La Kermesse Heroique (1935)

[loreta]

This is one of the best movies ever made. If you want to laugh and see a movie like going to the museum. A movie by Jacques Feyder.

In 1616, when Flanders is under Spanish occupation, the town of Boom, in the midst of preparations for its carnival, learns that a Spanish duke with his army is on the way to spend the night there.

Fearing that this will inevitably result in rape and pillage, the mayor — supported by his town council — has the idea of pretending to be newly dead, in order to avoid receiving the soldiers. But his redoubtable wife Cornelia despises this strategem and organises the other women to prepare hospitality and to adapt their carnival entertainments for the Spaniards (who insist on entering the town anyway).

Such is the warmth of the women’s welcome that not only do the Spaniards refrain from misbehaviour, but on their departure the Duke announces a year’s remission of taxes for the town.

Cornelia allows her husband to take the credit for their good fortune, but she has in the meantime thwarted his plans for their daughter to marry the town butcher instead of the young painter Brueghel whom she loves.

This movie is also very feminist, and the subject is about the "Occupation". The Germans and the Petain government did not like this movie and during the occupation they prohibited this movie.

But this movie is a masterpiece and will be for the rest of the times. It is a comedy, a caricature of powers, administration, upper-class, church... Also this movie is so beautiful: every scene is made like a painting- and the village where this story happens was rebuilt in the studios.

Laugh is medium to criticize and to point what is wrong. Laugh is medicine and also permits to talk about taboos, like sexuality for example.

All the movie here, in French with Spanish sub-titles:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYT1NxZiUnQ

Here is a small exert with English sub-titles:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnhULT6qCII

I just found interesting information about the movie:

http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/724174/Carnival-in-Flanders/articles.html