Marius is the story of a bar owner's son who has been in love with his friend Fanny since they were young. Her feelings are reciprocated, but Marius goes back and forth on whether or not to pursue his other love, traveling which means leaving his life behind for a 5 year voyage, including Fanny.
The film focuses on the topic of sacrifices. All through the film all of our main characters make sacrifices. An example is when Marius decides to stay with Fanny instead of becoming a sailor , even if it means he will never be complete or fully happy. He does that because he knows Fanny is in love with him and him leaving would cause her pain. So he is willing to give up his dream for her. Fanny then does the same and lets Marius go even though she is madly in love with him and would rather her suffer than him. More examples using Fanny is when she premaritally sleeps with Marius sacrificing her reputation. She also sacrifices her happiness by agreeing to marry a much older sensible man named Panisse even though she would rather be with Marius.
Compare and contrast the film with what you have learned in class or any previous knowledge that you have about France. How is the vision of France in this film similar or different?
I think this film does and doesn't reflect what I envisioned of France. On one hand, the costume director picked a wardrobe that people envision French people to wear. Very minimalistic, stripes, sundresses, scarves, etc. It also has a very enchanting soundtrack that French films are very known for. But on the other hand I feel like this story could happen anywhere.
I did enjoy watching this film and would recommend it to others to watch when skimming through Netflix. At times I thought Marius was a little over dramatic, but still a good film. I was "on the same boat" as Marius on wanting to travel and see the world, but like his character faced it doesn't seem easy to leave your life and the people that care about you behind.I also learned that when people really care and love about you they out their needs aside for yours, and visa versa.
Great pinpointing of the focus on sacrifice. I think it's interesting to note which sacrifices actually are carried out--Marius wants to stay because he knows leaving would hurt Fanny, and Fanny wants him to go because she knows staying would hurt him. I just think it's interesting that Fanny is the one who then makes the sacrifice for Marius, as if the movie were making the point that individual dreams are stronger or should be more supported than that of relationships.
In response to your thought that this story could happen anywhere, I agree. I believe that the theme and storyline are fairly simple and recycled but some of the charm of the film was seeing a story that's familiar in a different cultural light.
Marius follows a young man who works in his father’s local bar. He loves his longtime friend Fanny, but wishes to travel more than marry her. He fabricates recurring lies to keep both facts from his father, but his father definitely figures him out. Overall, I’m not sure what I think about this movie yet. I think it was quite complex in its assessment of family and young love, but I can’t seem to find the moral. Follow your heart, even if it hurts someone else? Love is putting those you love before yourself? Family is everything? I’m just not sure which one stuck out more. The movie explored the differences between impulsive emotion and how one should act in terms of society by putting them side by side. This polarization stuck out for me when Fanny said, “love’s not the only thing in life, there are things much more important,” to selflessly get Marius to fulfil his dream to sail away when it was obviously hurting her terribly. Society pushed Marius and Fanny to get married because that was seen as the only acceptable option, but it conflicted with certain desires of the two characters (Marius: travel, Fanny: make her mother happy, money). The role of family was very present in Marius’ relationship with this father and Fanny’s with her mother. I’m not sure if this was a reflection of present-day France or the time period shown. I also liked the little details that were unique to France, like the people closing their shutters when Fanny and Marius talk too loudly in the street. I learned the emphasis on tradition that the family brings, and that (at least in this case) French movies don’t strive for a fairytale ending.
What you said about French films not ending in the traditional american fairytale way is interesting. I feel like that's also a very french way to make films because it's simply more interesting, as opposed to the american way that leaves people in a more comfortable state of mind. -Tom
Yea I agree with you and Tom. I think that is why I enjoy french films so much. They feel more honest, if that makes sense. Instead of focusing on the quality of the cinematography its simple and more about the story. Having watched so many foreign movies now I even expect the realest ending versus the happy ending.
Marius is about two coinciding love stories. The love that Fanny feels for Marius, and the love that Marius feels for the sea. Marius is a classic recapitulation of the romantic theme ‘If you love someone, let them go’. While Marius tries his hardest to leave his dreams behind, Fanny knows that if they marry he will never truly be happy. Something that plays a large roll in this film is the setting. In the coastal town filled with sailors there is a theme of unfaithful sailors that leave women behind as they go to sea. This is explicitly shown with the story of Fanny’s aunt as well as implicitly shown with the brothel in which Marius meets his future employers. Also the fact that it’s France changes the plot a little because as we learned in FYS, the French tend to stay close to their families even after they marry. This is displayed by the fact that Marius’ father expects him to stay and take care of the shop and even live with his father after he marries Fanny. If the movie were set in America it would have been easier for Marius and Fanny to be married but also escape their small town and fulfill Marius’ dreams. Something I found comical was the degree to which Marius and Fanny’s parents were involved in the romances of their children. At some point they were practically deciding for their children that they would be married because they both knew they loved each other. All in all Marius is a story that would have had a happy ending either way it turned out, while Marius leaving for sea may disappoint the romantics, I found the ending to be a bit of a twist that left the movie in a better place than I had anticipated.
