1998 is a world away from 2020 and probably seems so to some of the actors in the film. Seeing it again in this deadly year my mind of course turns to death, and the sight of the endless graves in Limoges's cemetery with its thousands of deaths makes me think of France today. Accompanied as the cemetery is in a heart breaking scene to Mahler's Adagio from the Tenth Symphony only accentuates this. This alone makes this a film for today. Patrice Chereau if he was still alive might disagree but the arrival of this film opened the doors for the best French Gay films that we have now. Of course this is not a scenario that deals uniquely with homosexuality, but homosexuality is given an equal place to heterosexuality. Chereau sees clearly that emotional trauma and pain is similar to both ( homophobes reflect on that point!! ) and that love opens up and closes for both. I will give no spoilers as those who read elsewhere can find the details of the characters. I totally disagree that the film is in any way over the top, and that attitude diminishes the film's extraordinary perception; that people may gather together, emotionally and physically, but that they soon part and once again the Limoges cemetery remains symbolic of the basic loss of others. As for the acting, I cannot praise it highly enough. A lot of Chereau's ' family ' of actors are there, and if I have to choose one for excellence it is that of Pascal Greggory. It is not an easy film to watch and it is draining, but in a positive way. It is filled with the illusion of love, and the need for that illusion. and to live we must fight and at the same time know that despite our need for love and life that we are finite. I will personally see this great film from a sadly missed great director many more times and if that desert island of solitude awaits me I will take it with me.
