand all the cool turns of fate in this film. Later, in the eighties, this idea will continue Francis Weber, combining equally opposite images of the heroes of P. Richard and J. Depardieu in their legendary comedies. It is possible to draw a parallel, to compare the image of Galar in this film and the images of J. Depardieu in films with P. Richard, especially in the film “Runaways”.
The film goes like an exciting adventure comedy. Escape, truck ride, boat ride, farm adventure, limousine ride, meet with Duroc's father to the "sounds of a western," adventures on the barricades, finally the final shots in court - all this looks in one breath, and the time of comedy flies rapidly, leaving a sense of lightness.
At the same time, the film shows real life, life. And the farm and these guys riding bicycles in the city streets.
The film also raises acute social issues: while our fugitives have almost no money, there is an elderly couple in the film who have the opposite on this issue. But according to the director, does it give them happiness?
I should also mention the beautiful romantic music, of which only one word is clear to me: France. All this is France in its beautiful landscapes of nature, in its everyday life, in such different people, different characters, their fates, in its barricades, in its romance. And those geniuses who managed to accommodate all this in an hour and a half of screen time, creating masterpieces over which time does not control.
10 out of 10
It really is. The background of this comedy is one of the few uprisings against the injustice of capitalism, which occurred in small but always turbulent and extravagant France in 1968 and overthrew the powerful de Gaulle. It would seem that the subject for communists of all stripes is very propaganda: they say that capitalism is rampant. Ahn no. In the USSR to buy the tape was not in a hurry, so, despite the fact that it was filmed in the late 70s, exactly ten years after the real events, in the USSR it came out only in the midst of perestroika. Paradox? Nope. Soviet ideologues did not want to excite the generation of Soviet youth: they say, what if she would want to rebel against the System?
But that's not the point. It's a story. Against the background of the events taking place in France, a lawyer (Pierre Richard), a loser in life, volunteered to save the allegedly innocent condemned to the scaffold Golar (V. Lanu). But during a prison riot, Golar escapes in a lawyer's car. And - oh this ironic fate! - the lawyer is destined to go with his client on ridiculous adventures, because now the lawyer himself is outlawed.
What can I say? The comedy was a success. However, the duet Richard-Lanu is not attractive, this duo does not have the comic power that the duo Richard-Depardieu and especially the power that the duo de Funes-Bourville has. In general, the duo Richard-Lanu did not turn out to be comical. He wasn't funny. It was much funnier to watch a couple of capitalists who decided to leave rebellious France. Richard in the film is very small, it is simply not enough, and Lana does not block his play. As a result, we get a rather dynamic and funny, but not making you laugh to tears, like other works of Richard, “film”.
I'm getting to know the classics again. Pierre Richard again. A little tired of the constantly exploited image of a distracted loser, I decided that this film was something different, and included it in my list. Alas, no. I haven’t seen anything new again.
In principle, it is not surprising that these films were such a success with viewers in the 70s. These paintings are captivated by their simplicity and naivety. And the ease with which the French present history is simply incredible. It would seem that everything brilliant is simple, and when the film is stuffed with a bunch of clichés and templates, and the viewer begins to get bored, the creators still manage to take the story in a different direction.
One thing can be said about this film – typical. All the images of Pierre Richard are so monotonous that they have already merged into one in my head. It was similar to Vincent Price, who repeatedly performed the same type of roles in horror films. Pierre Richard is a kind of Price from the genre of comedy. And this image is incredibly outdated, and in our time does not cause the emotions that it should.
The story itself is not original either. Although it may not yet have gone through this topic to anyone who is lazy in Hollywood, it looked interesting. After a short swing, we are thrown into the thick of events and the film begins to accelerate. It takes 20 minutes, and all the dynamics of the tape goes somewhere. And irrevocably. The viewer just waits for the end, in order to find out how it will end.
Lovers of such classics and light unobtrusive comedies. For me, it looks bland and boring.
Before watching caught myself thinking: why the main stars of French cinema 60-80s Delon, De Funes, Richard, Belmondo did not star together in films. Of course, in comedies. One superstar on the screen is good, but two or three are great! Each of them has in his filmography the role of a comedy genre, someone more, someone less. But why not shoot together?! Is it in the personal interests of each of the actors who did not want to share fame with a colleague-rival or did the directors not see two famous artists in one frame? The question, of course, remains open. Sorry. After all, De Funes and Richard in the same film, is it not a potential masterpiece! Or "Marciel Golar" performed by Belmondo and "Lawyer Richard". Why not!
But no matter how much we want, and many agree with this will join me, and time cannot be reversed, as well as the former youth of our idols, which means that not Belmondo and Richard will come together in one film, but Richard and, of course, Lana.
To be honest, I never really liked the character of Victor Lanu. The constant mockery of my beloved Richard did not please me, but caused only sympathy and resentment. To watch previously whole and without stopping this film somehow failed. Here I will look at some segment, then there, but constantly as I look, I still see Richard oppressed and fallen. It's a shame, but what can you do? But after the current viewing of the film at a more conscious age, my opinion about the character of Lanu has changed and I officially declare, probably, Marcial Golar is the very sample of a man who should be in nature: a man is a forager, a cunning, a daredevil, a strongman, a man loving, but spiritually faithful.
