The Son (film)

The Son
Directed by Jean-Pierre Dardenne
Luc Dardenne
Produced by Jean-Pierre Dardenne
Luc Dardenne
Denis Freyd
Written by Jean-Pierre Dardenne
Luc Dardenne
Starring Olivier Gourmet
Morgan Marinne
Isabella Soupart
Release date(s) Belgium:
9 October 2002 (2002-10-09) (Belgium)
23 October 2002 (2002-10-23) (France)
Running time 103 minutes
Country Belgium
France
Language French

The Son (French: Le Fils) is a 2002 film directed by Jean-Pierre Dardenne and Luc Dardenne.

Contents

Synopsis

Olivier (Olivier Gourmet), a carpenter by trade who teaches at a trades training centre, knowingly takes on Francis Thorion, the murderer of his son, as an apprentice. Francis is unaware of his connection with Olivier from five years ago. Olivier, tormented by the loss of his son and his separation from his wife, develops a slight obsession with Francis. He stalks him home, steals his keys and explores his apartment, whilst slowly discovering more about the boy. Francis looks up to Olivier, seeing him as a surrogate role-model. With this on his mind, Olivier is ultimately torn between hatred for the murderer of his son and the moral ambiguity of accepting this child from a broken home and disillusioned past.

Awards

Olivier Gourmet received the Best Actor Award at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival for his portrayal of the tormented Olivier.[1]

Roger Ebert ranked the film #7 on his list of the best films of the decade (2000-2009).[2] Paste Magazine named it one of the 50 Best Movies of the Decade (2000-2009), ranking it at #8.[3]

'We don't know'

Luc Dardenne wrote a comment about The Son in his book Au dos de nos images. Magali, the ex-wife of Olivier is very astonished that Olivier took Francis, the murderer of their son, into his workshop . She says to Olivier, "Nobody would do that." He answers, "I know." And she replies, "Then, why do you do it?" He answers, "I don't know." And Luc Dardenne wrote "We don't know either."[4]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Festival de Cannes: The Son". festival-cannes.com. http://www.festival-cannes.com/en/archives/ficheFilm/id/3152912/year/2002.html. Retrieved 25 October 2009. 
  2. ^ http://blogs.suntimes.com/ebert/2009/12/the_best_films_of_the_decade.html
  3. ^ "The 50 Best Movies of the Decade (2000-2009)". Paste Magazine. November 3, 2009. http://www.pastemagazine.com/blogs/lists/2009/11/50-best-movies-of-the-decade-2000-2009.html?p=5. Retrieved December 14, 2011. 
  4. ^ French: Il y a quelque chose d'impossible dans ce que fait Olivier. Magali a sans doute raison de lui dire: 'Pourquoi tu le fais alors?', et il a sans doute raison de lui répondre: 'Je ne sais pas.' Nous non plus, on ne sait pas. Quoted from Au dos de nos images, Seuil, Paris, 2005 (first published) and 2008 (pocket book), p.127. ISBN 978-2-7578-0891-7

External links

Films directed by the Dardenne brothers