Le fils (2002)

Directors:

Jean-Pierre Dardenne
Luc Dardenne

Writers:

Jean-Pierre Dardenne (writer)
Luc Dardenne (writer)

Release Date:

4 October 2002 (Italy)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

Guldpalmen for bedste mandlige skuespiller 2002[Denmark]

Plot:

A joinery instructor at a rehab center refuses to take a new teen as his apprentice, but then begins to follow the boy through the hallways and streets.

Plot Keywords:

Carpenter | Undressing | Locker Room | Locker | Obsession

Awards:

9 wins & 8 nominations

Cast

Olivier Gourmet	...	Olivier
Morgan Marinne	...	Francis
Isabella Soupart	...	Magali
Nassim Hassaïni	...	Omar
Kevin Leroy	...	Raoul
Félicien Pitsaer	...	Steve
Rémy Renaud	...	Philippo
Annette Closset	...	Training Center Director
Fabian Marnette	...	Rino
Pierre Nisse	...	Apprentice welder
Stephan Barbason	...	Apprentice welder
David Manna	...	Apprentice welder
Abdellah Amarjouf	...	Apprentice welder
Jimmy Deloof	...	Dany
Anne Gerard	...	Dany's Mother
Dimitri Legros	...	Cafe customer
Leon Michaux	...	Tutor
Colette Hobsig	...	Cook
Anne Dortu	...	Baker
Sandro Scariano	...	Hot dog seller
Isabelle Comte	...	Cafe waitress

Directed by
Jean-Pierre Dardenne
Luc Dardenne

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Jean-Pierre Dardenne		writer
Luc Dardenne		writer

Produced by
Olivier Bronckart	....	executive producer
Jean-Pierre Dardenne	....	producer
Luc Dardenne	....	producer
Denis Freyd	....	producer
Arlette Zylberberg	....	associate producer

Cinematography by
Alain Marcoen

Film Editing by
Marie-Hélène Dozo

Production Design by
Igor Gabriel

Costume Design by
Monic Parelle

Makeup Department
Tina Kopecka	....	key makeup artist

Production Management
Philippe Groff	....	unit production manager
Véronique Marit	....	production manager
Philippe Toussaint	....	unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Bernard Garant	....	first assistant director
Delphine Guterel	....	assistant director

Art Department
Geneviève Otte	....	props
Paul Rouschop	....	assistant art director

Sound Department
Benoît De Clerck	....	supervising sound editor
Jean-Pierre Duret	....	sound
Thomas Gauder	....	sound mixer
Luc Plantier	....	sound editor
Michel Schillings	....	sound recordist
Marie-Jeanne Wijckmans	....	sound effects editor

Camera and Electrical Department
Benoît Dervaux	....	camera operator
Amaury Duquenne	....	second assistant camera
Basile Duquenne	....	third assistant camera
Jean-François Hensgens	....	first assistant camera
Christian Plenus	....	still photographer
Eric Waldman	....	gaffer

Editorial Department
Patrick Delamotte	....	color timer
Rachel Lamisse	....	assistant editor
Jocelyne Ries	....	negative cutter
Sophie Vercruysse	....	assistant editor
Roger Vervoenen	....	color timer

Other crew
Philippe Groff	....	location manager
Anne-Catherine Leboutte	....	production assistant
Marika Piedboeuf	....	script supervisor

Production Companies

• Archipel 35
• Les Films du Fleuve
• Radio Télévision Belge Francophone (RTBF)

Distributors

• A-Film Distribution (2003) (Netherlands) (theatrical) (for)
• Bitters End (Japan) (theatrical)
• Filmmuseum Distributie (2003) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Four Films (2006) (Chile) (theatrical)
• Xenix Filmdistribution (2002-2003) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Zeta Films (2006) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Diaphana Films
• Filmfreak Distributie (2003) (Netherlands) (video)
• Filmgalerie 451 (2007) (Germany) (DVD)
• Impuls Home Entertainment (2006) (Switzerland) (DVD)
• Lucky Red
• Madman Entertainment (2007) (Australia) (DVD)
• Madman Entertainment (2007) (New Zealand) (DVD)
• New Yorker Films (2003) (USA) (subtitled)

Also Known As:

The Son (International: English title)

Runtime:

103 min (Cannes Film Festival)

Country:

Belgium | France

Language:

French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Brazil:14 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | South Korea:All | France:U | Netherlands:AL | Sweden:7 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | UK:12A | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Seraing, Liège, Wallonia, Belgium

Company:

Archipel 35

Trivia:

Partly inspired by the Jamie Bulger murder, a case that shocked England in 1993 when a two year old toddler was murdered by two 10-year-old boys.

A whole new way of looking at film....

The acting in The Son was top notch.

Very demanding nuances were expected from the actors, especially in a movie thats so stripped of a leading musical score and filmed at such a deliberately halted pace. Thus must say the two male leads has successfully delivered performances which torched my views on what constitutes "good acting".

Overall, The Son piqued my interest enough to want to hunt down other Dardenne Bros pics. Being new to their works, the extremely voyueristic shots in this film revealed previously undetectable character depths, with such humanistic intuition, it was uncannily astonishing.

Pity the dizzying cinematography made me all tipsy(my seat was very much infront). The film could arguably have done with some judicious trimming as well. But that may be due to my comparatively lower tolerance for such glacial paced works. But agree with you'all that the abrupt end achieved the right note of hopefulness. Its openness was a very nice touch indeed.

To be fair, I think I would need more time to digest this film on tv. It is my belief that the wozzy nature of "handheld" flicks often play better in an intimate home setting than in a cinema, especially when viewed from unfavourable theatre vantage points like mine.

An acquired taste though The Son has been, I acknowledge its a very prized find. It at least has succeeded pointing me in a whole new direction of film appreciation.