Emanuelle Riva and Jean-Louis Trintignant
Michael Haneke’s French-language Amour will tug longingly at your emotions until you give in to its stark but poignant will. Released in 2012, the French drama has already claimed 52 awards worldwide, including the prestigious Cannes Film Festival’s Palme d’Or.
Haneke’s controversial film confronts ageing, dementia, euthanasia and death as a middle class couple – retired music teachers Anne (Emanuelle Riva) and Georges (Jean-Louis Trintignant) – deal with Anne’s deteriorating health.
For many viewers the story poses the difficult question: “What would I do in that situation?” When Anne suggests she’d rather die than suffer a debilitating disease, Georges dismisses her words as absurd but as the film progresses slowly and painstakingly towards her demise, the idea begins to seem less unthinkable.
Amour has been widely praised as everything from “a masterpiece” by The Times to “devastatingly original and unflinching” by Time Out London. It is not a film for everyone but those seeking challenging themes know and respect Haneke’s slow-paced continuity editing and long shots.
By portraying events through a third point of view, Haneke captures the essence of the emotions and experiences of each character. The camera is always looking into Anne and Georges’ situation from a distance, placing the audience solidly as mere spectators.
Suspense is created not with the aid of a soundtrack but through very long scenes. For example, the leg exercises her husband does for Anne after her second stroke and failed attempts to speak involve no cinematic shortcuts or edits. This allows the audience a strong understanding of the prolonged nature of the disease that is slowly robbing Anne of abilities she previously took for granted.
The limited use of music makes the experience raw and unrelenting; every sound has more impact, from Anne’s cries of pain to the sound of creaking chairs and doors.
Amour is no Hollywood-style drama; there are no miracles here. Haneke depicts a truth we don’t dare delve into, which is a large part of the film’s appeal. In an interview Emanuelle Riva says: “The truth is this story could happen to anyone. It could happen to me, it could happen to you; it’s about the very important subjects: life, love, death.”
The ending may frustrate some viewers as it is unexpected and poses many questions while providing no answers. Cinemagoers have no option but to make sense of the story according to their own values and experiences but this is the magic of this thought-provoking film.
Amour was released in Australian cinemas on February 21. It’s a long ride but definitely worth it.
