#antoine marie lavalette

[josefavomjaaga]

Lavalette about the "divorce"

This is taken from "The Memoirs of Count Lavallette". An interesting remark (allegedly) made my Napoleon at the time when he finally decided to give Josephine the boot:

A few days before he had sent for me. He had been looking out for some friend of the empress, who might help to sweeten the bitter about to be presented to her. His choice fell on me. "The nation," he said, "has done so much for me, that I owe her the sacrifice of my dearest affections. Eugène is not young enough for me to keep him for my successor; nor am I old enough to give up all hopes of having children, and yet by Josephine I can have none. The tranquillity of France requires my choosing a new consort [...]"

Emphasis by me.

This statement, if true, would mean that the idea of Eugène suceeding Napoleon indeed had been around and had been seriously considered, at least by some people at court. But much more interesting to me is the reason why it can't happen, according to Napoleon: Eugène is too old.

Eugène, by the end of 1809, had only just turned 29. And with Naps being 40 and often enough in danger of being killed either in war or through assassination - would a successor old enough to immediately take over not have been advantageous?

But of course, Eugène also had been trained in the art of governing a country ever since he had been made viceroy of Italy (this fact was probably what made him look to some as the likely successor - he seemed as if Napoleon already prepared him for it). He was a grown man and, even if he usually in the end obeyed, he did have his own ideas.

Which was precisely the problem, in my opinion. A successor already old enough to develop his own political vision would have been somebody whose opinion an emperor might increasingly need to take into account. A newly born heir would not have any political ideas of his own for almost another two decades. Giving his father a lot more time to govern without the slightest considerations for anything but his own will.

This may have been the cause for Napoleon to call Eugène a "tête carrée" (blockhead, pigheaded) later on Saint Helena. Because Eugène indeed had dared to occasionally consider Napoleon's orders not quite perfect.

It's also why I feel like family life with the King of Rome might have turned much less idyllic very quickly, if Napoleon and his son had lived together until the latter reached puberty. Sooner or later, a Napoleon II would have decided he wanted to do some things differently than his father. And the opinion of the official crown prince could not have been brushed aside as easily as that of mere government officials.

[josefavomjaaga]

Thank you very much for this (and if I may add this: SO glad to have our Pixel back! 💚 Also enthusiastically waving at @tairin!)

It's not a secret that I'm very much down with you when it comes to Hortense, but if historical Hortense had been a little more like her novel alter-ego I would not have any problems with her at all. Book-Hortense may be bratty, stubborn and moody occasionally, but she also is clearly troubled and, overall, just your regular run-of-the-mill teenager who feels like she carries the weight of the world on her shoulders.

I loved how the book made it clear how young they all were. Including Napoleon, by the way. I also loved how the novel included some characters that are rarely brought into connection with the rest of the "cast", like Lavalette and Émilie de Beauharnais. And like you, over the course of the novel I became very fond of Caroline, who, in her own way, feels just as lost as Hortense.

As to Lavalette and Émilie: Lavalette was an aide-de-camp to general Bonaparte and apparently rather close to him, as he was already chosen to accompany 16-year-old Eugène to Corfou on an official mission in 1797 (a mission that was mostly an excuse to give the boy some nice holidays but did not prevent Eugène from almost getting himself killed - according to Kérautret possibly by some enraged husband... 😋 In any case, the fact he was picked to babysit the boy may already point to Lavalette being almost family).

Anyway. Lavalette plus Émilie was, I believe, the very first of Napoleon's many marriage projects, and as the novel shows, with his usual (lack of) success, at least in the beginning. Lavalette was not precisely pretty: balding, rather stout, and as our dear gossip girl Laure Junot puts it, all around a perfect personification of the god Bacchus. He has left some memoirs. According to them, Napoleon basically informed him of the marriage project on a carriage ride home, and, considering his own situation and Émilie`s renowned beauty, he totally thought his general was joking, and was laughing his ass of all the time. He only started to suspect this might be real when Josephine also talked about it. Émilie, as to her, was really in love with a certain other personality of the whole drama, just as shown in the book.

It did not keep her from turning into a true heroine in 1815, when her husband was on death row, just like Ney had been, who for some time was in the same prison as Lavalette but had already been shot by the time. The night before Lavalette was to be executed as well, Émilie and their daughter made a final visit to the prisoner. Behind a screen (that was there to give the couple some privacy), they switched clothes, and Lavalette, hidden behind a dark veil, left the prison while Émilie stayed behind. Some British officers managed to smuggle him out of the country, where he then his with Eugène and King Max Joseph in Bavaria.

Just adding this to give some explanation to this part of the novel as it seems like an extra belated (somewhat) happy ending to the story of that couple.

Thank you as usual for the review, and glad there was another book you could enjoy!

JACOBIN FICTION CONVENTION MEETING 36: THE GAME OF HOPE (2018)

1. The Introduction

Well, hello there, Citizens and Neighbors! I’m alive and back with a review, as promised. (Very happy about it too because I missed you!)

Now, to cut to the chase, @josefavomjaaga was the first person who told me about the novel’s existence, which had me a bit intrigued already due to my constant search for new media to consume and review.

However, my dear friend @tairin helped seal the deal and officially put this particular piece onto my review bucket list, as a physical copy of the book (in Russian) was her present for my birthday last year. I read the book back then but, due to all the other reviews and personal life stuff, kept putting away this particular review.

Fortunately, I finally found free time to catch up on the piece and post it, so here we go.

Before we proceed, here’s a link for anyone who wants to download the book in English. As mentioned, it’s available in Russian too, but Russian-speaking members of my audience will need to purchase the epub or a physical copy to be able to read it. I’m not sure if it’s available in any other languages.

