Name: Un coeur gros comme ça
Genre: Drama
Released: 1965-06-30
Duration: 1 h 45 min
Rating: 6.9
Cast: Abdoulaye Faye, Jean-Paul Belmondo, Marcel Bouchard

I am just a poor boy though my story's seldom told

...and though the movie was awarded two prices,it's never screened on TV.

François Reichenbach was a specialist in documentaries :he made a lot about America ,but also portraits of Orson Welles and Serge Gainsbourg.

"Un Coeur Gros Comme Ca " is a semi-documentary ,candid camera shooting ,"and the persons do not know where and when they are filmed ";that's what the lines claim in the cast and credits.It seems only partially true.

Abdulaye Faye,23 ,is a young black man from Senegal.While working in a factory ,he is training for a boxing match.

He is an endearing guy, a bit naive,but,as the title reads ,he's really big-hearted .

We follow him through the streets of Paris ...

1)France: "Here ,white people are afraid of black guys;in my country ,it's the other way about;besides ,White people have dirty houses ;in Dakar ,our houses are white" 

2)Women :his ideal woman is Michele Morgan who has a cameo in the film :"should you meet her, talk about her legs,not about her thighs ",says a compassionate fellow traveler ,or tell her " T'As De Beaux Yeux Tu Sais" . He meets a Japanese girl and they go boating but their relationship comes to a sudden end:she's married . There are women on the streets ,and ,as Paul Simon would sing "he does declare he took some comfort there" but he quickly adds: "it's better to be married".

3)Religion :Abdulaye is a true believer,he puts his trust in God ;he gambles on God,more like, a little like philosopher Pascal. But there's a very long sequence in a fortune-teller's house whose fortune cookie predictions can be summed up as "when there's a will,there's a way".Her strange methods consist of ink-blood tests ,like in psychiatry ,as well as tarots.

4)Boxing: as Abdulaye has no diplomas ,he is an unskilled worker and to become a champion is his wildest dream;he tells his hopes in voice over ,or to a blind masseur . The movie ends with two boxing matches ;the first one is particularly interesting:we never see the fighters ,but the reactions on the audience's faces -we catch a glimpse of Jean- Paul Belmondo ,who attends the championship.

It is by no means Nouvelle Vague stuff:it's the story of a young man who has to struggle to do his walk of life,he 's got no time to contemplate his navel or to aimlessly wander on the streets of Paris.

Like this? Try this ....

"L'Air De Paris" ,Marcel Carné ,1954

French-language cinema, whether in France, Québec, or other Francophone regions, explores cultural identity, social change, and the tension between the individual and society. French cinema is not only celebrated for its intellectual experimentation and auteur traditions, but also its success in mainstream comedy, romance, and commercial entertainment. In Québec, films often focus on questions of language, belonging, and community within a distinct cultural landscape.

Jean-Pierre Léaud in The 400 Blows (1959)

The drama genre is a broad category that features stories portraying human experiences, emotions, conflicts, and relationships in a realistic and emotionally impactful way. Dramas delve into the complexities of human life, often exploring themes of love, loss, morality, societal issues, personal growth, with the aim to evoke an emotional response from the audience by presenting relatable and thought-provoking stories.

Mahershala Ali and Alex R. Hibbert in Moonlight (2016)

Semi-documentary about a young black boxer named Abdoullah Faye and his life in Paris.

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