User Reviews

Dansereau was a young director working at the NFB when he shot this three-part feature. Le Maître du Pérou is well-acted, well-shot and rests on a generally appealing, almost universal story. On its own, it is still likely to attract audiences. What makes it even more interesting for contemporary audiences is how it opens a window onto rural Quebec society in the period immediately preceding the "Quiet Revolution" of the sixties. The four sons are archetypes: The oldest son leaves for Abitibi, the second son is in seminary hoping to become a missionary priest, the third works up north (an interesting role for 'Albert Millaire' (qv)) in logging camps. The youngest son "Kiki", who works on the farm and is attracted to the girl next door, will eventually take over from his father. Dansereau uses his agronomist's character to challenge the way in which so much of Quebec was opened to farming and settlement. The female characters, while obviously not the focus of the story, help carry the story along and complete what all in all, amounts to a very pleasant fifty minute trip into the past.