Customer Reviews

Le Grand Chemin [VHS]

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I certainly hope that the publisher reprints this movie soon. It is the story of a small boy who goes to live with his aunt for a summer in a rural part of France. He finds a quirky girl-friend and exhilerating adventures as a climber of heights. The images of the countryside from his various perches and the images of the townspeople, many of them delightfully eccentric, stay with you long after the film is over. All of this is seen mostly from the child's viewpoint, alternating with the story of his aunt's and uncle's relationship which has been tragically tested by the death of their own child. The remake (USA) cannot touch the original in its poetic imagery and its limited yet profound sense of the world, as seen through a child's eyes.

I saw this beautiful, touching film for the first time about 9 years ago. I taped it off of cable and have watched it so many times that the tape is worn out. I too am waiting for this wonderful tale of friendship, heart-ache, acceptance, and love to come to DVD. I hope whoever can make that happen, will decide to do it real soon because I'll be first in cyber-line to buy it. This was the first full length foreign film with sub-titles that I ever watched from beginning to end. This movie began my love affair with French cinema and strangely enough, came at a time when I made an aquaintance with a beautiful family in the Alsace-Lorraine region of France. Today, they are as close as my own family and I have taught myself how to read and write French. I still have not managed to finish this movie with-out shedding a kleenex full of tears at the touching ending. While I no longer need to read the sub-titles to understand what's being said, Le Grand Chemin needs no translation. It is a film that speaks loudly of Love in all languages. Don't miss it!..... Please release this one on DVD !!

Grand Chemin is a great movie. It's a story of frienship, love and growing up. It's about time this movie is brought to DVD, so we dont have to suffer with the American version, "Paradise."

I, also, saw this little gem years ago. I watched it over and over when it came to cable and then lost track of it. Thank goodness, I have found it again and as another reviewer stated it is well worth putting onto DVD.
If you've not seen it nor heard of it, it is worth your while to go out of your way to find it.
At 75 I should recognize something extraordinary when I see it.
Please, let us enjoy it on DVD in the near future.

This coming of age film represents typical rural life in a small town in France. Supposedly set in 1959, it seems more like the mid 50's. Filmed in 1986 with the director's son at age 10 it paints a canvas of rural French life, litle changed from prewar
provenchialism. Within the film's framework are most of life's circumstances torn open and closed in a delightful manner. This film is a classic not just for the photographic background, but for the intimate story that is woven between strands of hartfull music. This film is one to be viewed again and again. DVD format would be nice.

If you read the plot line, this may seem like a corny Disney family film, as the American remake was. The original, however, was blessed by sincere honesty, especially in the performances by all, including the director's ten year old son and the aunt & uncle the boy is deposited with for one summer. The eccentric locals are not overdone, the aunt & uncle's gradually revealed nightmare is resolved, and an at times tormenting tomboy girlfriend is humanised, all through the presence of one ten year old outsider. This is a sweet little gem of a movie, as the French do so well. It will remind one of Francois Truffaut and Louis Malle films like Small Change, Murmur of the Heart and Au Revoir Les Enfants. It certainly deserves DVD release.

I saw this film years ago on Canadian TV by accident while a student living in Buffalo. The two children are incredible, and the adults are equally strong. I found the whole coming-of-age story very touching and completely believable. One of my all-time favorite films... I will add my vote for a DVD or HD DVD release as this one is about as deserving as a film can be.

I watch this film continuously....I wish my copy contained English dub, as the white subtitles cover crucial areas of the picture and is annoying. 'Paradise' cannot compare, particularly with the presentation and appearance Vanessa Guedj gives us.
This film is long overdue for DVD, an I would love to obtain a clear, unobstructed copy.
I would like correspondence with fans of this great film. I have a deteriorated VHS copy, and the film is hard to obtain as it is.

mannfotofan@yahoo.com

A sweet, funny movie that doesn't go for the big laugh or the big dramatic moment, but instead builds slowly to a satisfying ending.

The main chacter is a adolescent boy who has been deposited at the house of one of his mother's friends in the French countryside for the summer until the some family problems can get resolved.

There are some problems there as well, but his engaging personality sees him and his host family through the summer, with everyone learning something along the way.

Great movie - be a little patient while watching, and you will be rewarded!

It is rare that I see a movie multiple times, but I have seen this movie 5 times - once in the cinema, and four times on video. As you may surmise, I really like this movie!

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I love this movie. I was delightfully surprised to discover it on cable TV a few years back. I grew up in France in the 50s and Grand Chemin is absolutely true to that era. It brought back many happy memories of those years when I was shipped off to my aunt and uncle's house in the south of France where I spent the lazy days of summer making new friends and experiencing similar adventures as Grand Chemin's characters do. I highly recommend the movie and can't wait to see it on DVD.