Director: Felix Van Groeningen,
Starring: Johan Heldenbergh, Veerle Baetens, Nell Cattryse,
Running Time: 107 minutes
Certificate: 15
Love, sex, romance, family, and death; THE BROKEN CIRCLE BREAKDOWN looks at many realistic and relatable instances of happiness and tragedy that the majority of people will experience in their own life. But it also goes further as it examines one particular relationship in scrutinising detail. Didier and Elise are two music lovers who spark up a passionate affair. The sex scenes are shot with all the intensity of new found love without stripping them of intimate privacy in the process. We’re constantly aware that we are intruding on a very personal moment, which is both unsettling and liberating. This feeling of voyeurism continues as we see the ups and downs of their relationship culminating in the birth of their daughter, her diagnosis and death. Not a spoiler, as the film jumps through time like Marty McFly in a TARDIS.
Similar in editorial and narrative structure to BLUE VALENTINE, the constant flip flopping through time allows for a perfect summation of the relationship as a whole. Seeing the story unfold in chronological order would be a vicious and dark trip that would become gloomier as it went on, only to culminate in a depressing albeit satisfactory conclusion. Non-linear means we’re experiencing the relationship in hindsight. For every moment of sadness and pain, we’re also treated to scenes of joy and true love. It offers relief, as well as intensifying the conflict and adding layers of despair. Most of the joy is in some way linked to the phenomenal Blue Grass music that is scattered throughout. It is used as punctuation between scenes, as well as creating a cohesive bond between larger time jumps.
The structure can also be a hindrance at times, as most of the plot twists are revealed early on, no matter where they appear in the timeline. This does lessen the impact of certain plotpoints at times, making the viewers inclusion more passive than active. The young girl Maybelle is beautifully portrayed by the young Cattryse, but I could never get too connected as her fate was obvious and telegraphed early on. Heldenbergh and Baetens offer fantastic performances, and although they are usually highly emotionally charged, they never confuse shouting with acting. There are plenty of scenes with raised voices, but there are also the more subtle moments scattered throughout. Such moments cause you to pause for though in some difficult ways. Was the short life of Maybelle and the brief moments of happiness she brought also worth the pain? These are moments and questions many will hope they never have to consider.
THE BROKEN CIRCLE BREAKDOWN is a draining experience, and that does mean that it is hard to have fun at times or just enjoy the story. As a study of human nature, relationships and emotions, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a more honest examination. Cleverly avoiding saccharine sentimentality and overused swelling of orchestras, director Groeningen and composer Bjorn Eriksson have created a mixture of visual and audio splendour. Every shot seems to have been lit and constructed with great care, without destroying a sense of down-to-earth simplicity. Tiring, but ever so rewarding, it shows how complex relationships really can be condensed into a two hour feature.
THE BROKEN CIRCLE BREAKDOWN is released on DVD on 25th November via StudioCanal
