Black and White in Color

Last updated

Black and White in Color
Black and White in Color FilmPoster.jpeg
Directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud
Screenplay by Georges Conchon
Story by Jean-Jacques Annaud
Produced by Arthur Cohn
Jacques Perrin
Giorgio Silvagni
Cinematography Claude Augostini
Edited by Françoise Bonnot
Music by Pierre Bachelet
Production
companies
France 3 Cinéma
Reggane Films
Smart Film Produktion
Société Française de Production (SFP)
Société Ivoirienne de Cinema
Distributed by Allied Artists (USA)
Release date
  • 22 September 1976 (1976-09-22)
Running time
90 minutes
CountriesFrance
Ivory Coast
Germany
Switzerland
LanguageFrench

Black and White in Color (French : La Victoire en chantant, then Noirs et Blancs en couleur for the 1977 re-issue) is a French-Ivorian 1976 war film and black comedy directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud in his directorial debut. The film is set in the African theater of World War I, during the French invasion of the German colony of Kamerun. The film adopts a strong antimilitaristic point of view, and is noteworthy for ridiculing the French side even more harshly than their German counterparts.

Contents

The original French title is the first four words (the first line) of the song Le Chant du départ, a French military song.

It won the 1976 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film; [1] it was submitted to the Académie de Côte d'Ivoire, resulting in that country's first and only Oscar.

Plot

The film opens in 1915 in a remote French outpost located in the African colony of Cameroon. The French colonists, consisting of a small group of settlers, have been living a tranquil and isolated life, completely oblivious to the raging World War I happening far away in Europe. Their main preoccupation is maintaining a comfortable and leisurely existence.

One day, a French soldier named Gabriel Fouquet (played by Jean Carmet) arrives at the outpost, bringing the news of the war. The colonists, including the plantation owner De Sorgue (played by Jean Dufilho), his wife Lucie (played by Catherine Rouvel), and other colorful characters, are initially dismissive of the news, believing it to be irrelevant to their lives.

However, as the reality of the war begins to sink in, the French colonists decide to take action against the Germans, who are the colonial rulers in neighboring Togoland. They view it as an opportunity to demonstrate their patriotism and loyalty to France. The colonists gather their resources and organize a comical and misadventurous campaign against the Germans.

Led by De Sorgue and Sergeant Bosselet (played by Jacques Spiesser), the motley crew of colonists embarks on a journey through the African wilderness, encountering various obstacles and challenges along the way. They face not only the harsh conditions of the environment but also cultural clashes and misunderstandings as they interact with African tribes.

Despite their bumbling and amateurish attempts at war, the French colonists manage to cause some disruption to the Germans, leading to a series of humorous and unexpected situations. The film uses satire and irony to underscore the futility and absurdity of war and colonialism.

As the story unfolds, the colonists gradually come to realize the true nature of war and the complexities of the colonial system. The film juxtaposes the innocence and naivety of the colonists with the harsh realities of the conflict, challenging their romanticized notions of heroism and patriotism.

Cast

Reception

John Simon described Black and White in Color as an "absolute gem". [2] Roger Ebert gave Black and White in Color three out of a possible four stars, writing- "is fun to watch and pointed in its comments on race and colonialism" [3] On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 100% based on 6 reviews, with an average score of 7.7/10. [4]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jean-Jacques Dessalines</span> Haitian revolutionary and first ruler (1758–1806)

Jean-Jacques Dessalines was the first Haitian Emperor, and leader of the Haitian Revolution, and the first ruler of an independent Haiti under the 1805 constitution. Initially regarded as governor-general, Dessalines was later named Emperor of Haiti as Jacques I (1804–1806) by generals of the Haitian Revolutionary army and ruled in that capacity until being assassinated in 1806. He spearheaded the resistance against French massacres upon Haitians, and eventually became the architect of the 1804 Haitian Massacre against the remaining French residents of Haiti, including some supporters of the revolution. He has been referred to as the father of the nation of Haiti.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alexandre Pétion</span> 1st President of the Republic of Haiti (1807-18)

Alexandre Sabès Pétion was the first president of the Republic of Haiti from 1807 until his death in 1818. One of Haiti's founding fathers, Pétion belonged to the revolutionary quartet that also includes Toussaint Louverture, Jean-Jacques Dessalines, and his later rival Henri Christophe. Regarded as an excellent artilleryman in his early adulthood, Pétion would distinguish himself as an esteemed military commander with experience leading both French and Haitian troops. The 1802 coalition formed by him and Dessalines against French forces led by Charles Leclerc would prove to be a watershed moment in the decade-long conflict, eventually culminating in the decisive Haitian victory at the Battle of Vertières in 1803.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pierre Messmer</span> 83rd Prime Minister of France

Pierre Joseph Auguste Messmer was a French Gaullist politician. He served as Minister of Armies under Charles de Gaulle from 1960 to 1969 – the longest serving since Étienne François, duc de Choiseul under Louis XV – and then as Prime Minister under Georges Pompidou from 1972 to 1974. A member of the French Foreign Legion, he was considered one of the historical Gaullists, and died aged 91 in the military hospital of the Val-de-Grâce in August 2007. He was elected a member of the Académie française in 1999; his seat was taken over by Simone Veil.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jean-Jacques Annaud</span> French film director, screenwriter and producer (born 1943)

