I just finished watching an old French movie called “Les choses de la vie” (The things of life) starring Romy Schneider and Michel Piccoli.
It is a good, well-acted movie, and unlike many French flicks it has a beginning and (wonder of wonders) even an end.
I thoroughly enjoyed watching it and I would recommend it, with a caveat.
But before I go any further, I would like to point out that this movie was made in 1970 and this date is important because it reflects the mores of the time.
In practically every sequence, the (rather selfish) hero is smoking. And you can tell by the way he is handling his cigarette that this guy is not a recreational smoker.
He is not smoking just for the movie. This guy (like most of his contemporaries) is a hardcore smoking addict.
As a non-smoker I found this rather annoying.
One cigarette once in a while maybe, but chain-smoking? Give us a break!
I kept thinking “enough with that stupid cigarette”…
And how could any woman be attracted to a guy who reeks of tobacco and smells like an old ashtray? Life is full of mysteries…
You have got to admit that the cigarette industry did a masterful job in glamorizing the stinking weed.
Since I am also fond of old movies, I watch TMC (Turner Classic Movies) and in the 30’s it seems that there was a non-stop drinking and smoking binge.
In every movie sequence, men and women alike would light a cigarette and reach for a drink.
Of course, drinking and smoking in tuxedos added a little glamour to those pagan rituals, but still…
I bet that even Asta (Nick and Nora’s pooch) also smoked…
In our movie, Piccoli is not only a smoking addict, he is also a driving maniac.
Buckling up? Not for such a macho dude. And of course he is puffing on a ciggy while speeding in a blinding rain.
Personally, I cannot walk and chew gum at the same time. How can anybody puff on the weed and drive simultaneously without being distracted?
Piccoli is much older than me, but he is still part of my generation and I shudder thinking that I went through that period rather unscathed.
And the temptations were there. While in the French army, every two weeks I was provided with a dozen packs of Gauloises.
The food was lousy, but to keep the troops happy (and addicted) the French government (who had a very profitable monopoly on cigarettes) made sure that every recruit had his daily fix of cigarettes.
Future customers you know…
Anyway, “Les choses de la vie” despite its noxious fumes is still a good movie and I still recommend it, but I am surprised that Michel Piccoli (at age 87) is still able to breathe.
Alain
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