Also, this review is dedicated to @josefavomjaaga , @tairin and @frevandrest ! Okay, let’s. Fucking. Begin.

2. The Summary

“The Game of Hope” tells the story of Hortense de Beauharnais, Napoleon’s stepdaughter, and her coming of age journey, including crushes, rivalries, and her life at Madame Campan’s boarding school for girls.

Although I loathe Hortense with a passion, review material is review material and I was still intrigued by the premise, so let’s see how this premise plays out in the book!

3. The Story

Generally, I enjoy coming of age stories and YA novels and, luckily, this one is no exception. It is melodramatic, but it’s justified because Hortense is a teenager and a dramatic person, so her POV having melodrama is expected.

It’s a slice of life kind of story and most political events happen in the background but still realistically affect the characters, which is realistic and very neat!

Also, this is by far the only book where anti-Frev sentiments don’t give me an urge to flip the fuck out, since Hortense lost her father and almost lost her mother during Frev and is far too naive and young to understand politics! Of course she will think Frev is evil and of course she will believe that being noble would be enough to have her executed!

The pacing is great too. There are some time skips but the author clearly knew when to do them and when to slow down. Now complaints here.

If you are craving a story with typical teenage melodrama involving historical figures, then I guess it’s a book for you.

4. The Characters

I don’t like Hortense as a person here, but as a character she’s realistic and nuanced. She has the selfish and bratty nature that would stick way into adulthood, but she genuinely loves Eugene and her friends at the boarding school. Also her resentment towards her stepfather and the Bonaparte siblings is quite realistic, as from her point of view they’re just asses towards her mother for no reason.

Caroline Bonaparte starts off as a rude bitch (also thanks to Hortense incorporating her own bias), but luckily she becomes more and more nuanced along the way and becomes sort of a frenemy to Hortense. Caroline clearly doesn’t enjoy studying under Madame Campan and wants out of there. Perhaps due to my bias, or because we don’t see her POV, Caroline grew on me more than Hortense.

Eugene (I HAVE to mention him) appears later on in the story and, as expected, is an absolute cinnamon roll.

Josephine is idealized in the story by Hortense, but she isn’t flawless and keeps trying to find Hortense a husband in the beginning. However, she also helps Caroline and Joachim marry, which makes their treatment of her later on a fucking dick move.

Émilie, Hortense’s cousin and close friend, is slightly older and already married (not that unheard of back then), but is still a teenager going through the typical motions common for that age. She is more mature than Hortense and feels trapped in a loveless marriage with Captain Lavalette (no idea who that is).

Campan is very strict but genuinely cares about her students. I liked the part where she has The Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen attached to the back of a portrait of Marie-Antoinette and flips the portrait when inspection arrives. Simple, but quite clever!

5. The Setting

No complaints here! Gorgeous descriptions that are very much historically accurate, and Hortense’s POV is conveyed masterfully, which aids the story greatly.

6. The Writing

Simple yet beautiful, without diving too much into purple prose territory and doesn’t shy away from mentioning or implying normal things like periods or sex. I can sense some pearl clutching might happen, but personally I think these topics should be normalized so I don’t complain. Also, my copy graciously included translations of Italian phrases, which is doubly awesome!

7. The Conclusion

Overall, an excellent, overall accurate and believable story! I highly recommend it to anyone interested in learning more about Hortense or just looking for a Frev/Napoleonic coming of age story without too much action.

Alright, on this note, I’m concluding today’s meeting of Jacobin Fiction Convention. Stay tuned for updates, guys!

Love,

Citizen Green Pixel

[nesiacha]

On this day of 10 Thermidor :rest in peace Robespierre Maximilien, Couthon Georges, Lavalette Jean Louis Baptiste, Hanriot François,Saint-Just Antoine, Payan Claude-François,Vivier Nicolas Joseph,Gobeau Adrien-Nicolas,Lescot-Fleuriot, Augustin-Bon- Joseph Robespierre, Jacques-Claude Bernard , Antoine Gency, Simon Antoine, Denis-Etienne Laurent, Jacques-Louis Frédéric Warme, Jean-Etienne Forestier, Nicolas Guerin, Jean-Baptiste-Mathieu Dhazard, Christophe Cochefer, Charles-Jacques-Mathieu Bougon and Jean-Marie Quenet.

[extrabeurre]

15 nominations pour LA DÉESSE DES MOUCHES À FEU au Gala Québec Cinéma 2021

Une autre année pas comme les autres pour le Gala Québec Cinéma, alors que les salles ont longtemps été fermées, ce qui n’a pas empêché une vingtaine de longs métrages de fiction de prendre l’affiche.

Dans la catégorie Meilleur film, on retrouve quatre des films qui ont été le plus vus et appréciés, soit Le club Vinland, La déesse des mouches à feu, My Salinger Year et Nadia Butterly, ainsi que Souterrain, dont la sortie a été maintes fois reportée, mais qui sera le film d’ouverture des Rendez-vous Québec Cinéma cette semaine.

Alignement semblable dans la catégorie Meilleure réalisation, avec Anaïs Barbeau-Lavalette (La déesse des mouches à feu), Sophie Dupuis (Souterrain), Philippe Falardeau (My Salinger Year) et Benoit Pilon (Le club Vinland), mais l’industrie a préféré Daniel Roby (Target Number One) à Pascal Plante (Nadia Butterly).

