MovieChat Forums > L'heure d'été (2009) Discussion > France can survive Nazi invasion but not...

France can survive Nazi invasion but not Global Capitalism

posted 15 years ago by IRanOverARabbit
4 replies | jump to latest

That is one of the messages I take from this film, although admittedly the was nothing about the Nazis in it, I am just using that as a contrast, and there is much more to it than that.

The daughter Adrienne lives in two of the citadels of Global Capitalism, i.e. New York and Japan, and is going to marry an American (Clint Eastwood's son to boot!).

The younger son Jérémie is off to the rising power of Global Capitalism, China, where he is to manage a mass production shoe factory. His children will be educated in English, the language of Global Capitalism and not in French thereby cutting them off from their cultural roots.

The oldest son Frédéric, he is the only one who stays in France, he gets to sell off the house which is the family heritage, the other two enthusiastically sell off the family treasures to fund their lifestyles.

I suppose France had a good innings.

[–] timmy_501 14 years ago

I took the same message. I was glad Assayas was able to mourn the loss of France's national identity without veering into jingoism. For that matter, I was glad this wasn't a horrible film like the other one I've seen by Assayas. Not that it takes much to beat demonlover...

I've got some rules,too, and rule number one is, don't tease the panther

[–] Prelude_in_C_maj 13 years ago

You say that as if capitalism is and always has been unique to only one country, say, the USA. But selling off the family home and parental belongings is probably as old as family life itself. I'm British and my siblings had to do the same when our parents passed, twenty years ago. People in whatever nation have always had to do something like this to their parents' assets. Not particularly anything to do with "Global Capitalism." It's just practical.

As for the places they've made careers, found spouses etc, again that's not the push of "Capitalism," that's just people living their lives in a world that is now very easy to traverse.

You seem to suggest these people, who happen to be French, are doing something new to French culture. They're not. They're doing things all humans do. Nothing to do with losing "cultural roots."

Just for the record, I'm female.....at least, last time I checked...

[–] kepotaz 12 years ago

You seem to have missed the point of the movie.

[–] moominoid 12 years ago

Of course, inheritance taxes, which are hardly pro-capitalist mean they will be forced to sell or donate stuff to cover the tax...