Film takes shot at ‘7-year monarchs

Press, 24 February 1984, Page 12

Film takes shot at ‘7-year monarchs

Parisians are flocking to a film called “Le Bon Plaisir” about a French president fighting off a potentially overwhelming scandal.

For French cinemagoers the story naturally brings to mind the predicament of expresident Valery Giscard d’Estaing, whose acceptance of gifts of diamonds from Central African Emperor Bokassa returned to haunt him at a vulnerable moment of his reign and whose keen eye for goodlooking women was the gossip of Paris dinner parties. Parallels with the Giscard presidency are hardly surprising as the film is based on a novel by Francoise Giroud, who was in the Giscard Cabinet as Minister for Women’s Affairs. Mme Giroud, a well-known writer and journalist, also wrote the film script and co-operated closely with the director who has a name confusingly similar to her own, Francis Girod. Because it is clear where Giroud culled her inspirashe has made every effort' to cover her tracks. Jean-Louis Trintignant, who

plays the president, has made a conscious effort to avoid the appearance and mannerisms of any recent occupants of the Elysee Palace. He thinks he ends up looking more like Canada’s Pierre Trudeau than any French leader.

The scandal itself is melodramatically fictional. On his way up the ladder of power, the President has an affair with a beautiful blonde, played by Catherine Deneuve, and advises her in writing to have an abortion. She secretly keeps the child but the President’s letter is stolen from her by a young man who shows it to the editor of a muck-raking newspaper. What interests Francoise Giroud is not the scandal itself but close reporting of how power is wielded by France’s seven-year monarchs in the obsequious court atmosphere of the Elysee.

“In the human zoo the species ‘man of power’ and his environment are of the first interest” Giroud says. “The professional disease of men of power is theiswelling of the ego.”

She is happy that the film has captured the details of Elysee ceremonial even down to “the glance that the President directs at his ministers.”

As Giroud sees it, one of the chief victims of the Elysee way of life is apt to be the President’s wife. None of the consorts of the Presidents of the Fifth Republic — Yvonne de Gaulle, Claude Pompidou, AnneAmone Giscard and Danielle Mitterrand — have taken happily to the assignment. So Giroud is safe from charges of having depicted anyone in particular.

Her President’s wife stages a memorable revolt by cutting the Quatorze Juillet parade, staying in bed eating sugared almonds and vowing a one-woman strike. Giroud’s opinion was resoundingly endorsed by an opinion poll last month which showed that the French public pities the First Lady. Her job was judged to be difficult (83 per cent), unenviable (70 per cent), and boring (54 per cent).—Copyright London Observer Service.