La vita di Jean Henri Fabre

Henri Diamant-Berger seems to have been a competent director, no more, who made one fine film. I enjoyed Monsieur Fabre enormously; Pierre Fresnay impressed me very strongly as the headstrong entomologist who was awarded the Legion d'honneur and then was hounded out of his teaching post for instructing the youth of Avignon in sex in the animal kingdom. I suppose the ramifications of Victorian scientific research are affecting us still: witness the creationism debate going on in the United States today.

It's Fresnay's film from beginning to end. The actor who played in Le Corbeau, Monsieur Vincent and many other films is just wonderful. I thought Élina Labourdette was going to have a substantial part, but we only see her in the brief Paris scenes (sigh).

This film is based on the life of France's great 19th Century entomologist, Jean Henri Fabre. This was one of the first French/American co-productions, with the original story and screen play by American playwright Jack Kirkland. Walter Futter had no role in the writing, as some source seem to incorrectly think.

Horace Woodard shot the excellent scientific photography that occupies a great deal of the 90-minute running time.

Pierre Fresnay plays the title role of a dedicated man, living in the south of France and somewhat ahead of his time. Fabre ekes out a meager existence for his huge family as a mathematics instructor who studies insects. Recognition of his work, both in the field of entomology and as it related to man's behavior, came slowly over a 50-year period that showed him that man alone possesses a soul and free will.

Monsieur Fabre is a decent vehicle for the great French actor Pierre Fresnay (who most may know as the aristocratic officer in Grand Illusion) and an educational story about a pioneering entomologist who should be better known .

The treatment combines many remarkable close shots of the insects Fabre studies and tries to teach his male offspring about (sexist to be sure in assuming the women offspring wouldn't be pursuing science, but true to the times) These scenes reminded me of the similarly remarkable nature footage of underwater creatures that documentary director Jean Painleve made his life work.

The other main strand is the familiar biopic arc of the great thinker and inventor who is not sufficiently appreciated by his stodgy and outright reactionary colleagues. They and the people in the small Southern France towns oppose Fabre for talking about how insects have sex and for allowing boys and girls to study together and for fostering humor and play in his classroom rather than strict discipline.

Deprived of a progressive champion in the Imperial court,Fabre withdraws into retirement and Fresnay cakes himself up in old age makeup.

If this kind of story sounds familiar it is because you and the French would have seen it before in the popular Hollywood entries The Story of Louis Pasteur and The Life of Emile Zola with Paul Muni also disguising himself in thick make up and speaking out against the ignorant and the prejudiced. There were also one of two similar biopics later with Edward G Robinson doing the honors.

So a mixed result here. But worth seeing to learn about Fabre and to look at the insects.

"Monsieur Fabre" is the 50 years story of an entomologist (and his family), constantly studying insects by inventing experiences. Far ahead of its time as a teacher, he is confronted to obsolete classic hierarchy when learning his pupils the flowers sexuality and crushes his hierarchy : in that sequence, Pierre Fresnay surpasses himself. Henri Diamant Berger and Pierre Fresnay succeeded in a brilliant biopic, Fresnay created a great character living a fantastic human adventure. "Monsieur Fabre" deserves recognition.