Starring: Gerard Depardieu, Jean-Pierre Marielle, Anne Brochet, Caroline Sihol, Guillaume Depardieu
Director: Alain Corneau
Producers: Jean-Louis Livi
Screenplay: Pascal Quignard
Music: Jordi Savall
Released by October Films
French with English subtitles
Tous Les Matins du Monde presents a fictionalized account of the lives of the 17th century French musician-composer Sainte Colombe (Jean-Pierre Marielle) and his brilliant, flamboyant student, Marin Marais (played as a young man by Guillaume Depardieu and as an older man by Gerard Depardieu). The story begins with the death of Sainte Colombe's beloved wife and progresses onward as he tries to be the best father he can to his two daughters. After the passage of about twelve years, the seventeen year old Marin Marais arrives, seeking to become Sainte Colombe's pupil. Both daughters are attracted to Marais, but it is the eldest girl, Madeleine (Anne Brochet), with whom he has an affair -- an affair that is destined to shape all that comes after.
If Tous Les Matins du Monde was a British production, it might appear on Masterpiece Theater as a two-part drama. The film moves at a leisurely pace, refusing to let modern conventions drive it faster than it's prepared to go. It demands patience. It's also a movie of few words. Take away the framing narrative of Marin Marais as he looks back on his life, and there's little dialogue. As a result, Tous Les Matins du Monde requires distinctive non-vocal performances. Eyes, lips, hands, and body language are vitally important. Fortunately, the cast members, with the possible exception of the younger Depardieu, are up to the challenge.
Where dialogue is lacking, however, a resonant musical score takes over. Arranged by Jordi Savall, the soundtrack is evocative and moody and, as might be expected, includes several compositions by Sainte Colombe and Marin Marais. Costume and set design are both impressive, well deserving of the French Cesars awarded to them. We don't for one moment doubt that this story is taking place in the latter part of the 1600s.
As for Guillaume, he's not the actor that his father is. At best, his performance is wooden, and it stands out uncomfortably in comparison to Anne Brochet's stunning portrayal of Madeleine. Guillaume lacks range, and, as result, the film takes a dramatic turn for the better when father replaces son in the role of an aging Marin Marais.
Tous Les Matins du Monde is a tale of ego, passion, and the clash between the desire for fame and the pursuit of true art. Young and ambitious, Marin Marais wants to play at court for the king. Sainte Colombe, who has already rejected that honor, claims that the call of the musician supersedes all. The two clash over this issue, as well as over the affair between Madeleine and Marais. Despite its meandering pace, Tous Les Matins du Monde has a strong enough narrative to make it worth a look. This is the kind of pure drama, energized by character interplay, that Hollywood almost never produces.
© 1993 James Berardinelli