Au hasard Balthazar (1966)

Director:

Robert Bresson

Writer:

Robert Bresson (writer)

Release Date:

25 May 1966 (France)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

The story of a mistreated donkey and the people around him. A study on saintliness and a sister piece to Bresson's Mouchette.

Plot Keywords:

Alcohol | Sheep | Christianity | Baptism | Imagery

Awards:

2 wins

Cast

Anne Wiazemsky	...	Marie
François Lafarge	...	Gerard
Philippe Asselin	...	Marie's father
Nathalie Joyaut	...	Marie's mother
Walter Green	...	Jacques
Jean-Claude Guilbert	...	Arnold
Pierre Klossowski	...	Merchant
François Sullerot	...	Baker
Marie-Claire Fremont	...	Baker's wife (as M.C. Fremont)
Jean Rémignard	...	Notary
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jean-Joël Barbier	...	The Priest
René Bazart
Guy Brejac
Isabelle de Winter
Roger Fjellstrom
Henri Fraisse
Sven Frostenson
Dominique Mounc
Tord Paag	...	Louis
José Ruiz Pernias
Isabelle Petit
Guy Renault
Gilles Sandier
Pascale Savornin
Jacques Sorbets	...	Police Officer
Mylène Weyergans

Also Known As:

Balthazar (USA)
Min vän Balthazar (Sweden)

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

France | Sweden

Language:

French

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

UK:PG | Argentina:16 | Finland:K-16 | Iceland:L | Sweden:11 | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Guyancourt, Yvelines, France

Company:

Argos Films

Trivia:

The soundtrack for the DVD release was copied at 24-bit from the original 35mm optical soundtrack print.

Quotes:

Marie's mother: He is in despair. Comfort him.
[Marie's father turns away]
Priest: You must forgive. Everyone. Much will be forgiven you. You have suffered.
Marie's father: I may suffer less than you think.
Priest: [Reading] God does not foresake forever. He may punish, yet he will have compassion. H does not willingly afflict the children of men.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Chacun son cinéma ou Ce petit coup au coeur quand la lumière s'éteint et que le film commence (2007)

Soundtrack:

Piano Sonata No.20

Les mémoires d'un âne

During the nineteenth century ,the comtesse de Segur wrote a novel for the children called "memoirs of a donkey" .A very pious writer,she chose the donkey as a symbol of humility...as Robert Bresson did I suppose.The very first pictures of the movie,with the children,"christening" the donkey ,might be a nod to the writer whom the young Bresson,like all his generation must have read when he was a young boy."Au hasard Balthazar " is an updated version of "les memoires d'un ane" ,but a very austere story:although Bresson's work enjoys a very high rating on the site,I must say that it's not for all tastes.I cannot imagine,say, a "matrix" fan getting enthusiastic about it.

Bresson's actors are non -professionals -with the exception of Anne Wiazemski,but it was her debut;then she became the par excellence intellectual actress,for the likes of Godard,Tanner and Garrel,all directors that easily make me yawn my head off-,but do not expect a "natural "performance.I hope the non-French speaking who wrote a comment saw the movie in French with English subtitles.Dubbed in another language ,Bresson's works lose a lot of their originality.Because the actors speak in a distant voice,in a neutral style as if they were reciting Descartes's "the Discourse on Method".They never show any emotion,even through their darkest hour (not even after the heroine's rape).

Bresson films his human characters as if they were Martians ,and his sympathy for the donkey is the only pity he has to give us.This beast of burden seems to carry on its back all the sins of the world,and his route is a calvary.A woman says "this donkey is a saint" .

Bresson showed us the Beast in Man and the Man in Beast.