Dans la catégorie Meilleur sc��nario, encore là, les gros joueurs sont tous là: Normand Bergeron, Benoit Pilon, Marc Robitaille – Le club Vinland, Sophie Dupuis – Souterrain, Philippe Falardeau – My Salinger Year, Catherine Léger – La déesse des mouches à feu, Daniel Roby – Target Number One.

Du côté des actrices, on retrouve Émilie Bierre pour Les nôtres, Marie-Evelyne Lessard pour Jusqu’au déclin, l’actrice américaine Margaret Qualley pour My Salinger Year, Karelle Tremblay pour la coproduction Death of a Ladies’ Man, ainsi que Sarah Sutherland pour Like a House on Fire.

Les acteurs en lice pour l’Iris sont Réal Bossé pour Jusqu’au déclin, Paul Doucet pour Les nôtres, Patrick Hivon pour Mont Foster, Antoine Olivier Pilon pour Target Number One, et Sébastien Ricard pour Le club Vinland.

Dans les catégories « rôle de soutien », on retrouve Sophie Desmarais pour Vacarme, Marianne Farley pour Les nôtres, Éléonore Loiselle et Caroline Néron pour La déesse des mouches à feu, et la mythique Sigourney Weaver pour My Salinger Year chez les dames. 

Chez ces messieurs, les finalistes sont Normand D’Amour et  Robin L’Houmeau pour La déesse des mouches à feu, Rémy Girard pour Le club Vinland, ainsi que James Hyndman et Théodore Pellerin pour Souterrain.

La catégorie Révélation de l’année est l’une des plus intéressantes selon moi, car c’est un aperçu des visages marquants du cinéma des prochaines années. D’ailleurs, Émilie Bierre et Théodore Pellerin, en nomination cette année respectivement pour un premier rôle féminin et un rôle de soutien masculin, font partie des lauréats passés du prix Révélation. Donc, en 2021, les finalistes sont :  Kelly Depeault – La déesse des mouches à feu, Jasmine Lemée – Mon cirque à moi, Rosalie Pépin – Vacarme, Joakim Robillard – Souterrain et Arnaud Vachon – Le club Vinland.

Voici le reste des catégories :

MEILLEURE DISTRIBUTION DES RÔLES Iris de la Meilleure distribution des rôles

Deirdre Bowen (Deirdre Bowen Casting) | Heidi Levitt (Heidi Levitt Casting) | Bruno Rosato (Rosato Casting) | Supattra « Pum » Punyadee – Target Number One Marjolaine Lachance (Balustrade casting) – Les Nôtres Marjolaine Lachance (Balustrade casting) – Souterrain Murielle La Ferrière, Marie-Claude Robitaille (Casting Murielle La Ferrière et Marie-Claude Robitaille) – La déesse des mouches à feu Pierre Pageau, Daniel Poisson (Gros Plan) – Le Club Vinland

MEILLEURE DIRECTION ARTISTIQUE Iris de la Meilleure direction artistique

Patrice Bengle, Louise Tremblay – Le Club Vinland Elise de Blois, Claude Tremblay – My Salinger Year Sylvain Lemaitre, Louisa Schabas – Blood Quantum David Pelletier – Mon cirque à moi David Pelletier – Target Number One

MEILLEURE DIRECTION DE LA PHOTOGRAPHIE Iris de la Meilleure direction de la photographie

Jonathan Decoste – La déesse des mouches à feu François Gamache – Le Club Vinland Mathieu Laverdière – Souterrain Tobie Marier Robitaille – La nuit des rois Sara Mishara – My Salinger Year

MEILLEUR SON Iris du Meilleur son

Pierre-Jules Audet, Emmanuel Croset, Michel Tsagli – La nuit des rois Sylvain Bellemare, Paul Col, Bernard Gariépy Strobl, Martyne Morin – La déesse des mouches à feu Sylvain Bellemare, Bernard Gariépy Strobl, François Grenon – Jusqu’au déclin Stéphane Bergeron, Olivier Calvert, Martyne Morin – Nadia, Butterfly Luc Boudrias, Frédéric Cloutier, Patrice LeBlanc – Souterrain

MEILLEUR MONTAGE Iris du Meilleur montage

Aube Foglia – La nuit des rois Michel Grou – Souterrain Stéphane Lafleur – La déesse des mouches à feu Arthur Tarnowski – Jusqu’au déclin Yvann Thibaudeau – Target Number One

MEILLEURS EFFETS VISUELS Iris des Meilleurs effets visuels

Alchimie 24 – Sébastien Chartier, Jean-François « Jafaz » Ferland, Marie-Claude Lafontaine – Jusqu’au déclin Real by Fake – Michael Beaulac, Marie-Hélène Panisset – Target Number One The Workshop – Barbara Rosenstein, Josh Sherrett – Blood Quantum

MEILLEURE MUSIQUE ORIGINALE Iris de la Meilleure musique originale

Olivier Alary – La nuit des rois Patrice Dubuc, Gaëtan Gravel – Souterrain Guido Del Fabbro, Pierre Lapointe – Le Club Vinland Jean-Phi Goncalves, Éloi Painchaud, Jorane Pelletier – Target Number One Martin Léon – My Salinger Year

MEILLEURS COSTUMES Iris des Meilleurs costumes

Caroline Bodson – Souterrain Francesca Chamberland – Le Club Vinland Patricia McNeil, Ann Roth – My Salinger Year Noémi Poulin – Blood Quantum Sharon Scott – Mon cirque à moi

MEILLEUR MAQUILLAGE Iris du Meilleur maquillage

Kathryn Casault – La déesse des mouches à feu Dominique T. Hasbani – Jusqu’au déclin Audray Adam, Sandra Ruel – Souterrain Joan-Patricia Parris, Nancy Ferlatte, Erik Gosselin – Blood Quantum Larysa Chernienko, Natalie Trépanier – Target Number One

