A Secret (Un Secret) Or The Burden Of Truth…

French movie A Secret could be categorised as irritatingly beautiful. Slow moving, filled with silences and unspoken emotions, the film gradually unfolds in very minimalistic layers, allowing viewers to understand the burden which seems to be weighing down Maxime (Patrick Bruel), his wife Tania (Cecile de France) and some of their family members.

The film is built around flashbacks which are in colour and the present day in black and white. Narrated by Francois, Maxime and Tania’s son who desperately attempts to understand his father’s emotional coldness and distance towards him; the story takes us back and forth to pre and post World War II in France with short spells into the present.

Francois who was born premature and frail to two super athletic and good looking parents a little after the end of the Second World War finds comfort and the affection and understanding he lacks with a family friend and neighbour Louise. When Francois enters his teens Louise begins to slowly unveil the family secret.

Maxime had another wife Hannah and the little son of his dreams who won every sporting competition and was a popular and perfect child. But throughout his marriage to Hannah, he is passionately attracted to Tania, who when they first see each other is married to Hannah’s brother. The scene in which they are magnetically drawn to each other will probably leave more than one of you thinking: ‘Oh no, Oh no what bad timing!’ Maxime lays eyes on Hannah for the first time at his own wedding and it is simply love or lust perhaps, at first sight. And though it is at the beginning a purely platonic relationship with Tania feeling embarrassed about the whole situation, their desire for each other is so evident that everyone around them, even Hannah realises it.

Ludivine Sagnier who plays Hannah has let go of her extremely sensual roles to play a true to life mamma whose revenge will be unbelievable and mark everyone forever.

Though the film focuses on the plight of this Jewish family, the Holocaust does not play a very prominent nor visible role in the story despite always being in the background and conditioning the actions of the characters. Some may find that a little disturbing since many films and novels have accustomed us to see a certain aspect of World War II where concentration camps and ghettos play an important part in the story. Here the family, or at least some of them, get away and are able to live a decent life despite being in hiding and on fake IDs.

Critics of the film have said that A Secret trivialises the Holocaust which I don’t agree with though I too was surprised that not once during this entire story is a death camp ever seen. However, the tragedy of the situation is not lessened the least bit. Jewish families are rounded up, never to be seen again. Maxime refuses to wear a yellow star of David on his clothes which causes tension amongst his other family members. It is just a different approach to a tragic part of our history, masterfully controlled by veteran French director Claude Miller.

Patrick Bruel who plays Maxime is a popular French singer. He had dabbled before in acting but has never been so good. The weight of his secret just seems to physically debilitate him, making it impossible for him to smile, fully enjoy his new family  though he does love them deeply, in other words function as a human being with responsibilities as a father and a husband.
Francois who idolised his parents and thought of them as demi god like figures takes them off their pedestal once he realises what damaged human beings they are. With that comes in a way his liberation and a newfound confidence, late in life.

One cannot help but wonder what Tania’s character would have seen in Maxime who walks around with an aura of doom around him, but love is never rational, secrets always come out and sins eventually don’t go unpunished.

A good film for a mature audience.

The Sunday Leader - By Sumaya Samarasinghe