A.k.a, The Two of Us
wikipedia
On DVD at home with Lucía, on 11 May 2009, late at night.
An amazing film. I don’t think I’ve seen anything quite like it. Le vieil homme et l’enfant is about a Jewish boy, Claude, taking refuge with his landlady’s anti-semitic parents. The object of the game is to make it through to the liberation without revealing his real name and without letting anyone see his penis. Over the course of six months or so, he develops an incredibly close relationship with the older man, Pepe (played by Michel Simon), and among other things continually prods him for more information about what makes Jews so terrible.
The occupation itself and its terrors are mostly left in the background. It’s not hidden, but these characters are in the countryside where the effects of the occupation are not quite as omnipresent as in the city, especially from a child’s perspective. Pepe, despite his horrid prejudices and opinions, is portrayed in a very affectionate light.
Beyond this, it’s a bit hard to describe the film. Claude has a very hard time relating to children his age, both in the city and in the countryside, and it’s much easier for him to sink into the embrace of Pepe. His awkward advances on a young dairy girl go nowhere, or rather, lead to humiliation when, on the recommendation of a drunk Pepe and his drunk son, he sends her a love note on a postcard. The radio is our main connection to the rest of the world, but it’s through the voice of anti-semitic rightists on the radio that we get those glimpses.
The liberation itself is a bit anti-climactic. The whole thing is a bit tinged with sadness, as Claude knows that with the liberation comes parting, and the rest of the world is just a little too serious.
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