Monsieur Hire
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| - | '''''Monsieur Hire''''' is a 1989 French film directed by [[Patrice Leconte]] and starring [[Michel Blanc]] in the title role and [[Sandrine Bonnaire]] as the [[Love interest|object of his affection]]. The film received numerous accolades as well as a glowing review from popular American movie commentator [[Roger Ebert]]. The film is based on Belgian-born French writer [[Georges Simenon]]'s novel. Simenon wrote many popular detective books. Original music by [[Michael Nyman]]. | + | '''''Monsieur Hire''''' is a 1989 French film directed by [[Patrice Leconte]] and starring [[Michel Blanc]] in the title role and [[Sandrine Bonnaire]] as the object of Hire's affection. The film received numerous accolades as well as a glowing review from the American film critic [[Roger Ebert]], who later added the film to his list of "Great Movies." The screenplay of the film is based on the novel ''[[Les Fiançailles de M. Hire]]'' by [[Georges Simenon]] and has original music by [[Michael Nyman]]. It is a remake of Julien Duvivier's 1947 film ''[[Panique]]'' with [[Michel Simon]]. |
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| + | The film was entered in the [[1989 Cannes Film Festival]]. It won the award for Best Foreign Film at the [[27th Guldbagge Awards]]. | ||
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| + | Original music by [[Michael Nyman]]. Soundtrack also features the 4th movement in the "[[Piano Quartet, opus 25]]" by [[Brahms]]. | ||
| + | ==Plot== | ||
| + | Hire (originally Hirovitch) is an isolated bachelor who works as a tailor, with no human contact outside his job beyond occasional visits to a brothel, a skating rink and a bowling alley. Though he talks to no-one and says he dislikes people, he observes them closely and in particular is struck by a young woman called Alice who moves into the building opposite and never closes her blinds. He spends his evenings secretly watching her, with more than just curiosity or lust because he has fallen in love with her. | ||
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| + | One evening the dead body of a young woman is found nearby and, watching his neighbour, Hire sees her boyfriend Émile, a petty criminal, trying to wash blood off his raincoat and hiding a handbag. Hire says nothing to the police, because he wants to protect Alice, but then the police start investigating him, with the inspector trying to trick and intimidate him into confessing to murder. | ||
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| + | While watching Alice one night from his darkened apartment, a flash of lightning reveals his staring face. Alice is at first horrified at being spied on and then is intrigued at who he can be. She engineers a meeting on the landing outside his flat, but he is too embarrassed to acknowledge her. Next evening she looks openly back at him and indicates that she is coming over. When she comes over, he rejects her advances. In the end, he agrees to meet her at the railway station restaurant, where he declares his love for her. He says he owns a small house in Switzerland to which the two of them could flee, which would separate her from the murderer Émile, with whose crime she is complicit, and get the police off Hire's back. | ||
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| + | He buys two train tickets, giving one to Alice, and writes a letter to the police inspector denouncing Émile. At the station, Alice does not turn up, so he returns to his apartment. The inspector is there with Alice, who has placed the murdered woman's handbag among Hire's things for the inspector to find. Hire makes a break for it, but falls from the roof and is killed. Only later does the inspector read the letter and find Émile's bloodstained raincoat. | ||
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| + | == Autour du film == | ||
| + | * Avant de tourner ce film, Patrice Leconte plaisantait souvent en disant qu'un jour il ferait une reprise du film ''[[Panique (film, 1946)|Panique]]'' d'un de ses réalisateurs préférés, [[Julien Duvivier]], sorti en [[1946 au cinéma|1946]]. Un producteur lui propose alors d'acheter les droits du livre de [[Georges Simenon]], ''[[Les Fiançailles de M. Hire]]'', dont le film s'inspire, Patrice Leconte se précipite alors pour le lire et accepte. | ||
| + | * Les scènes d'intérieur ont été jouées en studio, les contraintes étant trop importantes pour trouver deux appartements appropriés, en vis-à-vis. | ||
| + | * L'idée de faire passer un disque, par Monsieur Hire quand il espionne sa voisine, pour jouer le thème musical extrait d'un [[quatuor]] de [[Brahms]] (arrangé et interprété par [[Michael Nyman]]), était de la [[monteuse]] [[Joëlle Hache]]. Des gros plans du [[tourne-disque]] ont donc été réalisés alors que le démontage des décors avait commencé. | ||
| + | * Patrice Leconte tenait à ce qu'on ne puisse pas identifier avec précision la période et le lieu du film. Ainsi, bien que la « capitale » soit évoquée, on y parle de « Gare centrale », une scène a été tournée dans le tramway [[Bruxelles|bruxellois]] et à la [[basilique de Koekelberg]]. Du point de vue de l'époque, les voitures qui apparaissent contrastent par exemple avec la photo [[polaroid]]. | ||