MEILLEURE COIFFURE Iris de la Meilleure coiffure

Michelle Côté – My Salinger Year Stéphanie DeFlandre – Mon cirque à moi André Duval – Le Club Vinland Marcelo Padovani – Blood Quantum Johanne Paiement – La déesse des mouches à feu

MEILLEUR FILM DOCUMENTAIRE Iris du Meilleur film documentaire

Errance sans retour – Mélanie Carrier, Olivier Higgins | Mö Films – Mélanie Carrier, Olivier Higgins The Forbidden Reel – Ariel Nasr | Office national du film du Canada – Kat Baulu | Loaded Pictures – Sergeo Kirby | Ariel Nasr Je m’appelle humain – Kim O’Bomsawin | Terre Innue – Andrée-Anne Frenette Tant que j’ai du respir dans le corps – Steve Patry | Les Films de l’Autre – Steve Patry Wintopia – Mira Burt-Wintonick | Office national du film du Canada – Annette Clarke | EyeSteelFilm – Bob Moore

MEILLEURE DIRECTION DE LA PHOTOGRAPHIE | FILM DOCUMENTAIRE Iris de la Meilleure direction de la photographie | Film documentaire

Sarah Baril Gaudet – Passage Hugo Gendron, Michel Valiquette – Je m’appelle humain Olivier Higgins, Renaud Philippe – Errance sans retour Mathieu Perrault Lapierre – The 108 Journey Marianne Ploska – Prière pour une mitaine perdue

MEILLEUR SON | FILM DOCUMENTAIRE Iris du Meilleur son | Film documentaire

Pierre-Jules Audet, Luc Boudrias, Olivier Higgins, Kala Miya – Errance sans retour Stéphane Barsalou, Claude Beaugrand, Julie Innes – Le château Marie-Andrée Cormier, Olivier Germain, Marie-Pierre Grenier – Prière pour une mitaine perdue Benoît Dame, Catherine Van Der Donckt – Jongué, carnet nomade Olivier Germain, Marie-Pierre Grenier – Wintopia

MEILLEUR MONTAGE | FILM DOCUMENTAIRE Iris du Meilleur montage | Film documentaire

Anouk Deschênes – Wintopia Olivier Higgins, Amélie Labrèche – Errance sans retour Annie Jean – Le château Annie Jean – The Forbidden Reel Alexandre Lachance – Je m’appelle humain

MEILLEURE MUSIQUE ORIGINALE | FILM DOCUMENTAIRE Iris de la Meilleure musique originale | Film documentaire

Tom Brunt – Prière pour une mitaine perdue Martin Dumais – Errance sans retour Justin Guzzwell, Tyr Jami, Eric Shaw – Sisters: Dream & Variations Mathieu Perrault Lapierre – The 108 Journey Claude Rivest – Jongué, carnet nomade

MEILLEUR COURT MÉTRAGE | FICTION Iris du Meilleur court métrage | Fiction

Aniksha – Vincent Toi | Vincent Toi, Guillaume Collin Comme une comète – Ariane Louis-Seize | Colonelle films – Fanny Drew, Sarah Mannering Écume – Omar Elhamy | Les Films Rôdeurs – Jonathan Beaulieu-Cyr, Paul Chotel Goodbye Golovin – Mathieu Grimard | Golovin Films – Simon Corriveau-Gagné, Mathieu Grimard Lune – Zoé Pelchat | MéMO Films – Mélanie S. Dubois

MEILLEUR COURT MÉTRAGE | ANIMATION Iris du Meilleur court métrage | Animation

Barcelona de Foc – Theodore Ushev | Theodore Ushev The Fourfold – Alisi Telengut | Alisi Telengut In the Shadow of the Pines – Anne Koizumi | Nava Projects – Sahar Yousefi Moi, Barnabé – Jean-François Lévesque | Office national du film du Canada – Julie Roy La saison des hibiscus – Éléonore Goldberg | Embuscade films – Nicolas Dufour-Laperrière

MEILLEUR COURT MÉTRAGE | DOCUMENTAIRE Iris du Meilleur court métrage | Documentaire

Clebs – Halima Ouardiri | Halima Ouardiri Le frère – Jérémie Battaglia | Les Films Extérieur Jour – Amélie Lambert Bouchard Life of a Dog – Danae Elon, Rosana Matecki | Entre deux mondes Productions – Paul Cadieux, Danae Elon Nitrate – Yousra Benziane | Yousra Benziane Port d’attache – Laurence Lévesque | Elise Bois