"Escape" is one of many typical comedies of Richard's time. Funny and curious cases, ridiculous antics, funny curves, dancing and a little about serious. The film did not bypass the favorite themes of French filmmakers of all time: cars, including chases, accidents and stunts, policing, politics and love. Also included in the film is a constant feature in the films with Richard - a cute nude female body, however, this time it does not apply to Richard.
The film is set 10 years back from the date of its creation, right to the general strikes in France, General De Gaulle’s struggles with youth and unions, mass riots, etc. Pierre is a humble and polite lawyer who lives with his father, who has arthritis. He is tasked with defending the rights of citizen Golar in court, but the chances of success are slim. And then, as it could not be convenient for Golar, a mass riot in the prison in which he was imprisoned turns around. After escaping from there himself, he takes his lawyer to Paris. Not as a hostage, but as a helper.
Richard, of course, is in his repertoire. What else can I say? Victor Lan has an interesting character with all the attributes of masculinity, but at the same time justice. Throughout the film, Durok (Richard) will tame the illegal plans of Golar (Lanu), but without them, as it turns out, both fugitives cannot be saved. A significant role in the film will play Marcel, the father of Jean-Philippe, + an amazing game Raymon Bussier, so similar to Maestro Raymond Pauls. Claude Brosse — an angry farmer. He has been seen in films with Belmondo. Charming Asian and girlfriend Golar part-time called Claire Richard — quite possibly a relative of Pierre.
Of course, the film is light, unobtrusive, pleasant and funny. Not entirely funny, but there is a lot of that. In addition to lightness and comedy, there are serious things that make you think. With true French charm, the scene of Golar and his lover kissing was played against the background of the riots. Even though the composer is not Cosmas, the music is still great. This time it is performed by the band Sunset Brothers and Michel Philippe-Gerard.
In general, a really classic, French comedy with Pier Richard in the title role.
It's not perfect, and you won't laugh the whole movie. But in our time, when there are solid bullets, corpses and chases on TV screens, sometimes you want to plunge into the carefree bright and romantic world that French directors and legendary actors drew us many, many times in the 70-80s.
The lawyer Jean Duroc did not think or guess that during a visit to the prison of his client Golar, sentenced to death, a riot would break out in her. Golar flees custody after wearing his lawyer’s clothes. Following him runs and Duroc, who is accused of having staged a provocation in the place of detention to release Golar.
So fate brings together a criminal who claims his innocence, and his lawyer - a man of soft and indecisive. The whole film they have somewhere to run, somewhere to hide, experiencing a whole bunch of adventures. The plot is woven and smugglers trying to smuggle in the collectible “Rolls-Royce” cargo of gold and money in the seats.
Gerard Urie is one of the “big four” famous comedy directors of France, along with Giraud, Lecomte and Zidie, presented us his next, as always professionally shot comedy – with soft humor and inevitable trick scenes, most of which are related to transport. It just so happens because the whole film is set in motion among the beautiful pastoral landscapes, farms and cute provincial towns of France. These are tricks with a retractable seat, and with a dump truck, and with the ill-fated Rolls-Royce.
Uri’s films are rarely pure comedies. There is always a place for something clinging to the soul. This is largely facilitated by a long-term alliance with the excellent screenwriter Daniel Thompson. Escape was no exception here. The film reflects the real events of May 1968 in France, which led to the resignation of President Charles de Gaulle. In particular, authentic recordings of the president’s appeals on television were used. Also shown here is the flight of Charles de Gaulle in a helicopter to Baden-Baden, in the location of the occupying forces of France in Germany, which took place on May 29, 1968.
It was quite unexpected for me to see a nude here (where a girl, undressing, dancing by the road, and cars crashing into a pyramid). In fact, for Uri, such scenes are not typical. But, oddly enough, “Escape” in the Soviet box office was almost not cut by censorship scissors – cut only some scenes, in particular, the ordeal of Duroc and Golar at the station in an attempt to get money for the ticket.
Pierre Richard is a unique and multifaceted actor. The stereotype that this is a comedian is completely wrong. Richard has quite a lot of and quite dramatic roles, just his characters in the comedy have a somewhat schematic character - floppy and knackers. But Richard is so sincere on screen that his comedy characters from film to film do not lose their appeal.
Victor Lanu, who played Golar more like a good big guy than a hardened criminal. That's what he is. On the one hand - rude and straightforward, on the other - a man with a big heart and a soft look. I don’t know, maybe it was Uri’s intention to show Lana in the role of Golar, but somehow he lacks brutality. A good character turned out, not at all evil. This role was claimed by Patrick DeVare. I think he would have been more fitting here than Lana.
Escape, as they say, is a timeless film. The Soviet dubbing of the picture is magnificent. The translators not only added whiplash to the dialogue, but also took it to a new level. (Original: Shut up!) Translation: "Shut up, Golar!" and so on. The film is definitely worth watching, positive emotions are guaranteed. Great script, healthy humor, very decent game.