That's a cool point about the typical French family. In Poland as well, marrying is often seen as not just "settling down" as we see in the US, but as literally settling down in the place where the most family resides. In terms of a heterosexual relationship, this is often seen to be settling close to the man's family, though the couple sometimes settles between two family groups if the distance between them is too far.
However, due to increased globalization and loosing of traditional ties, this marriage pattern is less and less common, especially closer to bigger cities. I would if the trend in France is shrinking as well?
Marius is the story of a young man who works in a bar with his father. He is in love, but struggles in making a difficult decision that would hurt no matter his choice. In the end he chooses to follow his heart at the sacrifice of someone else. It is so difficult to make big life decisions like the ones made in this film. Marius loves Fanny, but also loves the sea. Picking between two things that make you who you are, is extremely difficult. How does someone even begin to choose? Knowing that either decision he makes will hurt. If he picks to travel the sea he will lose Fanny, and if he stays with Fanny then he will never fulfill this dream or desire of his. Marriage is a beautiful thing but there are certain things that people as individuals must explore before they can commit the rest of their lives to that one person completely. Such as this situation, Marius clearly has a profound love with traveling the sea and settling down would terminate any chance of pursuing this dream. It was so blunt that even his lover was able to see it and tell him that he had to follow his heart even if he hurt her. This film was interesting, but I liked it. I love the music in it. The scenery was absolutely stunning and that is how I picture France. The beautiful architecture, clear water, being on the water, the stone streets, and that all around classic feel.
Marius is film about a young man working in his father's bar. He's madly in love with his childhood sweetheart, Fanny, who also is in love with him. They don't initial pursue each other due to Marius self-filling opportunity of exploring the sea for 5 years. In my opinion, the film focus around the motif of self-sacrifice for the interest of another. This motif is visually shown in the move when, Marius' father wants him to take over the shop from him despite his dream of traveling the sea. Also the motif is prevalent in the last scene where Marius decides not to go out to sea because Fanny would be distraught without him; Fanny allows him to go to sea despite her feelings for him. After I visited France for a week on two occasions, I got a feel for the culture of the French. Some of the clothing portrayed in the movie correlated with what some of the French people would wear on a typical day such as the scarves and nice buttoned shirts. It was an interesting film with a great soundtrack. Snap shots of the scenery were gorgeous and a bit realistic to a small town in France. I would recommend this film to others if they love a good love story with great background images.
Interesting point about self-sacrifice. I didn't think about it before, but a lot of the conflict stems from people coming to terms with the knowledge that they ultimately cannot plan someone else's life. Tagging alongside self-sacrifice, I'd say this film is very much about learn to let go as well - of circumstances and feelings as well as people.
Marius tells the story of a young French man (named Marius) who is secretly in love with the sea. He begins making arrangements with an old sailor for a place aboard the next ship, when a series of incidents makes him realize that he's in love with a childhood friend. The rest of the movie involves the struggle of deciding between two loves, a sense of duty, and which direction he truly want his life to go.
There were things that I loved about this film, and things that I thought were over done. I loved the music. I loved the banter between father and son. I loved the cinematography and picturesque colors; I didn't like dramatic close ups on people’s faces, especially Marius. Sometimes the characters themselves too were a bit forced and very dramatic. However, the drama is kind of what makes the story as intriguing as it is.
The film has a bit of a conflicting message. On one hand, Marius's decision to pursue his dreams leads him to embark on a life at sea - his ultimate goal. Fanny acknoweldges that he could never be truly happy if he stayed in France having never explored the world: thus, she lets him go. On the other hand, the film also warns of the negative effects your dreams have on others; while Marius find his place, Fanny (and probably later his Dad) are left completely heart-broken. Marius himself will probably question his decision at different points in his life. If this story has a message, it's probably that every action has a resulting consequence. It is important to make decisions so that life can go on, even though making a choice ultimately means having to give up something else.
Marius is the story of a bar owner's son who has been in love with his friend Fanny since they were young. Her feelings are reciprocated, but Marius goes back and forth on whether or not to pursue his other love, traveling which means leaving his life behind for a 5 year voyage, including Fanny.
