when he arrives at the beginning of the film. It has a French flag painted on it, and it looks like the flag is crossed with another flag, but I could not see what the other flag may be. I take it it is something he has from being in the army, but what?
edited for spelling
[deleted]
Thank you for letting me know. I searched the internet and found this reference:
http://www2.1machine.net/francais.htm
I have watched the bowling-like game "quilles" on French Canadian televison so I can see the connection there. But not knowing the tradition, it stumped me in the film.
Thanks again.
[deleted]
It is kind of frustrating to barely know a language, but to get very little practice at it. I did not catch Cesar saying that particular phrase, but I usually notice several times during a film where the subtitles are perhaps conveying the same statements but do not pick up the flavor of the character's speech.
I noticed a few in Jean de Florette/Manon des SOurce, but none I can remember right now.
Thanks for all your helpful information.
Merci beaucoup!
I was about to post my question, then thought, wait i'll look if someone else
has already asked this question. this being the internets, of course someone
had.
I tried to do some more investigation. Wikipedia was little help, except
that it kind of confirmed what the link below says. Essentially, the "quille"
was the nickname for the ship that returned a prisoner back to France. Then,
that association was made with the release from military service.
http://www.smca.eu.com/quille/presentationan.php
Except, I still don't get it: who makes these skittles? Your friends make
it for you when you leave? (Its not an "official" award, its not the French
army thats presenting this thing to you.) So, the tradition is kept alive
because all your army buddies take care of the guy leaving? In WW1, I would
imagine large numbers of men were demobilized at the same time; thats lots of
skittles being carved up. The tradition is kept alive the same way "giving
a birthday cake" is kept alive?
Still seems like some explanation is needed. Uh, sorry if I've focused an
Asperger-like attention on this tradition. :) Its just it seems an odd
custom, and theres no real, full explanation on the net....