Mon oncle d'Amérique (1980)

Director:

Alain Resnais

Writers:

Jean Gruault (writer)
Henri Laborit (writings)

Release Date:

17 December 1980 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Plot:

Prof. Henri Laborit uses the stories of the lives of three people to discuss behaviorist theories of survival...

Plot Keywords:

Paris France | Attempted Suicide | Psychology | Social Commentary | Scientist

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 8 wins & 7 nominations

Cast

Gérard Depardieu	...	René Ragueneau
Nicole Garcia	...	Janine Garnier
Roger Pierre	...	Jean Le Gall
Nelly Borgeaud	...	Arlette Le Gall
Pierre Arditi	...	Zambeaux, le représentant de la direction générale à Paris
Gérard Darrieu	...	Léon Veestrate
Philippe Laudenbach	...	Michel Aubert
Marie Dubois	...	Thérèse Ragueneau
Henri Laborit	...	Himself
Bernard Malaterre	...	Le père de Jean
Laurence Roy	...	La mère de Jean
Alexandre Rignault	...	Le grand-père de Jean / Jean's Grandfather
Véronique Silver	...	La mère de Janine
Jean Lescot	...	Le père de Janine
Geneviève Mnich	...	La mère de René

Also Known As:

My American Uncle (UK)

Runtime:

125 min

Country:

France

Language:

French

Color:

Black and White (archive footage) | Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Hong Kong:I | Italy:T | UK:12 | Australia:PG | Sweden:15 | Finland:K-16 | France:U | Switzerland:16 | USA:PG | West Germany:16 | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Café de la Gare - 41 Rue du Temple, Paris 4, Paris, France

Company:

Philippe Dussart

Trivia:

There are several scenes from films featuring Danielle Darrieux, Jean Marais and Jean Gabin used in this film.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Film Geek (2005)

Outstanding masterpiece - there's no other film like it!

Henri Laborit finishes with these words (if I remember correctly) - no spoiler really - :As long as we do not understand, that (today) we use our cortex predominantly in order to dominate other people, then nothing can change (for the better).

I myself coined the phrase: If I had power like Hitler, then I would be Hitler.

The point made here is not that I'm Hitler or want to be as little as it is Henri Laborit's point that it is allright for us to continue to use our brain as dominator over others. The point is, that if we get accustomed to power, then all we do turns out bad, in spite of 'good' intentions.

There is no 'good' power. That's the simple truth. To claim so is as ridiculous as to say that there is 'good' evil or totally erase the borders between good and evil and wind up in total confusion like Bob Dylan sings about in his songs 'Ring Them Bells' (They're breaking down the distance between right and wrong) and 'The Disease of Conceit'.

In attempts to dominate his surroundings, man is driven to madness and suicide. The film demonstrate this and Laborit compares rat behavior with human behavior when human lives are ridiculed by this animal quest for power instead of being allowed a quest that would be truly human (in the good sence of the word): the quest of the total destruction of all power and dominance in order to create a truly human society of decency and brotherhood.

We possess a refined and beautiful cortex - why not use it for its proper purpose?, is the conclusion we find ourselves in after having seen the movie (well, not all of us).