A+Very+Long+Engagement

A Very Long Engagement

In this film, Mathilde (the protagonist) searches for her fiancee Manech after she hears that he may be still alive after being condemned to the no-man’s land. Obviously, what she wants most is to find him and be reunited; however what she needs is to be able to let go. The theme of the resilience of love and hope in bitter times is exhausted throughout the film.

The underlying theme of never giving up hope ties in with the film’s body of themes by supporting the actions of the protagonist in the plot. The protagonist, fueled by her prodigious love for Manech, searches for her supposedly dead fiancee with nothing but a hunch, therefore reinforcing the theme of never giving up hope on top of the theme of the power of love.

1. The film opens with a deserted, hedgehog filled battlefield where a sculpture of Jesus Christ hangs shattered in many pieces. This juxtaposition is significant of the theme that even in unpropitious circumstances, there is still hope. The scene continues with the moving of the camera into the trenches, where 5 condemned soldiers are marched to their deaths. A narration of the lives of each of the 5 men shortly follows, with which the narration of the last of the 5 men transitions into the body of the film.

2. Mathilde is informed of Manech’s condemnation, but her intuition tells her that Manech is still alive. Determined to be reunited with Manech, Mathilde sets off on a quest to discover the truth.

3. The major plot points of Act 1 are as follows: -Mathilde receives word that her fiancee, Manech, has been condemned for self-mutilation and sentenced to death in the no-man’s land. -The actual events of what happened at Bingo Crepuscule up to the banishment of the five soldiers. The balance is upset when Mathilde hires the private detective to look into the truth.

4. Act 2 is setup by Mathilde’s hiring of the Parisian detective, followed by the introduction of the vengeful lover of Bastoche (another one of the five). Mathilde begins to search for information herself, and winds up in tricky situations on her quest.

5. Mathilde’s Aunt and Uncle are sort of Threshold Guardians, for at first they discourage Mathilde from pursuing this undertaking but then become somewhat involved in the process.

6. Mathilde finds out about Tina Lombardi, Bastoche’s lover, whom Tina believes is alive. This fuels Mathilde into having even more faith that she will be able to find Manech.

7. Mathilde is told by her private investigator that Manech was killed and buried in the Herdelin cemetery with the other 4 condemned soldiers.

8. Celestine Poux tells Mathilde that a French Albatross (Fighter Plane) wounded Manech, thus almost completely destroying her faith that Manech is still alive.

9. After speaking to Tina Lombardi before Tina’s beheading, Mathilde’s faith is rekindled, and she begins the final part of her journey to find Manech.

10. Mathilde talks with Benoît and Pire, and finds out that Manech is alive and well; however he has lost his memory.

11. The climax of the film has Mathilde encountering Manech for the first time after their separation. Mathilde wants to be reunited and together with Manech, but she actually needs to let go of Manech, for Manech does not remember Mathilde at all.

12. Mathilde has finally found Manech, after years of searching. However, since Manech does not remember her at all, things cannot go back to the way they were before the war. Mathilde knows this, and this is the new balance.

13. The denouement is that the viewer gets some closure, for Mathilde finally finds Manech. However, what happens after is uncertain, for the movie ends with the words “[Mathilde] looks at him...”