RépondreSupprimerThe film focuses on the topic of sacrifices. All through the film all of our main characters make sacrifices. An example is when Marius decides to stay with Fanny instead of becoming a sailor , even if it means he will never be complete or fully happy. He does that because he knows Fanny is in love with him and him leaving would cause her pain. So he is willing to give up his dream for her. Fanny then does the same and lets Marius go even though she is madly in love with him and would rather her suffer than him. More examples using Fanny is when she premaritally sleeps with Marius sacrificing her reputation. She also sacrifices her happiness by agreeing to marry a much older sensible man named Panisse even though she would rather be with Marius.
Compare and contrast the film with what you have learned in class or any previous knowledge that you have about France. How is the vision of France in this film similar or different?
I think this film does and doesn't reflect what I envisioned of France. On one hand, the costume director picked a wardrobe that people envision French people to wear. Very minimalistic, stripes, sundresses, scarves, etc. It also has a very enchanting soundtrack that French films are very known for. But on the other hand I feel like this story could happen anywhere.
I did enjoy watching this film and would recommend it to others to watch when skimming through Netflix. At times I thought Marius was a little over dramatic, but still a good film. I was "on the same boat" as Marius on wanting to travel and see the world, but like his character faced it doesn't seem easy to leave your life and the people that care about you behind.I also learned that when people really care and love about you they out their needs aside for yours, and visa versa.
Great pinpointing of the focus on sacrifice. I think it's interesting to note which sacrifices actually are carried out--Marius wants to stay because he knows leaving would hurt Fanny, and Fanny wants him to go because she knows staying would hurt him. I just think it's interesting that Fanny is the one who then makes the sacrifice for Marius, as if the movie were making the point that individual dreams are stronger or should be more supported than that of relationships.
SupprimerIn response to your thought that this story could happen anywhere, I agree. I believe that the theme and storyline are fairly simple and recycled but some of the charm of the film was seeing a story that's familiar in a different cultural light.
SupprimerThe above anonymous was me (tom) I forgot to put my name in
SupprimerMarius follows a young man who works in his father’s local bar. He loves his longtime friend Fanny, but wishes to travel more than marry her. He fabricates recurring lies to keep both facts from his father, but his father definitely figures him out.
RépondreSupprimerOverall, I’m not sure what I think about this movie yet. I think it was quite complex in its assessment of family and young love, but I can’t seem to find the moral. Follow your heart, even if it hurts someone else? Love is putting those you love before yourself? Family is everything? I’m just not sure which one stuck out more. The movie explored the differences between impulsive emotion and how one should act in terms of society by putting them side by side. This polarization stuck out for me when Fanny said, “love’s not the only thing in life, there are things much more important,” to selflessly get Marius to fulfil his dream to sail away when it was obviously hurting her terribly. Society pushed Marius and Fanny to get married because that was seen as the only acceptable option, but it conflicted with certain desires of the two characters (Marius: travel, Fanny: make her mother happy, money).
The role of family was very present in Marius’ relationship with this father and Fanny’s with her mother. I’m not sure if this was a reflection of present-day France or the time period shown. I also liked the little details that were unique to France, like the people closing their shutters when Fanny and Marius talk too loudly in the street. I learned the emphasis on tradition that the family brings, and that (at least in this case) French movies don’t strive for a fairytale ending.
What you said about French films not ending in the traditional american fairytale way is interesting. I feel like that's also a very french way to make films because it's simply more interesting, as opposed to the american way that leaves people in a more
Supprimercomfortable state of mind.
-Tom
Yea I agree with you and Tom. I think that is why I enjoy french films so much. They feel more honest, if that makes sense. Instead of focusing on the quality of the cinematography its simple and more about the story. Having watched so many foreign movies now I even expect the realest ending versus the happy ending.
SupprimerTom Kelliher
RépondreSupprimerFilm Response 4
Leal-FYS
Marius is about two coinciding love stories. The love that Fanny feels for Marius, and the love that Marius feels for the sea. Marius is a classic recapitulation of the romantic theme ‘If you love someone, let them go’. While Marius tries his hardest to leave his dreams behind, Fanny knows that if they marry he will never truly be happy.
Something that plays a large roll in this film is the setting. In the coastal town filled with sailors there is a theme of unfaithful sailors that leave women behind as they go to sea. This is explicitly shown with the story of Fanny’s aunt as well as implicitly shown with the brothel in which Marius meets his future employers. Also the fact that it’s France changes the plot a little because as we learned in FYS, the French tend to stay close to their families even after they marry. This is displayed by the fact that Marius’ father expects him to stay and take care of the shop and even live with his father after he marries Fanny. If the movie were set in America it would have been easier for Marius and Fanny to be married but also escape their small town and fulfill Marius’ dreams.
