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Camille Claudel 1915


Camille Claudel 1915 (2013) Dumont

Permanent vacation

The set-up? Interned in a lunatic asylum against her will for two years, Camille (Juliette Binoche) is told her brother will visit in a few days, perhaps the hour of her deliverance is at hand?

Early on, it's clear the routine has slowly worn her down, although she still permits herself minor flashes of rebellion. A raised voice immediately draws a nun, up close and personal to nonchalantly ask, "what's the problem?" One senses there are other incentives for patients that act out.

Though watching Camille move through-out the abbey and interact with the inmates and keepers, one seems to divine her problem. Far from being estranged from the real world---she feels everything far too keenly. She sees the world around her---as opposed to merely looking at it. Her sensitivity is best illustrated in an early scene in the courtyard, when she sits on a bench eating her frugal meal, watching a barren tree in wintertime; the sunlight slowly dips into the courtyard bathing the upper most branches in a golden hue, as if lighting a tarnished candelabra.

The only characters of consequence in the film are Camille and her brother Paul. Although, I'd like to suggest a third, the light. One would think that a monastery would be dark and musty, yet all the rooms and corridors are extraordinarily well lit. This sunlight warms the skin and even seems to soften the stones. There's a recurring visual motif of her coming out of doorways into direct sunlight to look at the world.

There's a definite feminist cri du coeur here, of a woman who could be at home in a man's world and excel. Camille's irrational fixation with Rodin has ruined her life---but she wasn't wrong---a hundred years ago, men could dump their long time companions whenever. Whereas today, at least she'd walk away with a nice chunk of change. A cast of Rodin's "The Thinker" sold at auction last may for 15 million.

There's a strange symmetry between their conceptions of art that ultimately separates them. Paul's reasoned approach to a literature that promotes societal good and celebrates God, which highlights their essential difference: her art is not one of a polite sublimation. Camille uses her creativity to work through her emotional turmoil---life is filled with moments of almost painful beauty---not teaching points to illustrate a moral precept.

The day outing to the mountain top suggests ... Calvary? The path to the top is littered with rocks that hints at the bits and pieces hammered from a massive stone sculpture that has now been removed from the summit. If I had to find a theme for the film, I'd say unrequited suffering.

Their reunion is short and sweet. Her tirades are an embarrassment for the family. Her outbursts, although unsaid, could injure Paul's social reputation and diplomatic career. So he'll keep her locked away for proprieties sake; he appears more than a little ridiculous in this secret triumph over her. No doubt he could find it in his big mangy heart to bring her back with him in his new fangled motor car, but alas, it is God who has made the decision for him.



If you've seen one Bruno Dumont film, you know in advance his morose aesthetic. The inclusion of a major professional actor (or any actor for that matter) like Juliette Binoche is an interesting development. Although the average mainstream audience, given a choice between this film and sitting in a freshly painted room for 95 minutes, would choose the room because at least there'd be a slim chance of a contact high. As a spiritual mediation, this film is very restrictive territory. Everything seems to happen increasingly behind her eyes. When brother Paul reveals the final horror ... that face ... those staring eyes ... is all that will remain.

Camille Claudel 1915 -