| + | * Patrice Leconte avait tout d'abord écrit le personnage principal en pensant à [[Coluche]], mais celui-ci est décédé avant de pouvoir le jouer. | ||
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| - | ==Synopsis== | ||
| - | The plot of the film centers on a withdrawn misanthropic voyeuristic tailor, Monsieur Hire, who spies on his gorgeous neighbor across the street. This takes place in the backdrop of another plot, the unsolved murder of a local young woman. Monsieur Hire is hounded by a detective inspecting the murder and is also eventually noticed by the object of his gaze, the young woman Alice. Viewers will scarcely understand Alice's reciprocal interest in Monsieur Hire until an interesting plot twist unravels. Monsieur Hire propositions Alice to ditch her no-good boyfriend Emile, played by the handsome Luc Thuillier, and run off with him to his little home in Switzerland, where he promises to take care of her. What happens next is a tragedy of the highest order, with a dark surprise. A riveting and sensual film. | ||
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| + | [[Category:World Cinema Classics]] | ||
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Monsieur Hire is a 1989 French film directed by Patrice Leconte and starring Michel Blanc in the title role and Sandrine Bonnaire as the object of Hire's affection. The film received numerous accolades as well as a glowing review from the American film critic Roger Ebert, who later added the film to his list of "Great Movies." The screenplay of the film is based on the novel Les Fiançailles de M. Hire by Georges Simenon and has original music by Michael Nyman. It is a remake of Julien Duvivier's 1947 film Panique with Michel Simon.
The film was entered in the 1989 Cannes Film Festival. It won the award for Best Foreign Film at the 27th Guldbagge Awards.
Original music by Michael Nyman. Soundtrack also features the 4th movement in the "Piano Quartet, opus 25" by Brahms.
Plot
Hire (originally Hirovitch) is an isolated bachelor who works as a tailor, with no human contact outside his job beyond occasional visits to a brothel, a skating rink and a bowling alley. Though he talks to no-one and says he dislikes people, he observes them closely and in particular is struck by a young woman called Alice who moves into the building opposite and never closes her blinds. He spends his evenings secretly watching her, with more than just curiosity or lust because he has fallen in love with her.
One evening the dead body of a young woman is found nearby and, watching his neighbour, Hire sees her boyfriend Émile, a petty criminal, trying to wash blood off his raincoat and hiding a handbag. Hire says nothing to the police, because he wants to protect Alice, but then the police start investigating him, with the inspector trying to trick and intimidate him into confessing to murder.
While watching Alice one night from his darkened apartment, a flash of lightning reveals his staring face. Alice is at first horrified at being spied on and then is intrigued at who he can be. She engineers a meeting on the landing outside his flat, but he is too embarrassed to acknowledge her. Next evening she looks openly back at him and indicates that she is coming over. When she comes over, he rejects her advances. In the end, he agrees to meet her at the railway station restaurant, where he declares his love for her. He says he owns a small house in Switzerland to which the two of them could flee, which would separate her from the murderer Émile, with whose crime she is complicit, and get the police off Hire's back.
He buys two train tickets, giving one to Alice, and writes a letter to the police inspector denouncing Émile. At the station, Alice does not turn up, so he returns to his apartment. The inspector is there with Alice, who has placed the murdered woman's handbag among Hire's things for the inspector to find. Hire makes a break for it, but falls from the roof and is killed. Only later does the inspector read the letter and find Émile's bloodstained raincoat.
Autour du film
- Avant de tourner ce film, Patrice Leconte plaisantait souvent en disant qu'un jour il ferait une reprise du film Panique d'un de ses réalisateurs préférés, Julien Duvivier, sorti en 1946. Un producteur lui propose alors d'acheter les droits du livre de Georges Simenon, Les Fiançailles de M. Hire, dont le film s'inspire, Patrice Leconte se précipite alors pour le lire et accepte.
- Les scènes d'intérieur ont été jouées en studio, les contraintes étant trop importantes pour trouver deux appartements appropriés, en vis-à-vis.
- L'idée de faire passer un disque, par Monsieur Hire quand il espionne sa voisine, pour jouer le thème musical extrait d'un quatuor de Brahms (arrangé et interprété par Michael Nyman), était de la monteuse Joëlle Hache. Des gros plans du tourne-disque ont donc été réalisés alors que le démontage des décors avait commencé.
- Patrice Leconte tenait à ce qu'on ne puisse pas identifier avec précision la période et le lieu du film. Ainsi, bien que la « capitale » soit évoquée, on y parle de « Gare centrale », une scène a été tournée dans le tramway bruxellois et à la basilique de Koekelberg. Du point de vue de l'époque, les voitures qui apparaissent contrastent par exemple avec la photo polaroid.
- Patrice Leconte avait tout d'abord écrit le personnage principal en pensant à Coluche, mais celui-ci est décédé avant de pouvoir le jouer.
