Au coeur de la vie

BUYER BEWARE!

The short subject "La Rivière du Hibou" is only one part of a three-story anthology film by Robert Enrico called "Au coeur de la vie" ("In the Midst of Life", 1962) (please see "La Rivière du Hibou" elsewhere in IMDb). All three stories are inspired by Ambrose Bierce short stories about the American Civil War.

Something very strange happened to this particular episode of 'Au coeur de la vie'. First of all, it was proposed as Best Short Subject at the Oscars in 1962 and won, even though it had probably never been shown commercially that way in the US or anywhere else. Second, it was chosen as the very last episode of Rod Serling's TV series 'The Twilight Zone', in a cost-cutting gesture.

It is this truncated version that is generally available on VHS and DVD today. It is unfortunately not the way its director wanted it and the two other episodes of that film ('L'oiseau moqueur' and 'Chickamauga') have totally disappeared from everyone's consciousness.

That is really sad as I remember seeing the whole film in a cine-club in 1963 and going through a thoroughly gut-wrenching emotional experience because of the cumulative effect of these three stories which really bring home the profound tragedy of the American Civil War. Some producer somewhere probably decided that this film would be too intense to be shown in its entirety to an American audience and it has since sunk under the waters of forgetfulness, except for that maimed 'Twilight Zone' episode. For the record, "L'Oiseau moqueur" ("The Mockingbird") tells of the terrifying confrontation of two brothers on a battlefield and "Chickamauga" relates the famous battle from the point of view of a six-year-old deaf and mute child living on a plantation.

Let us all pray that somebody, somewhere will rescue it from the ravages of time before it is too late and make the whole thing available on DVD, in its original, uncut, uncompromised form, very, very soon…

Note of interest: The flashback scenes of Maximus in "Gladiator" are directly, shall we say, "inspired" by the same scenes in "La Rivière du Hibou". As much as I despise "Gladiator", I have to admire its director's good taste in borrowing from the best. Also note that the sad twist-ending of the Director's Cut of "Brazil" is also diredtly inspired by the ending of the famous "La Rivière au Hibou/Occurrence at Owl's Creek" episode.

The first segment of the French anthology based on Civil War writings by Ambrose Beirce IN THE MIDST OF LIFE, this is actually the least of the three stories (being somewhat draggy at 37 minutes) but still pretty good taken on its own merits. If anything, it sets the tone perfectly for the other two: being partially a story about childhood (like CHICKAMAUGA) and also sort of a plot-within-a-plot (like AN OCCURRENCE AT OWL CREEK BRIDGE), in this case a flashback to the protagonist's past. As expected, the period detail feels authentic and is exquisitely captured by the camera. Regrettably, some of the narration here is only presented in unsubtitled French!

The premise involves a soldier on guard in a forest shooting an unseen enemy who tries to cross the lines; in the excitement (being young and, thus, inexperienced), he recalls his life growing up and in particular how he was separated from his twin brother. This sets up the predictable but nevertheless effective twist ending, where it transpires that the man he killed was his own sibling (leaving one in doubt whether the latter was conscious of the other's identity and had come to greet him)! Incidentally, the title refers to the children's pet which is heard chirping a tune subsequently picked up by the fallen twin!

I followed this with yet another horror effort from this director – the made-for-TV but feature-length 'haunted house' tale THE GHOSTLY RENTAL (1965) and, for the sake of comparison, I also intend checking out the ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS episode from 1959 of "An Occurrence At Owl Creek Bridge".

This is a beautifully-made film, nearly silent, based on three Civil War stories by Ambrose Bierce. It is one of the most powerful antiwar films ever made.

It was shown in full at one of the early New York Film Festivals (in the 1960s), and the portion known as `An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge' has been shown as a short more frequently.

Unfortunately, it is difficult to get hold of a copy, although the New York Public Library does have one available for viewing on site.

It has long been on my personal list of the `Ten Best Films of All Time.'

