The Palme d'Or and the Dardenne Brothers
L'Enfant (2005) is a French-language drama that won the Palme d'Or at Cannes. The title translates to The Child in English and can be interpreted as a reference to the film's protagonist Bruno (Jérémie Renier), a very immature young adult.
The movie was written and directed by the Belgian brothers Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne. Beginning in the 1970s, the Dardennes made a number of documentaries, but they became well-known internationally when they turned to making fictional movies in a semi-documentary style. Previous art-house favorites created by the Dardennes include La Promesse (1996) and Le Fils (2002). L'Enfant was their second Palme d'Or winner, the earlier one having been Rosetta (1999).
Gritty Story Where the Protagonist Does Something Unthinkable
L'Enfant is set in a drab town that looks as though it was once a thriving community, but fell on hard times when most of its industry shut down. The central character Bruno lives by his wits, bringing in a few euros any way he can, including panhandling and petty crime. His girlfriend Sonia (Déborah François) is about 18, and when the film opens, she has just gotten out of the hospital after having his baby. However, she cannot immediately return to her apartment because, without consulting her, Bruno sublet it. As a result, Sonia and the newborn must spend a couple of nights at a homeless shelter.
Soon a situation arises where Sonia has to wait in an exceedingly long, slow-moving line, presumably to meet with government functionaries about welfare benefits. It's then that Bruno takes it upon himself, without saying anything to Sonia, to sell their nine-day-old baby on the black market.
A Question of Redemption
Treated by most people as if they were invisible, Bruno and Sonia are on the margins of society. The film uses a brilliant cinematic metaphor to show the no man's land they live in—they must frequently dash across a busy thoroughfare where cars whiz past without even slowing for a woman carrying a baby.
Yet L'Enfant isn't fundamentally about a social problem. It's more about what happens to Bruno after he sells his own offspring. Among the issues the Dardenne brothers want us to contemplate is how Bruno could have gotten all the way to fatherhood without developing even a rudimentary moral compass. And even more important is the underlying spiritual question: is it possible for such a man to find redemption?
The Style of the Movie
L'Enfant was filmed in real, mostly unattractive, locations using hand-held cameras. There are few establishing shots. The only music is in a sequence where Bruno and Sonia engage in hazardous horseplay while driving around listening to the car radio. The visual and acting styles are in the tradition of naturalism. The movie reminds us that the world is untidy, and we are not left with feelings of comfort or satisfaction.
Next Page: A Worthwhile Interview With the Filmmakers and DVD Details
