Film: La Cérémonie
Director: Claude Chabrol
Country: France
Released: August 1995
Runtime: 112 minutes
Genre: Thriller
Studio: Paramount
Influenced: Michael Haneke, Catherine Breillat, Olivier Assayas, Denis Villeneuve, Park Chan-Wook
1995 saw the appearance of two classic French films about the country's class divide, from very different perspectives – Kassovitz's La Haine was set in the concrete periphery of Paris and Chabrol's La Cérémonie was set in the rural surrounds of a small village in Brittany. Based on the 1991 novel A Judgment in Stone by Ruth Rendell, La Cérémonie is a psychological thriller that delves into themes of social inequality and the consequences of repressed emotions. Chabrol was born in 1930 and initially studied pharmacology but changed course and, in the late 50s, became one of the leading figures of the French New Wave, starting with his debut feature film, Le Beau Serge (1958). In the 60 & 70s, Chabrol became known for his psychological thrillers, often influenced by the works of Hitchcock, notably Les Bonnes Femmes (1960) and Le Boucher (1970). His international reputation as a master of suspense continued to grow and Violette Nozière (1978), a film based on a real-life murder case, earned him the prestigious Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival.
Chabrol continued to direct films throughout the 80s, 90s and into the 2000s, characterised by meticulous attention to detail and an exploration of the darker aspects of human nature, and for me La Cérémonie is his crowning achievement. The film's narrative revolves around two central characters: Sophie (Sandrine Bonnaire), a mysterious and illiterate housemaid, and Jeanne (Isabelle Huppert), a postmistress and a socially ostracised woman. Sophie is employed by Catherine (Jacqueline Bisset) and her wealthy family, the Lelièvres, to work as a housemaid in their country mansion. However, her social awkwardness and mysterious background make her a target for the curiosity of Jeanne. Together, they form an unlikely friendship based on their shared grievances against the bourgeois Lelièvres, particularly Georges (Jean-Pierre Cassel). As the story unfolds, their resentment and anger build, ultimately leading to a shocking and violent climax.
Chabrol's films frequently delved into the repressed desires of the female characters, and the emotions of these strong, independent women often play a central role in the unfolding of the narrative. Whether it was the constraints of class, gender roles or social expectations, he used his films to critique these issues. In La Cérémonie, we see Sophie and Jeanne rebelling against the system, including a hilarious scene when they get a dressing-down from the local priest, and act like insolent kids. Some of this resentment is born out of boredom with their situation, and Chabrol shows the characters watching lots of TV, including game shows, low-budget movies, sports, etc in what was the early phase of the era of cable TV. By contrast, the affluent Lelièvres all sit down as a family to watch a performance of Mozart’s Don Giovanni, and there's something of Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange in the film's climactic mix of high art and ultraviolence.
Just like the ending, the nature of the relationship between Sophie and Jeanne is a subject of interpretation and ambiguity. While the film does explore a deep and intense connection between these two women, it is not explicitly portrayed as a romantic or sexual relationship. There's an odd scene in which Sophie confronts Jeanne about killing her child and they end up laughing and embracing on the bed. As well as being nominated for the Palme d'Or at Cannes, the film also won the Silver Lion at the Venice Film Festival, partly in recognition of the fine script that was co-written by Chabrol and Caroline Eliacheff. Huppert also received critical acclaim for her portrayal of Jeanne, including the César Award for Best Actress, while Bonnaire's performance as Sophie was also widely praised. While La Cérémonie follows a familiar psychological thriller formula, it stands out for its nuanced exploration of class conflict and the subtlety of Chabrol's direction and the slow build-up of tension, creating a constant sense of unease.
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