• Abstract and Figures
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REVIEWS • • Jackson plays a minimal role in the film. men relieving themselves in front of the Fernand Belanger & The footage of the technology involved stadium, to a woman berating a young Michel Moreau's Dagmar Gueissaz Teufel's in his show and that of the masses wait­ man protesting the Pope. These jux­ ing outside the Olympic Stadium to see tapositions undoubtedly contribute to Le Million him, is only used to point out how simi­ creating this varied, textured, portrait Passiflora lar such a 'profane' spectacle is to the of officially unaCknowledged lives. supposedly sacred one. However, the various narrative threads tout­ On the other hand, the Pope is omni­ often get frayed in the process. present, his image used as a recurring Gueissaz-Teufel and Belanger use puissant motif that links the several, mostly un­ sound innovatively. While original connected, fictional episodes. sound is used for the fictional episodes, Passiflora also contrasts the city as they've experimented with a fictive ernand Belanger and Dagmar Gueis­ officialdom presented it to the world dubbing in their documentary footage, iebel Moreau's entertaining docu­ saz-Teufel's new NFB French-lan­ and as the filmmakers see it. Anti-cruise challenging notions of "objectivity" and drama, Le Million Tout-Puissant, Fguage feature Passiflora, makes the demonstrations, the 'danse des tapettes' "realism" as applied to the documen­ Mask the questions all lottery-ticket official CBC record of the Pope's (a gay dance that used the Pope's visit tary. The filmmakers have also tried buyers dream about: Does winning a Montreal visit seem like a cup of warm as a theme), a transvestite and a bat­ mixing different tones and volumes in million turn dreams into reality? What milk. Passiflora's name refers to the tered woman walking the street at night order to manipulate space. Though this does it mean to become an overnight passion-flower, a tropical plant with trying to get help - all are juxtaposed sometimes makes the dialogue unintel­ millionaire? Are loto-millionaires hap­ tranquilizing and anaesthetic properties with the controlled festivities sorround­ ligible, for the most part it enriches the pier? What do they become? What are whose parts were believed to resemble ing Jackson and the Pope. For example, film, imbuing it with greater depth. their fears, if any? the crown of thorns, nails and other in­ near the end of the film a strip-joint had Passiflora may not be entirely suc­ Using a direct cinema style, Moreau struments of Christ's pasSion. A truly been made to cover up its facade so as cessful, but parts of it are simply bril­ interviews three million-dollar winners dazzling, kinetic work, Passiflora uses not to offend. His Holiness when he liant. In concept and form, it's much of the lottery. The first, a suburban documentary footage, fiction, graffiti, passed by (and, needless to say, so that more daring than any other Quebecois housewife, addresses the director in a song and animation, of both Michael it wouldn't be picked up by the cameras film I've seen recently. I have a feeling self-assured manner. She makes it clear Jackson's and the Pope's simultaneous broadcasting the parade around the that Passiflora will continue to be she was always a happy person. And her visits to Montreal to present a mordant world). talked about long after the awards being life hasn't changed much, except, of critique of both the prevalence and Partly because of quick editing and given to some other films have turned course, that instead of the normal one selectivity of the media partly because the direction is often in­ to dust. vacation per year, she can now have up The film is structured chronolOgi­ spired, Passiflora has a hallUCinatory, to six; and instead of the one family car, cally, beginning with the Pope's arrival anarchic rhythm that sometimes bor­ Jose Arroyo • her family now owns five - one for each in Montreal and ending after his depar­ ders on the surreal. In one scene the member. ture with a helicopter shot of a wreck­ same gay couple are once more shown A two-time winner of the million lot­ ing crew demolishing the altar where kiSSing, this time before an ugly new tery in nine months, Pierre Cassault of­ federal building. Two adolescents are fers a different insight. After recovering he's just finished giving mass. In be­ ,PASSIFLORA d. Femand Belanger and Dagmar tween, the directors intercut media tap-dancing in the background. A man Gueissaz-Teufel participating filmmakers Bernard from severe depreSSion following his coverage of the Pope with fictional in a three-piece suit comes up to one of Gosselin. Jacques leduc. Yves Dion, Franc;:o is second win, he realized his