by Paula Smith
SHOWING AT THE FILMHOUSE: FRI 10TH TO WED 15TH JUNE
‘The measure of a man’ (La loi du marche) is a French drama, which was first released in 2015 for the Cannes Film Festival where it was selected to compete for the Palm d’Or. The principle actor Vincent Lindon won best actor. It is a film by Stephane Brize (A few hours of spring).
Grossing $6 million of box office sales, the film portrays the character of Thierry Taugourdeau (Vincent Lindon), a man in his early fifties who gets laid off at work. The film outlines Thierry’s plight as he seeks to find new work. He encounters humiliation after humiliation as he meets with the various administrative employees while he attends meetings and courses supposedly to make him more employable. Thierry is a strong character with a sense of self-worth however he becomes disillusioned with the French system and feels a great sense of social injustice.
Rather than being a depressing film, ‘The measure of a man’ makes us want to follow Thierry’s story and we feel quietly supportive of his efforts. There is a scene when he attends a training course and we may wish to cringe in Thierry’s place as he is basically torn apart as the team comment on aspects such as his body language stating that they would not want to approach him. He is left demoralized with no apparent prospects of work.
Although the film is not a social commentary or a documentary we cannot ignore the various problems outlined. Thierry has particular skills and assets, which were relevant to his previous job in a factory however there is no focus on his strengths and knowledge, only on what Taugourdeau is lacking in. There is an indifference towards him and a sense of hopelessness. The film is realistic in the respect that often a man of a certain age is considered redundant when out of work and therefore unemployable.
The film chooses a certain perspective in which to reveal problems in French society such as unemployment, which is currently at 10% in France. We have a one-off view of a man who is face to face with unemployment and the issues, which inevitably follow from this. Thierry has a son with disabilities to consider, which only adds to the growing pressure to find work. He shows a great sense of self-awareness and tells his friends that he wishes to protect his mental health.
Not only does Thierry face a degrading process of rejection but his financial situation obviously becomes problematic and he is offered life insurance as a means of future stability. The employee does not understand his refusal to sell his home, which for Thierry is unthinkable as it symbolizes everything he and his wife worked to achieve. It is easy to identify with him and to share in his growing sense of frustration at the situation. We are, without doubt, on the main character’s side and feel a loss of faith towards the system.
When Thierry eventually gets a job there is a sense of disappointment as this presents him with moral dilemmas. He faces various predicaments as he works as a security attendant in a large department store. He is face to face with customers and employees who commit petty theft and we can feel that Thierry is uncomfortable with confrontation.
The film gives us a privileged insight into some aspects of today’s society in France and gives us permission to feel outrage and shock at Thierry’s situation. Indeed it exemplifies ‘The law of the open market’ as the French title suggests. Corporal greed and a lessened sense of humanity are dominant themes throughout the film. It is a ‘gem’ of a film and moreover all the actors excluding the main characters are non-professionals playing their own role. We can see why it won a commendation by the Ecumenical Jury. A film to absorb, digest and enjoy.
[imdb id=tt4428814]