La vie heureuse de Léopold Z
Encyclopedia
La vie heureuse de Léopold Z (English: The Merry World of Léopold Z) is a 1965 comedy-drama
by Gilles Carle that played a key role in efforts to create a popular national cinema
in Quebec.
The film follows the misadventures of its title character, a snow plow operator for the City of Montreal, on Christmas Eve
. La vie heureuse de Léopold Z incorporates documentary film
footage of snow clearing in Montreal, and in fact, had been originally commissioned by the National Film Board of Canada
as documentary on snow clearing, only to be turned into a fictional film
by the director.The film paints a portrait of a hapless Québécois little man, battling the winter elements as well as the demands of consumerism
, sexual desire and the requirement at that time for French-speaking Quebecers to speak English to be successful.
As with other Quebec NFB
films of the period, La vie heureuse de Léopold Z incorporates Direct Cinema
techniques. It is also a film with a strong political point of view, with Carle intending his central character to be a "pre-revolutionary" figure, representing how the Québécois people were being exploited by a capitalist, English-speaking power structure.
Ironically, while the film portrays a plow operator battling a traditional Montreal snow storm, an almost snowless winter meant that Carle had to film sporadically over 18 months. The film would go on to win first prize in the feature films category at the Festival of Canadian Films, held as part of the 1965 Montreal International Film Festival (more commonly known now as the Montreal World Film Festival
).
Comedy-drama
Comedy-drama is a genre of theatre, film and television programs which combines humorous and serious content.-Theatre:Traditional western theatre, beginning with the ancient Greeks, was divided into comedy and tragedy...
by Gilles Carle that played a key role in efforts to create a popular national cinema
National cinema
Like other film theory or film criticism terms , the term "national cinema" is hard to define, and its meaning is debated by film scholars and critics. National cinema is a term sometimes used in film theory and film criticism to describe the films associated with a specific country...
in Quebec.
The film follows the misadventures of its title character, a snow plow operator for the City of Montreal, on Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve refers to the evening or entire day preceding Christmas Day, a widely celebrated festival commemorating the birth of Jesus of Nazareth that takes place on December 25...
. La vie heureuse de Léopold Z incorporates documentary film
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
footage of snow clearing in Montreal, and in fact, had been originally commissioned by the National Film Board of Canada
National Film Board of Canada
The National Film Board of Canada is Canada's twelve-time Academy Award-winning public film producer and distributor. An agency of the Government of Canada, the NFB produces and distributes documentary, animation, alternative drama and digital media productions...
as documentary on snow clearing, only to be turned into a fictional film
Fictional film
Fictional film or narrative film is film that tells a fictional story or narrative. Narrative cinema is usually contrasted to films that present information, such as a nature documentary, as well as to some experimental films...
by the director.The film paints a portrait of a hapless Québécois little man, battling the winter elements as well as the demands of consumerism
Consumerism
Consumerism is a social and economic order that is based on the systematic creation and fostering of a desire to purchase goods and services in ever greater amounts. The term is often associated with criticisms of consumption starting with Thorstein Veblen...
, sexual desire and the requirement at that time for French-speaking Quebecers to speak English to be successful.
As with other Quebec NFB
National Film Board of Canada
The National Film Board of Canada is Canada's twelve-time Academy Award-winning public film producer and distributor. An agency of the Government of Canada, the NFB produces and distributes documentary, animation, alternative drama and digital media productions...
films of the period, La vie heureuse de Léopold Z incorporates Direct Cinema
Direct Cinema
Direct Cinema is a documentary genre that originated between 1958 and 1962 in North America, principally in the Canadian province of Quebec and the United States...
techniques. It is also a film with a strong political point of view, with Carle intending his central character to be a "pre-revolutionary" figure, representing how the Québécois people were being exploited by a capitalist, English-speaking power structure.
Ironically, while the film portrays a plow operator battling a traditional Montreal snow storm, an almost snowless winter meant that Carle had to film sporadically over 18 months. The film would go on to win first prize in the feature films category at the Festival of Canadian Films, held as part of the 1965 Montreal International Film Festival (more commonly known now as the Montreal World Film Festival
Montreal World Film Festival
The Montreal World Film Festival , founded in 1977, is one of Canada's oldest international film festivals and the only competitive film festival in North America accredited by the FIAPF...
).
External links
- Watch La vie heureuse de Léopold Z, National Film Board of CanadaNational Film Board of CanadaThe National Film Board of Canada is Canada's twelve-time Academy Award-winning public film producer and distributor. An agency of the Government of Canada, the NFB produces and distributes documentary, animation, alternative drama and digital media productions...
website (in French)