Customer Reviews

Born in 68

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Almost 3 hours long, Born in 68 is three films in one. This is a very long film, punctuated with some wonderful performances between seemingly eternal interludes.

The first film is the story of a group of students in Paris, May 11, 1968, at the student revolution at Nanterre. Their revolution is against the tyranny of military service, the government, and thought control. The group moves to an abandoned farm in the south of France to start a commune of free love and sharing for all. The second film is the bridge where the commune falls apart, several children are born (most importantly two boys), and most everyone moves on to very different lives, save Catherine. The third film is the love affair between the two boys and the next generation's sexual revolution questioning gender.

Each act or film is marked by bookends, very similar scenes, which mark the end or beginning of the next act. This was a difficult film to follow. Time did not move in a linear fashion. People lost or gained beards, changed hair styles; women were shown large with baby and then delivering children, children got taller, but nobody ever really aged. Twenty and thirty years later, Catherine had the exact same gorgeous face and figure as she did in the beginning of the film. There were a few intercut titles that advanced the story several years. At one part of the film, a day lasted 10 or 15 minutes, and then time advanced with no warning several years in a minute or two. It was very difficult to figure out how much time had passed. It was also very difficult to keep track of the characters.

The story telling aside, this is a pretty movie. The scenery in Paris and the South of France is gorgeous. The actors are all very beautiful with their clothes on and off. The politics were nicely placed in the film; we follow Mitterand and then Chirac as two opposite presidents and their effect on the characters of the film. It is a pleasant film to watch.

Technically, this is a well constructed film. Camera work is steady. Shots are deliberate and well planned. The pacing is acceptable; the third act is a lot too long. I found myself during the last twenty minutes asking to film to just be finished.

The film is presented in French with English subtitles. The film is Not Rated, but is probably destined for mature audiences. There are many adult scenes, herbal cigarettes are smoked fairly frequently, there is a long completely nude outdoor dance with full frontal male and female nudity, early in the film an abortion is performed, and there are many scenes of males and females, and males and males having sex (although these scenes are done artfully). There was a bit of strong language in the subtitles, but nothing gratuitous. Violence was minimal, two gay men were beat up by some motorcycle riders, and a man is shown dead beside a waterfall. The translation is very good.

Overall, I didn't love this film. But then again, I didn't hate this film. It was hard to follow at times. I wish the passage of time was marked more clearly. For the French the eras are fairly well marked given the cars, politics, and clothes. It might be a bit difficult for non-French to exactly place the years. It is a long film.