Jean-Jacques Annaud is a French film director, screenwriter and producer. He directed Quest for Fire (1981), The Name of the Rose (1986), The Bear (1988), The Lover (1992), Seven Years in Tibet (1997), Enemy at the Gates (2001), Black Gold (2011), and Wolf Totem (2015).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jean Carmet</span> French actor

Jean Carmet was a French actor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Haitian Revolution</span> 1791–1804 slave revolt in Saint-Domingue

The Haitian Revolution was a successful insurrection by self-liberated slaves against French colonial rule in Saint-Domingue, now the sovereign state of Haiti. The revolt began on 22 August 1791, and ended in 1804 with the former colony's independence. It involved black, biracial, French, Spanish, British, and Polish participants—with the ex-slave Toussaint Louverture emerging as Haiti's most prominent general. The revolution was the only slave uprising that led to the founding of a state which was both free from slavery and ruled by non-whites and former captives. The successful revolution was a defining moment in the history of the Atlantic World and the revolution's effects on the institution of slavery were felt throughout the Americas. The end of French rule and the abolition of slavery in the former colony was followed by a successful defense of the freedoms the former slaves had won, and with the collaboration of already free people of color, of their independence from white Europeans.

<i>Mon Oncle</i> 1958 film by Jacques Tati

Mon Oncle is a 1958 comedy film directed by Jacques Tati. The first of Tati's films to be released in colour, Mon Oncle won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, a Special Prize at the 1958 Cannes Film Festival, and the New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Foreign Language Film, receiving more honours than any of Tati's other cinematic works.

This article lists events from the year 2005 in France.

<i>Is Paris Burning?</i> (film) 1966 war film by René Clément

Is Paris Burning? is a 1966 epic black-and-white war film about the liberation of Paris in August 1944 by the French Resistance and the Free French Forces during World War II. A French-American co-production, it was directed by French filmmaker René Clément, with a screenplay by Gore Vidal, Francis Ford Coppola, Jean Aurenche, Pierre Bost and Claude Brulé, adapted from the 1965 book of the same title by Larry Collins and Dominique Lapierre. The film stars an international ensemble cast that includes French, American and German stars.

<i>Le Crabe-tambour</i> 1977 French film

Le Crabe-tambour (Drummer-Crab) is a 1977 French film directed by Pierre Schoendoerffer, based on the novel he published in 1976, which is inspired by the adventures of Commander Pierre Guillaume (1925-2002). It was translated into English by the maritime novelist Patrick O'Brian as The Paths of the Sea (1977). The film stars Jean Rochefort, Jacques Perrin and Claude Rich. Highly criticially acclaimed, it won three César Awards: Best Actor – Leading Role, Best Actor – Supporting Role and Best Cinematography and was nominated for three others.

Catherine Rouvel is an acclaimed French actress. Her career spans from 1959 in television to 2004.

<i>Special Section</i> 1975 French film

Special Section is a 1975 French film directed by Costa-Gavras and based on the novel L'affaire de la Section Spéciale by Hervé Villeré. It stars Louis Seigner, Roland Bertin, Michael Lonsdale, Ivo Garrani, François Maistre, Jacques Spiesser, Henri Serre, Heinz Bennent and Claude Piéplu. It is named after the Special Sections of Vichy France.

The 12th César Awards ceremony, presented by the Académie des Arts et Techniques du Cinéma, honoured the best French films of 1986 and took place on 7 March 1987 at the Palais des Congrès in Paris. The ceremony was chaired by Sean Connery and hosted by Michel Drucker and Pierre Tchernia. Thérèse won the award for Best Film.

<i>Le Bal</i> (1983 film) 1983 Italian film

Le bal is a 1983 Italian-Franco-Algerian film without dialogue directed by Ettore Scola that represents a fifty-year story of French society by way of a ballroom in France.

<i>Germinal</i> (1993 film) 1993 French film

Germinal is a 1993 French epic film based on the 1885 novel by Émile Zola. It was directed by Claude Berri, and stars Gérard Depardieu, Miou-Miou and Renaud. At the time it was the most expensive movie ever produced in France. It was the fourth most attended film of the year in France.

<i>The Breach</i> (film) 1970 film by Claude Chabrol

The Breach, also titled The Breakup, is a 1970 French–Italian–Belgian drama film written and directed by Claude Chabrol, based on the novel The Balloon Man by Charlotte Armstrong. It follows a mother's struggle for custody of her son against her husband's parents.

<i>Boys School</i> 1938 French film

Boys' School is a 1938 French drama film by Christian-Jaque based on the novel of the same title by Pierre Véry. It has become a cult film.

<i>A Golden Widow</i> 1969 film

A Golden Widow is a 1969 comedy film directed by Michel Audiard and starring Michèle Mercier, Claude Rich and Roger Carel. It was made as a co-production between France, Italy and West Germany.

References

  1. "The 49th Academy Awards (1977) Nominees and Winners". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Retrieved 25 March 2012.
  2. Simon, John (2005). John Simon on Film: Criticism 1982-2001. Applause Books. p. 645.
  3. Black and White in Color
  4. "Black and White in Color - Rotten Tomatoes". www.rottentomatoes.com. Retrieved 9 May 2023.