Something I found comical was the degree to which Marius and Fanny’s parents were involved in the romances of their children. At some point they were practically deciding for their children that they would be married because they both knew they loved each other.
All in all Marius is a story that would have had a happy ending either way it turned out, while Marius leaving for sea may disappoint the romantics, I found the ending to be a bit of a twist that left the movie in a better place than I had anticipated.
That's a cool point about the typical French family. In Poland as well, marrying is often seen as not just "settling down" as we see in the US, but as literally settling down in the place where the most family resides. In terms of a heterosexual relationship, this is often seen to be settling close to the man's family, though the couple sometimes settles between two family groups if the distance between them is too far.
SupprimerHowever, due to increased globalization and loosing of traditional ties, this marriage pattern is less and less common, especially closer to bigger cities. I would if the trend in France is shrinking as well?
Marius is the story of a young man who works in a bar with his father. He is in love, but struggles in making a difficult decision that would hurt no matter his choice. In the end he chooses to follow his heart at the sacrifice of someone else.
RépondreSupprimerIt is so difficult to make big life decisions like the ones made in this film. Marius loves Fanny, but also loves the sea. Picking between two things that make you who you are, is extremely difficult. How does someone even begin to choose? Knowing that either decision he makes will hurt. If he picks to travel the sea he will lose Fanny, and if he stays with Fanny then he will never fulfill this dream or desire of his. Marriage is a beautiful thing but there are certain things that people as individuals must explore before they can commit the rest of their lives to that one person completely. Such as this situation, Marius clearly has a profound love with traveling the sea and settling down would terminate any chance of pursuing this dream. It was so blunt that even his lover was able to see it and tell him that he had to follow his heart even if he hurt her.
This film was interesting, but I liked it. I love the music in it. The scenery was absolutely stunning and that is how I picture France. The beautiful architecture, clear water, being on the water, the stone streets, and that all around classic feel.
Marius is film about a young man working in his father's bar. He's madly in love with his childhood sweetheart, Fanny, who also is in love with him. They don't initial pursue each other due to Marius self-filling opportunity of exploring the sea for 5 years.
RépondreSupprimerIn my opinion, the film focus around the motif of self-sacrifice for the interest of another. This motif is visually shown in the move when, Marius' father wants him to take over the shop from him despite his dream of traveling the sea. Also the motif is prevalent in the last scene where Marius decides not to go out to sea because Fanny would be distraught without him; Fanny allows him to go to sea despite her feelings for him.
After I visited France for a week on two occasions, I got a feel for the culture of the French. Some of the clothing portrayed in the movie correlated with what some of the French people would wear on a typical day such as the scarves and nice buttoned shirts.
It was an interesting film with a great soundtrack. Snap shots of the scenery were gorgeous and a bit realistic to a small town in France. I would recommend this film to others if they love a good love story with great background images.
Interesting point about self-sacrifice. I didn't think about it before, but a lot of the conflict stems from people coming to terms with the knowledge that they ultimately cannot plan someone else's life. Tagging alongside self-sacrifice, I'd say this film is very much about learn to let go as well - of circumstances and feelings as well as people.
SupprimerMarius tells the story of a young French man (named Marius) who is secretly in love with the sea. He begins making arrangements with an old sailor for a place aboard the next ship, when a series of incidents makes him realize that he's in love with a childhood friend. The rest of the movie involves the struggle of deciding between two loves, a sense of duty, and which direction he truly want his life to go.
RépondreSupprimerThere were things that I loved about this film, and things that I thought were over done. I loved the music. I loved the banter between father and son. I loved the cinematography and picturesque colors; I didn't like dramatic close ups on people’s faces, especially Marius. Sometimes the characters themselves too were a bit forced and very dramatic. However, the drama is kind of what makes the story as intriguing as it is.
The film has a bit of a conflicting message. On one hand, Marius's decision to pursue his dreams leads him to embark on a life at sea - his ultimate goal. Fanny acknoweldges that he could never be truly happy if he stayed in France having never explored the world: thus, she lets him go. On the other hand, the film also warns of the negative effects your dreams have on others; while Marius find his place, Fanny (and probably later his Dad) are left completely heart-broken. Marius himself will probably question his decision at different points in his life. If this story has a message, it's probably that every action has a resulting consequence. It is important to make decisions so that life can go on, even though making a choice ultimately means having to give up something else.