PRIX DU PUBLIC

Le Club Vinland – Benoit Pilon | Normand Bergeron, Benoit Pilon, Marc Robitaille | Les Films Opale | Productions Avenida – Chantal Lafleur La déesse des mouches à feu – Anaïs Barbeau-Lavalette | Catherine Léger | Entract Films | Coop Vidéo de Montréal – Luc Vandal Félix et le trésor de Morgäa – Nicola Lemay | Marc Robitaille | Maison 4:3 | 10e Ave Productions – Nancy Florence Savard Flashwood – Jean-Carl Boucher | Jean-Carl Boucher | Entract Films | Go Films – Jean-Carl Boucher, Nicole Robert Jusqu’au déclin – Patrice Laliberté | Charles Dionne, Nicolas Krief, Patrice Laliberté | Netflix | Couronne Nord – Julie Groleau Like a House on Fire – Jesse Noah Klein | Jesse Noah Klein | Entract Films | Colonelle films – Fanny Drew, Sarah Mannering | Woods Entertainment – William Woods Mon cirque à moi – Miryam Bouchard | Miryam Bouchard, Martin Forget | Les Films Séville | Attraction Images – Antonello Cozzolino Mont Foster – Louis Godbout | Louis Godbout | K-Films Amérique | Les Films Primatice – Sébastien Poussard My Salinger Year – Philippe Falardeau | Philippe Falardeau | Métropole Films | micro_scope – Luc Déry, Kim McCraw | Parallel Films – Ruth Coady, Susan Mullen Nadia, Butterfly – Pascal Plante | Pascal Plante | Maison 4:3 | Némésis Films – Dominique Dussault Les Nôtres – Jeanne Leblanc | Judith Baribeau, Jeanne Leblanc, | Maison 4:3 | Slykid & Skykid – Benoit Beaulieu, Marianne Farley Rustic Oracle – Sonia Bonspille Boileau | Sonia Bonspille Boileau | 7th Screen | Nish Media – Jason Brennan Le sang du pélican – Denis Boivin | Denis Boivin | Les Distributions Netima | Productions Dionysos – Denis Boivin Slaxx – Elza Kephart | Patricia Gomez Zlatar, Elza Kephart | Filmoption International | EMAfilms – Anne-Marie Gélinas | Head on the Door Productions – Patricia Gomez Zlatar Target Number One – Daniel Roby | Daniel Roby | Les Films Séville | Caramel Films – Valérie d’Auteuil, André Rouleau We Had It Coming – Paul Barbeau | Paul Barbeau | MK2 Mile End | Reprise Films – Melissa A. Smith, Paul Barbeau

IRIS HOMMAGE

Association coopérative de productions audiovisuelles (ACPAV) Représentée par Marc Daigle et Bernadette Payeur

[brochunews]

«Miséricorde»: délit de fuite

Dans le paysage cinématographique suisse, Fulvio Bernasconi fait figure d’exception. Né à Lugano, il a fait ses études en cinéma à Genève, où il vit toujours, ce qui ne l’empêche pas de tourner en Suisse romande, en Suisse allemande et en Suisse italienne. Qu’il se retrouve à la barre d’un film tourné au Québec, où un Suisse (le Belge Jonathan Zaccaï) découvre les rapports conflictuels entre les communautés blanche et autochtone, n’a presque rien de surprenant.

« Ayant tourné des documentaires dans des conditions difficiles, comme au Liberia ou au Zimbabwe quand c’était fermé, j’ai une certaine capacité de pénétration dans les communautés lointaines, confie le réalisateur de passage à Montréal. Je ne veux pas mentir, j’ai bien senti qu’il y avait une méfiance entre les Blancs et les Amérindiens. Peut-être que le fait d’être Européens nous a aidés parce que nous ne partageons pas ce passé tragique. Je ne sais pas si la neutralité helvétique y est pour quelque chose, mais durant le tournage, nous avons pu créer des liens. L’expérience du film a été heureuse. »

Respect des traditions

Écrit avec Antoine Jaccoud (L’enfant d’en haut d’Ursula Meier), Miséricorde se penche sur les répercussions, au sein de la communauté de Lac-Simon, de la mort d’un adolescent autochtone happé par un camion. Alors qu’il s’apprêtait à regagner la Suisse, Thomas (Zaccaï), policier au passé trouble, rebrousse chemin et promet à la mère du jeune garçon (Marie-Hélène Bélanger) de retrouver le chauffard. Suivant la tradition autochtone, l’adolescent ne pourra être enterré que lorsque le chauffard demandera pardon. L’oncle du défunt (Marco Collin) viendra alors en aide au policier pour trouver le camionneur.

« En faisant des recherches, on a découvert que les autochtones avaient une incarnation assez belle du pardon. Lorsque quelqu’un leur demande pardon d’une manière sincère, ils n’ont pas le choix de le donner. C’est dans leur culture, mais c’est aussi une nécessité. Autrefois, pour un peuple nomade, il n’y avait pas de prison. Soit on excluait quelqu’un de la communauté, soit on lui pardonnait. Je trouve que c’est un aspect très positif de leur culture et c’est ce qu’on avait envie de dire avec Miséricorde », explique Fulvio Bernasconi.

Croisements culturels

Bien que son nom apparaisse tôt au générique, le personnage qu’incarne Évelyne Brochu n’arrive qu’à mi-chemin du récit. Fille d’une immigrante allemande (Marthe Keller), Mary-Ann élève seule ses deux enfants. À l’instar de Thomas, c’est un être tourmenté. « Ce qui m’attirait beaucoup, c’est l’immense guerre intérieure que vit chaque personnage », affirme l’actrice, dont l’interprétation dans Inch’Allah d’Anaïs Barbeau-Lavalette lui a valu ce rôle.

