Le nouveau monde (1995)

Director:

Alain Corneau

Writers:

Pascal Quignard (novel)
Alain Corneau (adaptation) ...
(more)

Release Date:

22 February 1995 (France)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

One American soldier would change their lives...forever.

Plot:

Born in 1943 during German occupation of their French town, Patrick and Marie-José have been best friends; now teens...

Plot Keywords:

Jazz | Drum Kit | Sex | Sergeant | French Town

Cast

Nicolas Chatel	...	Patrick Carrion
Sarah Grappin	...	Marie-José Vire
James Gandolfini	...	Will Caberra
Alicia Silverstone	...	Trudy Wadd
Guy Marchand	...	Dr. Carrion
Baptiste Trotignon	...	Rydell
Sylvie Granotier	...	Mrs. / Mme. Carrion
Simon Mary	...	Annoine
Ronald Baker	...	Augustus
David Johnson	...	Mel
Roger Dumas	...	Le curé (The Priest)
Joséphine Serre	...	Young Marie-José Vire (as Josephine Serre)
Gregory Diallo	...	Young Patrick Carrion
Dany Brillant	...	Le chanteur (Ballroom Singer)
Joe Sheridan	...	Mr. Wadd
Bela Grushka	...	Mrs. Wadd (as Bela Gtushka)
Alain Frérot	...	Mr. Vire (as Alain Frerot)
Marguerite Boucher	...	Organist
Moize Chabbi	...	Trudy's Friend
Patrick Seltzer	...	Teacher
Jean-Claude	...	Ridelsky
Braquet	...	Coloniel
Blake Dawson	...	General (as Blake Dawson-Ros)
Ronald Mills	...	Young Peasant
Laurent Zagorac	...	Drummer (as Laurent Zagorar)
Eric Bervieu	...	Preacher (s)
Richard Broadnax	...	Preacher (s)
Jimmy Hall	...	Gospel Group (as Jimmy Hall & The Jackson singers)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Brian Orleman	...	Comic Book Boy (uncredited)
Erik Svane	...	U.S. Air Force Corporal (uncredited)

Directed by
Alain Corneau

Writing credits
Pascal Quignard		(novel "L'occupation américaine")
Alain Corneau		(adaptation) and
Pascal Quignard		(adaptation)
Pascal Quignard		(dialogue)

Produced by
Raphael Berdugo	....	co-producer
Jean-Louis Livi	....	producer
Bernard Marescot	....	executive producer

Cinematography by
William Lubtchansky

Film Editing by
Adeline Yoyotte		(as Adeline Yoyotte-Husson)
Marie-Josèphe Yoyotte

Production Design by
Bernard Vézat

Costume Design by
Christine Guégan
Corinne Jorry

Makeup Department
Agathe Dupuis	....	key hair stylist
Thi Thanh Tu Nguyen	....	makeup artist
Jean-Christophe Roger	....	additional makeup artist
Frédéric Zaid	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Patrick Lancelot	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Nicolas Guy	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Arnaud Putman	....	swing gang

Sound Department
Pierre Befve	....	sound
Gérard Lamps	....	sound re-recording mixer

Stunts
Frédéric Vallet	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Laurent Fleutot	....	camera operator

Editorial Department
Eric LeGarçon	....	assistant editor

Other crew
Antonin Depardieu	....	location assistant
Laurence Granec	....	press attache
Emmanuel Dehaene	....	additional location assistant (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Film Par Film
• France 3 Cinéma
• Orly Films
• Paravision International S.A.
• Prima

Distributors

• Bac Films (France)

Also Known As:

"New World" - USA (video title)

Country:

France

Language:

French | English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Certification:

France:-18 | France:U (re-rating)

Filming Locations:

Orléans, Loiret, France

Company:

Film Par Film

Soundtrack:

Redonne moi ma chance

An unflattering portrayal of the postwar American occupation

This film is half in French, half in English. Most of the cast is American. The story is set in France in the 50's, the post-war period to which the French refer as the American Occupation. The portrayal of Americans is not very flattering, and may explain why this movie was not shown in the US.

French President DeGaul forced the American bases to close, but until that time as this movie displays, American soldiers were occupiers. Their presence was resented by many, flaunting as the soldiers did American material culture, Coke, Levis, Schwinns, bought from the PX, a store to which the French were forbidden entry.

Every American in this film is big and healthy while the French are emaciated and somber. The Americans listen to Buddy Holly, the French prefer Coltrane. The Americans drive large shiny cars, the French ride old delivery vans. The Americans speak in English to everyone, oblivious to whether they are understood or not.

Alicia Silverstone plays one of these strapping carefree Americans, critical of wobbly French bicycles and refusing to swim in a lake for fear of catching polio. One sex scene, filmed in the no-big-deal typical fashion, resolves with Silverstone wiping semen off her hand and lips with antiseptic disdain. But not everything is a cheap shot at Americans: there's a fantastic scene where a rival French girl makes a pathetic and ill-timed plea to Silverstone's new boyfriend. Silverstone reacts with an incredulous: "Shut up!"

Great period scenery, cobblestone streets, military vehicles, sock hop and jazz club events. Lots of disaffected jazz and joyous gospel from the oppressed black troops. The French boy's father is a veterinarian and there's an interesting scene where a stallion is held down in the town square and gelded. Another graphic moment involves a calf foetus which must be aborted with a wire garrote, to the revulsion of an otherwise explosively violent racist American sargeant.

The Americans eventually learn they must leave France to face the "communist peril" on her own. In the final scene smallish French athletes walk in a parade to be suddenly barnstormed by American cowboys on horseback. Cheerleaders, among them Silverstone, and leather-helmeted football players flow out of flashy finned convertibles to play an exhibition game of football as the townspeople look on.

Our hero and his French girl, once both smitten by American culture, now smile at each other bemusedly. Americans may as well be martians!