dream of be­ episodes in the lives of gays, women un­ the gay men and asks him if he realizes Beauchemin. Ester Auger, Diane Carriere, Yves An­ coming a businessman. Unlike Mrs. lax­ grignon. Franc;:ois Aubry, Jacques Avoine, Pierre Ber­ dergoing abortions, battered women, that he's kissing another man. When the nier. Pascale Bilodeau, Seraphin Bouchard, Serge ton, the housewife, he is modest with and other marginals deemed not to gay man responds positively, the man in Bouthillier. Claude Brasseur, Michael Cleary, Norma his vacations, and instead preferred to exist for the duration of the visiting the suit can't get over it. He keeps ask­ Denys. Susan Gourley. FranC;Qis Gosselin, Pierre open a gourmet restaurant. ing passersby: "Did you see that! They landry, Guy lamontagne, -Normand lecuyer. celebrities sojourn. ~ymond Marcoux, Jean-Guy Normandin, Guy Remil­ On the other hand, the third winner, The Pope's visit and that of Michael were kissing each other!" The man fi­ lard. Yves Roy. John W. Sawyer. Gilles Tremblay. Fran· Mr. Brault, became a victim of forces Jackson actually took place several days nally goes up to the tap-dancers who re­ c;:ois Vincelette. Suzanne Walsh. and the lab friends. beyond his controL He was laid off from admin. Jacqueline Rivest. laurence Pare. Joanne Car· apart. In Passiflora, however, in order spectfully stop dancing, listen, smile, riere. Gaetan Martel, Carol Smith tech_coord. his job because his boss could no longer to better compare the effect that their and then resume tapping. Edouard Davidovici mix. Hans Peter Strobl, Adrian tolerate his bragging and shenanigans. presence, and the way that presence If anarchy is one of the film's qual­ CroU sd.ed. Christian Marcotte film concept We only see Brault in photos, as he pre­ ities, it also creates problems. Scenes Maurice Bulbulian p. Jacques Vallee p.c. National Film was reported by the media, had on the Board. Col., 3Smm. Dolby sound running time: 90 ferred not to be interviewed. His par­ city, the events take place within 24 shift from the Pope saying mass, to two mins. ents, however, were eager to speak to hours of each other. the director. They let us know that al­ For the time they were in Montreal, though their life hasn't changed all that both stars monopolized the media: the much, they now have many new friends film shows the hundreds of journalists and an endless list of consumer goods. who jammed both events trying to get One of their new acquisitions include a coverage. Passiflora also depicts how CB radio, with which the Brault parents the police, the military and various fi­ can talk to each other all-day long. gures of authority (such as Jackson's In this film, Moreau ingeniously manager and his press relations people) explores the psycho-social phenomena directed the event, telling the press of Quebec lotteries. Intercut with the what they could cover, when and from interviews are the characters ofJeremy, what angle. Stars, press and public are an imaginary loto-millionaire, and his all shown as manipulated into creating friend Paolo, a balloon vender. The nar­ an event, playing a part, and helping to rative of Jeremy and Paolo is a humor­ shape the way other people perceive it. ous, philosophical discourse on the Gueissaz-Teufel and Belanger poke pros and cons of becoming an instant irreverent fun at cultural icons. At the millionaire. In the midst of all this, Jean­ beginning of the movie, an anarchist Guy Moreau, Quebec's renowned emblem unwinds into an animated storyteller, gives a brilliant performance snake. This biblical symbol of the in a diversity of roles. source of eternal damnation then pro­ The film opens with Jean-Guy ceeds to joyously dance through Passif­ Moreau as a secret agent, a' cross be­ lora, flouting the immaculate image of tween James Bond and Inspector rectitude that Christ's earthly represen­ Clouseau, attired in matching red and tative presents. In another scene, two white checkered hat, gloves, tie and men sitting on a table at a gay dance briefcase. His asSignment? To investi­ begin to kiss while stern images of the gate Quebec's mammoth lotteries. Pope are broadcast from a 1V between Casting Jean-Guy Moreau in the role their bodies. This kind of ribald, almost of agent serves a dual purpose. First, it bawdy humour, contributes to a moves the film forward by means of a critique that is as funny as it is caustic. conventional narrative. Secondly, Perhaps because of copyright laws, through the documentary technique of 28/Cinema Canada - March 1986 • F 1 L M E v 1- E w 5 • and his Expo baseball tapes_ Santa Elvis Gratton - Le King des Kings d Jsc. Banana is your average, only slightly Elvis Falardeau, Elvis Poulin p . Elvis Payeur eds.

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