Although it was made during the Nouvelle Vague days ,it's not Nouvelle Vague stuff.It's simply FRench cinema ,when it is at its most inventive ,its most moving,its most beautiful.If you do not like Jean-Luc Godard ,if Eric Rohmer makes you yawn your head off,and if you think that Jacques Rivette makes movies for the happy few you are not part of,"Au coeur de la vie" was made for you.Robert Enrico came in blaring,and unfortunately did not come out the same way.

Simply ,"Au coeur de la vie" is the lost forgotten treasure,the masterpiece of the early sixties almost nobody knows even in France.Its three segments were made separately but they form a seamless whole ;the third segment ,"La RIvière du Hibou" (aka "occurence at owl creek bridge" )is so mesmerizing,so fascinating ,so stunning that not only it became part of "the twilight zone" series but it also inspired Adrian Lyne's excellent "Jacob's ladder".

But it was a shame to get "La Rivière du Hibou out of its context! The three segments MUST be seen as Enrico wanted them to be !Let it be so!

"L'oiseau moqueur" is a complex story involving a soldier who may or may not have killed an enemy (?).The landscapes in the forest are filmed as they never were before (it might be a French forest but who cares?) and four decades later,"the BLair Witch project" tried to do what Enrico did circa 1960.The forest seems sometimes a place of quietness and serenity with the continuous noise of its wild life ,but it may soon become a disturbing threatening trap.As if it were not enough,Enrico introduces a sensational dream sequence -at first we think it's a new segment- where the mocking-bird,the dead woman and the twins may seem out of place ;but further acquaintance shows us that they prepare the last scene with its astonishing unexpected end.

"Chickamauga" ,the second segment is the best anti-war manifesto since Abel Gance's "J'accuse "(1918 and 1937).An user wrote that "Gladiator" borrowed elements from the third segment and when you reach such a level of creativity,it's not surprising.A child (at the end,we learn something about him which "explains" ,so to speak,his attitude)lives in a house in the South .One day he goes for a stroll in the forest.From a distance,war is raging ,to the sounds of "Dixieland" and "the battle hymn of the republic" .We will see nothing of the battle.Night has fallen.The child is going though the woods,where the dead bodies piled up .He plays the bugle and the soldiers awake and follow him ,as if he were the pied piper ,in some kind of dance macabre.A sequence to rival the wake of the Dead in Abel Gance's classic .The strength of the pictures will leave you on the edge of your seat.

"La Rivière du Hibou" is the most famous segment and has sometimes been shown alone as I mentioned before.I wrote a comment on it a few weeks ago ,(see this title)so I will not write a detailed review.Suffice to say its influence was essential on the fantasy and horror genre .It can be depicted as an hymn to the nature ,to love (the wife who is waiting) and to life .Man's justice,man's war can do nothing against the light of a sunny day.Life is short,so we 've got to make the best of what it's left to us,even if it were for a few seconds.

"Au coeur de la vie" ,although very ambitious in scope,although going to peaks of visual beauty (or horror) ,is accessible to anyone.

Robert Enrico would never come up with such a chef d'oeuvre again.Three movies as brilliant as this one would have challenged the notorious Nouvelle Vague and would have changed the face of French cinema forever.

SEE IT AT ANY COST!AT ANY COST!

Ambrose Bierce is a writer unknown to me, but the film that Robert Enrico has fashioned out of three Bierce stories has great power. The terrors of war are recreated here with great artistry by Enrico and his excellent cinematographer Jean Boffety (they made many films together). The sunlight cascading through dense foliage has rarely been so well caught in a movie.

I found the final story La Riviere du hibou (An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge is the English title) to be almost unbearable in its emotional power. The hanging party is set up with great attention to detail--the condemned man notes at one point that sharpshooters always have grey eyes like those of the man who's aiming at him--and the effect is stunning. This film must be issued on DVD.