Été 85 réal. par François Ozon

Abstract

Reviewed by: Été 85 réal. par François Ozon Levilson C. Reis Ozon, François, réal. Été 85. Int. Félix Lefèbvre, Benjamin Voisin, Philippine Velge. Mandarin, 2020. After the poignantly realist mise-en-scène of the sexual abuse scandal in the Catholic Church in Grâce à Dieu (2018), Ozon returns to his idiosyncratic fantasy-driven cinematic universe in his adaptation of Aidan Chamber's gay teen romance, [End Page 285] Dance on my Grave (1982). However, in a faithful replication of the novel's narrative, the film's protagonist-narrator manages to defamiliarize us by framing the story of his summer fling with the prosecution of his desecration of his Jewish boyfriend's grave. Using diegetic voice-over to frame the story, Alex introduces the 18-year-old David Gorman (Benjamin Voisin), who saved him from drowning when the sailboat he had borrowed from his friend Chris capsized. In Ozon's love stories there is always a dark cloud looming ahead. Right after their first date, while walking down Tréport's beachwalk, David and Alex come to the rescue of a drunk young man whom they take out of harm's way. The next morning, Alex finds out that David did not get home until 4 a.m., three hours after they parted ways, which raises the question of David's faithfulness. Meanwhile, Alex meets Kate, an English au-pair girl, who just wants to practice her French. Later that day, David gifts Alex a motorcycle helmet, and they ride together to the local carnival. The roller-coaster ride, the bumper-car ride, the shooting game, the cotton candy, and candied apple stand for the "thousand" outings they would have. Alex comes across Chris, who blames him for the condition of his sailboat. A brawl ensues, and Alex and David get injured. They flee before the police arrive. Back at David's, they get their shirts off to tend to their bruises, and end up in bed together for the first time. In his voice-over narrative, Alex confesses: "Ce fut la plus belle nuit de ma vie." Afterward, David accuses Alex of always talking about death. Yet, it is David who insists on the making a macabre pact: "Celui de nous deux qui mourra le premier, l'autre s'engage à aller danser sur sa tombe"—a point that has a causal effect on the plot. Shying away from confrontation, Alex ends up giving in. David's meeting of Kate, the au-pair Alex had previously met on the beach, provides the story's turning point. As Alex foreshadows: "Ce fut le commencement de la fin." Alex gets jealous, leading to the break-up scene and David's fatal motorcycle accident as he sets out after Alex. He still has to fulfill his promise to dance on David's grave but, before, he wishes, with Kate's help, to cross-dress to see his fiancé's body at the morgue. While fulfilling his part of the pact, he gets caught dancing on David's grave. This brings us back to the film's narrative frame, as Alex appears before a judge to be sentenced to 140 hours of community service. One particular day, after picking up garbage at the beach, he recognizes the drunk young man they had rescued; but, this time, could he prevent history from repeating itself? Levilson C. Reis Otterbein University (OH) Copyright © 2021 American Association of Teachers of French