À propos de la réalité dépeinte dans Miséricorde, Évelyne Brochu n’a que de bons mots à propos du cinéaste et du scénariste : « Le film est à l’image de Fulvio, doux, tendre, humble. Il a fait ce film avec grâce et délicatesse, comme ses films précédents où il traitait de thèmes durs. Ce n’est pas du tout le regard européen colonisateur sur la réalité autochtone, sur la pourvoirie, sur le camionnage. Antoine Jaccoud est capable de cibler des choses très fines. C’est un amateur du Québec, où il est venu plusieurs fois. Il est vraiment allé à la rencontre des réalités qu’il décrit. Je n’aurais pas participé à un projet où cette rencontre entre Blancs et autochtones n’aurait pas été abordée avec respect et délicatesse. »

Ayant choisi les paysages de l’Abitibi pour illustrer les conflits intérieurs du personnage central, Fulvio Bernasconi ne cache pas s’être inspiré du cinéma américain pour illustrer cette quête du pardon. « Ce paysage-là, qui est dur, rude et même blessé par ces énormes mines, semblait idéal pour tourner ce film-là. C’est clair que, pour un Européen qui tourne dans ces grands paysages, il y a une petite référence aux westerns. Personnellement, je trouve qu’il y a des liens thématiques et narratifs avec ce type de films ; il y a un homme seul qui poursuit la justice, confronté à la nature, aux autres. Je dois avouer que j’ai regardé La prisonnièredu désert de John Ford avec John Wayne. »

« Il y a aussi des références au road movie, mais ce n’est jamais maniéré, elles servent toujours la quête du personnage principal, qui chasse un coupable afin de chasser le coupable en lui. Ces grandes routes-là, ce sont aussi les routes pour aller vers soi et s’éloigner de soi. Et les prises de vue de ces routes illustrent la dureté de ce que les personnages vivent, de ce qui les habite », conclut Évelyne Brochu.

source

[riguetblogw]

Antoine-Marie Chamans de Lavalette par Les balades d'Alexandra

Antoine-Marie Chamans de Lavalette par Les balades d’Alexandra

  La parole est à Alexandra DELRUE

    Les balades d’Alexandra, aujourd’hui Antoine Marie Chamans de Lavalette

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  Antoine Marie Chamans de Lavalette épousa le 22 avril 1798 Emilie de Beauharnais, nièce de l’impératrice et ce, sur les conseils de Bonaparte. Conseil avisé puisque les deux époux s’aimèrent tendrement. En dépit du retour de Louis XVIII sur le trône et l’exil de Napoléon à…

[josefavomjaaga]

Hi ! Who was Eugène friends with throughout his life and were there people with whom he was not so friendly? How was your relationship with your wife's family? Thank you!

Hi there, and thanks for the question! Also, please bear with me, ´coz this is going to be lengthy.

Eugène's position changed a lot over the years but there are some people, usually not well-known, who will remain friends with him throughout all his life.

During the Consulate, Eugène was something like everybody's darling. This was partly due to his position as stepson of the new chief of state. First Consul Bonaparte increasingly resembled a monarch, and Eugène, the son of Madame Bonaparte,was the closest thing to a crown prince there was. Eugène's biographer Michel Kérautret emphasises how much he (and in a different vein his sister) were seen as the »next generation of France«. Eugène commanded one of the most famous regiments, the Chasseurs au Cheval de la Garde, and was universally admired. Little boys looked at him with big eyes when he walked by. Besides, he was completely apolitical, only interested in women, horses and the army, and could therefore be invited by anyone. As long as there was music and dancing, Eugène was happy.

His closest friends also came from the ranks of the army. His probably best friend is hardly known: Auguste Bataille (de Tancarville), later Baron of the Empire and one of Eugène's aides-de-camp. Napoleon was not very enthusiastic about him and his abilities. (If I remember correctly, poor Bataille once had the misfortune to have a thief steal the briefcase with the documents he was supposed to bring to Napoleon. Eugène then got a nasty letter saying "Don't send me that idiot any more!")

Auguste Bataille remained in Eugène's service until his death in 1821. He is the one Eugène sends to Napoleon in 1809 to report the arrival of the Armée d'Italie in Austria (when Eugène was probably expecting the thrashing of his life and instead received a hero's welcome). But he is also the one whom Eugène's sister and wife turn to when they want news of Eugène and he himself has no time to write, so clearly someone who is quasi-family. When Eugène had to leave Italy, Bataille, who was married there, remained behind to administer Eugène's Italian properties. He died in 1821, and when Planat de la Faye asked Eugène for a job in 1822, Eugène explicitly referred to the late Bataille and said "You have seen who else belongs to my entourage. Bataille was my friend and the only one I could really rely on - I want someone like that again." (Planat de la Faye will take this job very seriously and later defend Eugène's memory like a bloodhound).

Just to mention a few other people who became important to Eugène since his time in Italy and who also accompanied him to Munich into exile: his cousin Louis Tascher and his wife, his adjutant General Triaire and the family of his former secretary for political affairs, Etienne Méjean and his only remaining son. After Eugène's death, Eugène’s children will grow up with the children of Méjean Jr.; they will call them "Papa Méjean" and Grand-Papa Méjean".

Let's move on to more prominent people. Among the marshals, Eugène's best friend was clearly Bessières. Bessières had been Eugène's superior since Egypt and remained so until Eugène went to Italy as viceroy. Apparently Napoleon had tasked Bessières with taking Eugène under his wing (or perhaps just with preventing his overzealous stepson from accidentally killing himself in the Sahara in an attempt to somehow distinguish himself). This resulted in a friendship that lasted for years. Eugène called Bessières "tu" in his letters, even when he had become prince and viceroy; there are apparently over a dozen letters to him in the "Archives Nationales", which are according to the description "of a predominantly private nature". After returning from Egypt, Eugène and Bessières shared a house in Paris (and apparently the two also plunged into Paris nightlife together). Eugène also accompanied Bessières when the latter visited his fiancée in Cahors and repeatedly sent his regards to Madame Bessières. After Bessières' death, there were several letters of condolence between Eugène and Bessières’ widow. In his memoirs, Eugène defended Bessières against some accusations that Lannes had made against him after the battle of Marengo. (One would think that this would have been time-barred by 1823).

