- Actors: Tahar Rahim, Emmanuelle Seigner, Anne Dorval, Bouli Lanners
- Director: Katell Quillévéré
- Format: AC-3, Dolby, Subtitled, Widescreen
- Language: French
- Subtitles: English
- Region: Region A/1
- Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1
- Number of discs: 1
- Rated: Not Rated
- Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
- Release Date: August 29, 2017
- Run Time: 104 minutes
I may not have
literally rolled my eyes when I read the description of Heal the Living, but I was certainly in no rush to put the Blu-ray
in my player. The plot description reads like a propaganda piece advocating for
the importance of a specific medical practice, and the approach of “three
seemingly unrelated stories” is taken from the playbook of countless classic
experimental foreign films (and a few American imitations), leading me to
believe that I knew everything about the film before it even began. And this
may have been entirely true, if not for the finesse and artistry of director
Katall Quillévéré’s approach to the familiar formula and predictable narrative.
Equipped with motifs and metaphors carried through the film in the spectacular
imagery of Tom Harari’s cinematography and Alexandre Desplat’s resonant score,
Quillévéré is able to elevate the simple concepts of Heal the Living script into a true cinematic wonder.
Based on the
best-selling novel titled “The Heart,” by Maylis De Kerangal, Heal the Living splits the narrative
into three sections. The first follows a French teenager named Simon (Gabin
Verdet) on a surfing expedition taken with two close friends. We aren’t given a
great deal of dialogue to know much about Simon, but also don’t need it to
understand that he is drawn to the waves of the ocean. The film takes the time and
effort to give us polished visuals and serene music to help understand the
breathtaking beauty of surfing, to evoke the emotions and connection to nature
rather than focusing on the thrills of the sport. With this deep spiritual
connection associated with the activity, it is no wonder that the sounds and
images of waves return throughout the film at significant points.
As the plot description
of the film gives away, this surfing trip ultimately results in tragedy and
Simon is rushed to the hospital where his parents are forced to make a
difficult decision about how to proceed. The momentum of this powerful first
section is temporarily halted when the narrative suddenly switches directions
to give us the background of a Claire (Anne Dorval), a middle-aged woman with
two sons (one of which is near the same age as Simon) and a degenerative heart
disease that leaves her future uncertain. Without ever introducing the idea
that Simon’s tragedy may impact Claire’s life, we watch as she wrestles with
the idea of organ donation, while connecting with the people that matter to her
most as though she is preparing to say goodbye.
The final section
of the film unsurprisingly connects the first two together, as doctors go
through the technical steps necessary to making an organ donation possible.
While this section could easily be described as a coldly distanced medical
procedural, there are brief moments of sensitivity within the professionalism
that bring touching humanity into the situation. Any speed bump that the
distanced second section of the film may have caused in the momentum of the
narrative is quickly forgotten in the delicate touch of the finale. The film
ultimately rewards the patience of the viewer many times over, resulting in a
film that is sentimental without every feeling manipulative. Every emotion is
earned, through the delicate touch of Quillévéré’s direction and through the subtlety
in the performances of a magnificent ensemble cast.
Though many
dramas of this sort have little need for high definition presentation, Heal the Living is stylized in a way
that enhances the film. This makes the Blu-ray release an asset in presenting
the film in the best possible way, even if the special features are somewhat
sparse. All that is included as an extra on the disc is an interview with
Quillévéré, though there is a small booklet in the package that features from
beautiful still photography from the film’s more memorable moments.
Entertainment Value:
8/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 10/10
Historical
Significance: 8.5/10
Special Features: 4/10
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