TEN DAYS' WONDER (LA DECADE PRODIGIEUSE)
France, 1971, 108 Minutes, Colour.
Orson Welles, Marlene Jobert, Anthony Perkins, Michel Piccoli.
Directed by Claude Chabrol.
Ten Days Wonder is another thriller with philosophical undertones by director Claude Chabrol. Chabrol was considered one of the leading directors of the French New Wave at the end of the 50s and the beginning of the 60s., He was also a theorist about film-making and was a noted author. With Eric Rohmer, he wrote a study on Hitchcock. It is plain that Hitchcock has influenced Chabrol's film making, not so much in the style, but in the subjects, especially the notions of guilt, responsibility, transference of guilt. This is evident in such films as The Unfaithful Wife, The Butcher, Just Before Morning, Blood Wedding and this particular film. This time the basic plot comes from a thriller, but Chabrol uses a structure of ten days giving an artificial atmosphere but involving the audience in the strange happenings in a strange family. Just who is guilty and who is not is not clear until the end of the film. The film was made in English and Orson Wells and Anthony Perkins were employed. They bring their familiar characteristics to the roles. Marlene Jobert is the attractive heroine. There are many interesting things in Ten Days Wonder and it is a very interesting example of Chabrol's film-making and interests.
1. The impact of this thriller, its title, French atmosphere and overtones, use of American leads, the fact that it was based on an Ellery Queen mystery story and uses such stock devices as mysterious letters, voices on the phone, murder etc.?
2. The importance of* the structure of the days for the film's impact? The basic purpose of such a formal structure, distancing the audience, the cumulative effect?
3. The importance of the colour and the light? The atmosphere of the city contrasting with the atmosphere of the home and its significance, style, the look of the 20s, the gardens and the lake? The importance of the 20s decor and costumes, especially Helen's? An atmosphere of beauty and destruction?
4. How well did the film present and explore themes of love, relationships, sin and guilt, foolishness, fear, manipulation, vengeance, playing God? The irony of who was innocent and who was guilty? The moralising and the audience response to this?
5. The initial focus on Charles and the blood, its repetition at the end? His loss of memory, intimations of madness? The puzzle of the opening, his being in the hotel, the fee being paid etc.? His fear of the unknown? His seeking help from Paul? The revelation of his relationship with his father, his stepfather, with Helene? The love and hate in his life? His love for Helene, the revelation of the letters, the blackmail, thieving, fear and doom and disaster? How was Charles a doom-ridden figure?
6. Charles presented as happy and unhappy, the revelation of his adoption and the explanation by Theo, the trance and the visit to the cemetery and the desecration of the grave, the robbery of the necklace, the disillusionment with Paul? The fate overtaking Charles and the impending doom?
7. His waking to find himself covered in blood, his reaction to Helene's death, his smashing of the statues, his suicide and its violence? The significance of Charles' life and death?
8. The portrayal of Helene? First seen at the station in the 1920's style, her relationship with Theo, her love and dedication to him, the importance of the flashbacks of her childhood, the flashback of her marriage? How much love for Theo? The credibility of her falling in love with Charles? The mystery of her life, the blackmail, the revelation to Paul, the robbery, Paul disillusioning them? The importance of the flashback of her death and the posture as she awaited her death? Innocence and guilt and the significance of her life and death?
9. Paul as a contrast to the other characters? The professor, the father figure, intelligence and logic, kindness and his helping? The audience identifying with him in observation of the characters and the events, listening to the stories and judging them? His suave manner, coping with Theo? His acceptance of appearances?
10. The fact that he did not want to be used by Charles and Helene although helping as much as he could? The significance of his going to the hotel with Helene, the letters and the money? The urgency with Helene running to get the letters back? Paul's standing guard of her? His eventual realizing of the truth, his return as judge and executioner? Did the audience share his attitudes of judge and executioner?
11. The impact of Theo, as played by Orson Welles? His name and it being the name of God? The irony of his origins, America, wealth? The importance of his brother, the scene with his mother? What did they reveal about Theo? His wanting to stay in the 1920s as an age of perfection, in externals? His story about perfection and flaws as a sign of vitality? The importance of his conversations with Paul? The hold he had over each character? His control of Helene and Charles? His learning of the truth? His manipulation of vengeance? His confrontation of Charles and Helene, the importance of Helene's death? As told in flashback, the impact of its visualization? What was he left with at the end? Should he have shot himself or not? The theme of the man who plays God?
12. How well portrayed were psychological bonds and relationships, mutual control, the image of the labyrinth for these relationships?
13. Themes of sin and guilt, innocence? Paul's recounting of the Ten Commandments and Charles' and Helene's breaking of them? Who has the right to judge, on what basis? Even the audience?
14. Comment on the structure and content of each of the ten days and their cumulative effect: the first day and Charles discovered and seeking Paul's help; the second day, Paul arriving and meeting Helene and Theo, the story of the adoption; the third day and the beauty of the picnic, the confession about the love and the blackmail; the fourth day and Paul accompanying Helene to hand over the money, after Charles has robbed the safe, the recovery and burning of the letters; the fifth day and Theo's description about Charles' origins; the sixth day, Paul's nightmare, Charles rushing away, the watching of Charles desecrate the grave; the seventh day and Helene telling Paul about further blackmailing, the pawning of the diamond necklace, Paul's willingness to do this; the eighth day, Theo confronting Paul with the pawnbroker and the police, Paul's telling the truth, Paul leaving and returning because of his fear of Theo's life, the ninth day and Helene's death, Charles discovered and his destruction of the sculptures and suicide; the tenth day and Paul's return to the house, the confrontation with Theo, the leaving of the gun and the guilt?
