Word: cesar
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Marcel Pagnol's classic trilogy (1932-33) is something unusual in any medium, but most unusual for the screen: it is a pure, self-justifying work of art. Marius, Fanny,and Cesar run a total of six hours, but are normally shown, as at the Telelix, one at a time. It depends, therefore, wholly on whether you can sit still for two hours and relax...
...into Boston right away and see what's left of the Trilogy. Marius is gone, but Fanny is playing until Wednesday and Cesar is coming next week. The three form a direct sequence, but each is reasonably self-contained, so that seeing just one is better than missing all three...
...rapid outline of the plot will suffice. Marius, the son of a Marseilles barkeeper, sails for Australia at the end of the first film of the Trilogy, which bears his name. He leaves behind two that love him, his father Cesar and his perhaps finance, Fanny. When Fanny discovers that he has left behind an embryonic heir as well, she turns to the childless widower, Panisse, whose previous proposals have been refused because of his age. The marriage goes through, over Cesar's protests, and seven months later the baby is born. All is tranquil until the sudden return...
More thany anything else, Fanny is a vehicle for Raimu, as Cesar, but that may be by default for Orane Demazis' Fanny is wooden and not really believable; Pierre Fresnay as Marius is stilted and a bit constipated. This leaves the screen to the senior trio--Raimu, Charpin as Panisse, and the brilliant Alida Rouffe as Fanny's mother. These three hams sport around the screen, indulging in every kind of histrionics: uproarious and tragic by turn, they are spellbinding and immensely warm. But Raimu best of all explores the depths of Cesar. Pagnol and the actor join hands...
TELEPIX: The latter two-thirds of Marcel Pagnol's epic trilogy of the 1930's is currently if all too briefly on view. FANNY will run through March 8. CESAR (which starts the 9th) will run till March 15. In toto, these are three of the funniest pictures ever made; Raimu, the French Charlie Chaplin, excels in what in retrospect must be called his greatest role. Your last chance in seven years. Evenings...