Duroc, from whom Eugène sometimes sent greetings in his letters to Hortense, completed the trio of friends (but Duroc seemed to get on well with everyone). Eugène recounts in his memoirs how Duroc once stopped him from literally sleeping through his duty in Egypt; later they lay wounded side by side in the military hospital outside Acre (Duroc, however, considerably worse). When Eugène was left all alone and clueless in Milan as Viceroy of Italy (that was how he saw the matter), Duroc seems to have been the only one who regularly looked after him and wrote to him. Apparently Duroc and Eugène also "shared" the attentions of a young lady from the stage (Emilie Bigottini). Later, whenever Napoleon was particularly angry with Eugène (which happened with a certain frequency), he did not write to him himself, but had someone else write; usually it was Duroc. Duroc was also the one who delivered the marriage proposal to Eugène's prospective father-in-law. When Eugène was in Vienna in 1809, he wrote an enthusiastic letter home to his wife because he had finally, for the first time in three years, been dining together with Bessières and Duroc! (Funnily enough, Bessières wrote almost the same letter to his wife).

However, Eugène's oldest friend among Napoleon's close collaborators, who even became his relative, was Lavalette. When Eugène, not quite 16 and just out of school, went to Italy as Napoleon's adjutant, the first Italian campaign was basically over. Napoleon sent his stepson to Corfu with dispatches (and explicit orders to get some rest and sightseeing there), and gave him Lavalette as an escort. Before the Egyptian campaign, when Lavalette was to ask for the hand of Emilie de Beauharnais, Eugène had to chaperone him and his cousin for a walk, only to remember that he had urgent business elsewhere and leave them alone. Lavalette was also among those whom Eugène continued to address as "tu" in his letters after he was promoted to viceroy. And after Lavalette narrowly escaped execution in the Second Restoration, he took refuge with Eugène in Bavaria, where Eugène and King Max more or less successfully hid him.

I'm limiting this to Eugène's male friends, by the way. Female acquaintances are another matter altogether.

Who did Eugène not get on so well with? Quite a lot of people, interestingly enough, consideringhe is described in almost all sources as incredibly amiable, patient and sociable.

There is, of course, his rivalry with Murat, the exact origins and background of which would interest me immensely. The two were actually in a very similar position from 1810 on at the latest, but rather than communicating with each other, the two seem to have been constantly at each other's throats. I have the impression that Murat made a timid attempt at reconciliation now and then, and that at this stage Eugène was the one who no longer wished to hear anything from Murat. Probably because he held Murat responsible for Napoleon's separation from Josephine.

And only to avoid any false impression: Murat and Eugène also called each other "tu" when they met in private. But in their official correspondence, they almost suffocate from the pompous phrases they throw at each other.

Someone Eugène did not get on with at all was Marshal André Masséna. For this, I think alot of things came together: a social background that couldn't be more different, and perhaps a sense of class superiority on Eugène's part. On the other side, Masséna, who had really fought his way up from the gutter by his own efforts, was unlikely to have taken seriously this brat who, thanks to his stepdad, was allowed to play viceroy in Italy. Eugène, for his part, with his rather naïve attitude to war, was horrified by Masséna's ... rather creative approach to the subject of requisition and his general attitude to "mine" and "yours". In 1805 he complained bitterly about the way Masséna and his men had plundered the Italians they were supposed to protect, and Masséna actually had to pay back a huge amount of money. In 1809, Eugène desperately wanted no marshal (it would probably have been Masséna) to be sent to Italy, but to be allowed to take command himself. When the battle of Sacile promptly turned into a disaster, Napoleon told him pointedly that this would not have happened with Masséna, Masséna’s plundering notwithstanding.

Similarly, Eugène clashed with Auguste Marmont. This was also about money, financial trickery and personal enrichment. On this point, Eugène did not joke (and presumably this was precisely the reason why Napoleon had appointed him as overseer in Italy). The friction with Marmont developed into an enmity that lasted truly until after the death of the two adversaries, or rather only really erupted there: Marmont accused Eugène in his posthumously published memoirs (not entirely without reason, but in a rather exaggerated manner) of having been the main reason for Napoleon's defeat in 1814, and Eugène's daughters and Planat de la Faye (see above) then took the editor of the memoirs to court. Absolutely crazy.

From his correspondence, I take it he also at least once discovered Bourienne’s financial shenanigans in Hamburg.

I unfortunately do not know how his relationship with Marshal Lannes was (but I would love to know). My gut feeling says: probably similar to Masséna. Eugène does mention Lannes twice in his memoirs, both times respectfully. But I have not come across any personal interaction or correspondence between them at all. As Lannes was close to Murat and somewhat at odds with Bessières, he’s unlikely to have been friends with Eugène.

As this has gotten so long already, I’ll stop here and put anything about Eugène’s Bavarian in-laws into an extra post at a later date. Just so much for now: If this was Facebook, I’d pick »It’s complicated«.

[extrabeurre]

Gala Québec Cinéma 2021: Choix et prédictions

Le Gala Québec Cinéma sera diffusé ce dimanche 6 juin à 20 h à Radio-Canada, avec Geneviève Schmidt à l’animation.

Pour le fun, voici mes choix et mes prédictions dans les catégories longs métrages de fiction (je n’ai pas assez vu de documentaires ou de courts pour m’avancer).

