Transcendental Film - Jean Pierre Jeunet's A Very Long Engagement

By Matt Szczerbienski
Senior Staff Writer
February 7, 2007

Love stories portrayed through film tend to meet at the crossroads between either being sappy or truly heartfelt. However, acclaimed director Jean Pierre Jeunet (Amelie, 2001) successfully pulls off this modern love story with the help of his secret weapon: Audrey Tautou (aka Amelie Poulain).

Set in France, 1920, A Very Long Engagement follows the quest of Mathilde (Tautou) as she tries to uncover the fate of her fiance, who disappeared during World War I. Her fiance, Manech (Gaspard Ulliel), and four other soldiers shot themselves in the hand to attain leave from the war, but after being charged with self-mutilation from the French courtmartial, the men were sentenced to the front-line trenches of “Bingo Crepuscule” during the Battle of the Somme, which was basically a death sentence.

Throughout the course of the film, the audience becomes as mystified as Mathilde concerning the whereabouts of Manech, and the only thing that keeps them going is the small gleam of hope that appears every time she solves another mystery regarding the missing soldiers of “Bingo Crepuscule.”

A Very Long Engagement has the style and humor of Amelie, but it doesn’t come off as a complete knock-off. Even though much of the film covers the war and its’ violent and shell-shocking consequences, there are so many genres within the two-hour film that it seems Jeunet couldn’t choose just one. The quirkiness of Amelie is prevalent, along with the undertones of a myst-ery/thriller and a war drama. At heart, though, the film is a love story that questions how long a woman must keep searching for her missing soldier until her love becomes false hope.

As for acting accomplishments, Audrey Tautou shines as the quirky yet depressing Mathilde. Suffering from polio as a child, she must outsmart anyone in her way who stops her from getting to the bottom of the case. Dominique Pinon (also from Amelie), Mathilde’s uncle Sylvain, is a perfect supporting character, providing comic relief when necessary. One of the biggest surprises in the film is a small acting part by Jodie Foster. Even though she’s only on-screen for about five minutes, she plays her role very well, speaking French fluently and shocking American viewers.

Overall, A Very Long Engagement, while a bit slow-paced at times, is an interesting love story that mixes the themes of unabashed love with the cruelty of war. If you were a fan of Amelie, this movie is most certainly for you.

szczerbienskim1@lasalle.edu