Wild Reeds

WILD REEDS is my introductory piece to André Téchiné's cinematic dominion, its title refers to famous fable THE OAK AND THE REED, and it is an adolescent quartet in 1962 France, against the backdrop of the twilight of Algerian War and the demise of French colonisation. Everyone thinks 18-year-old high-schoolers Françoise (Morel) and Maïté (Bouchez) are an item, even Maïté, who is deeply influenced by her mother Madame Alvarez's (Moretti) communist slant, thinks so, they are so compatible and intimate together, although so far the relationship has been purely platonic, it is only a matter of time before it turns physical. continue reading my review on my blog: google cinema omnivore, thanks

A youth in southern France in 1962: The preparations for the high school graduation are underway, farmer’s boy Serge's older brother is quickly getting married before he has to return to Algeria, nationalist Henri is disgusted by the neutrality of the teaching staff, and in the middle of it all is François, intelligent, slight, and shy. François's girlfriend Maïté, a communist, feminist, and supporter of Algerian independence, isn’t particularly bothered by the fact that he much prefers sharing a bed with Serge. And what exactly are the adults doing? ️ In elegantly simple fashion, Téchiné reveals the emotional worlds of teenagers at a significant point in their lives in his charming film. Each character feels alive and multi-dimensional. And the best part: the film can be interpreted in many ways – as a romance between young people, as **** cinema, as a political commentary on the Algerian War, and as a portrait of life in a southern French village. I have the feeling that there’s much more beneath the surface than what’s revealed on a first viewing.