Rappel :  La déesse des mouches à feu a été le film le plus couronné du Gala Artisans jeudi soir avec un total de 3 prix Iris (Meilleure distribution des rôles, Meilleur montage, Meilleure coiffure). Deux Iris ont été attribués à Souterrain (Meilleure direction de la photographie, Meilleur son). Le Club Vinlanda aussi obtenu 2 Iris (Meilleure direction artistique, Meilleurs costumes).  L’Iris des Meilleurs effets visuels a été remis à Jusqu’au déclin. Martin Léon a reçu le trophée de la Meilleure musique originale pour My Salinger Year. Blood Quantum a obtenu l’Iris du Meilleur maquillage. L’Iris du Film s’étant le plus illustré à l’extérieur du Québec en 2020 a été remis à The Song of Names de François Girard.

MEILLEUR FILM Le Club Vinland – Productions Avenida – Chantal Lafleur [ PRÉDICTION ] La déesse des mouches à feu – Coop Vidéo de Montréal – Luc Vandal My Salinger Year – micro_scope – Luc Déry, Kim McCraw | Parallel Films – Ruth Coady, Susan Mullen Nadia, Butterfly – Némésis Films – Dominique Dussault [ CHOIX ] Souterrain – Bravo Charlie – Etienne Hansez

MEILLEURE RÉALISATION [ PRÉDICTION ] Anaïs Barbeau-Lavalette – La déesse des mouches à feu Sophie Dupuis – Souterrain Philippe Falardeau – My Salinger Year Benoit Pilon – Le Club Vinland [ CHOIX ] Daniel Roby – Target Number One

MEILLEUR SCÉNARIO [ PRÉDICTION ] Normand Bergeron, Benoit Pilon, Marc Robitaille – Le Club Vinland Sophie Dupuis – Souterrain [ CHOIX ] Philippe Falardeau – My Salinger Year Catherine Léger – La déesse des mouches à feu Daniel Roby – Target Number One

MEILLEURE INTERPRÉTATION FÉMININE | PREMIER RÔLE [ CHOIX ] [ PRÉDICTION ] Émilie Bierre (Magalie Jodoin) – Les Nôtres Marie-Evelyne Lessard (Rachel) – Jusqu’au déclin Margaret Qualley (Joanna) – My Salinger Year Sarah Sutherland (Dara) – Like a House on Fire Karelle Tremblay (Josée) – Death of a Ladies’ Man

MEILLEURE INTERPRÉTATION MASCULINE | PREMIER RÔLE Réal Bossé (Alain) – Jusqu’au déclin Paul Doucet (Jean-Marc Ricard) – Les Nôtres Patrick Hivon (Mathieu) – Mont Foster Antoine Olivier Pilon (Daniel Léger) – Target Number One [ CHOIX ] [ PRÉDICTION ] Sébastien Ricard (Frère Jean) – Le Club Vinland

MEILLEURE INTERPRÉTATION FÉMININE | RÔLE DE SOUTIEN Sophie Desmarais (Karine) – Vacarme Marianne Farley (Isabelle Jodoin) – Les Nôtres Éléonore Loiselle (Marie-Ève) – La déesse des mouches à feu [ PRÉDICTION ] Caroline Néron (La mère) – La déesse des mouches à feu [ CHOIX ] Sigourney Weaver (Margaret) – My Salinger Year

MEILLEURE INTERPRÉTATION MASCULINE | RÔLE DE SOUTIEN Normand D’Amour (Le père) – La déesse des mouches à feu Rémy Girard (Frère Léon) – Le Club Vinland James Hyndman (Mario) – Souterrain Robin L’Houmeau (Keven) – La déesse des mouches à feu [ CHOIX ] [ PRÉDICTION ] Théodore Pellerin (Julien) – Souterrain

RÉVÉLATION DE L’ANNÉE [ PRÉDICTION ] Kelly Depeault (Catherine) – La déesse des mouches à feu Jasmine Lemée (Laura) – Mon cirque à moi Rosalie Pépin (Émilie) – Vacarme [ CHOIX ] Joakim Robillard (Maxime) – Souterrain Arnaud Vachon (Émile Lacombe) – Le Club Vinland

[josefavomjaaga]

As I have already said, one of Eugène’s closest friends was Lavalette, Napoleon’s former aide-de-camp from Egypt turned Minister of Posts. This autographe letter is proof of it; Eugène uses the informal “tu” throughout.

Il m’est bien permis, mon cher Lavalette, d’être cette fois en colère contre toi. Comment tu annonces à tout le monde la perte que tu viens de faire et je suis le seul qui l’ignore. Rends donc plus de justice à mes sentiments pour toi. Vas mon ami, ma position n’a point changé mon cœur et ne le changera jamais. Il est encore tel que tu l’as connu, plein d’intérêt pour ceux qu’il aime et toujours prêt à partager leur peine et leur chagrin. Je suis donc celui de tes amis qui ait appris avec la plus vive affliction la perte de ton père parce que j’ai compris ta douleur et parce que tu voulais me priver de la partager. Adieu mon bon Lavalette. Aujourd’hui je ne te parlerai pas d’affaires. Quand le cœur est affecté tout le reste est indifférent. Je t’embrasse ainsi que mon aimable cousine.

Ton sincère ami.

Eugène N.

~~

I have every right, my dear Lavalette, to be angry with you this time. As you announce to everyone the loss you have just made and I am the only one who is unaware of it. So do more justice to my feelings for you. Come, my friend, my position has not changed my heart and never will. It is still as you knew it, full of affection for those it loves and always ready to share their pain and sorrow. I am therefore the one of your friends who learned with the greatest affliction of the loss of your father because I understood your pain and because you wanted to deprive me of sharing it. Farewell my good Lavalette. Today I will not talk to you about business. When the heart is affected everything else is irrelevant. I embrace you and my good cousin.

Your sincere friend.

Eugène N.

Monza, October 10, 1808