For almost two centuries, Balzac’s novel “Lost Illusions” has not lost its relevance, and in the age of bloggers and social media, it has even acquired a new dimension. Therefore, Xavier Giannoli’s adaptation, even without moving the events to our ti...
On March 17, the film “Lost Illusions” (Illusions perdues) was released in theaters, an adaptation of the novel of the same name by the classic of French literature Honoré de Balzac. The story of the provincial poet Lucien, striving to conquer 19th-century Paris, reflects the vices of ambition and the inner workings of the bohemian community so accurately that it is as relevant to France of two hundred years ago as it is to modern Russia and the rest of the world.
There is nothing in the world but love
The young poet Lucien (Benjamin Voisin) works in a printing house in the small town of Angoulême. He secretly meets with the local baroness Louise de Bargeton (Cécile de France) and dreams of becoming a celebrated author throughout France. Out of love for the youth and sincere faith in his talent, the baroness takes him to Paris in secret from her husband.
The capital refuses to welcome him with open arms, and Lucien himself faces a lack of manners and money. Moreover, his low status prevents him from interacting with his beloved on equal terms. But confident in his literary gift and charged with feelings for Louise, the young man gets a job at a local newspaper and begins his ascent to the heights of Parisian bohemian society, gradually losing his illusions about himself and his perceptions of the world.
A newspaper exists not to guide public opinion, but to pander to it
The novel “Lost Illusions” is so vast and comprehensive that a literal transfer even to the small screen is a futile endeavor. Therefore, director Xavier Giannoli decided to eliminate a number of the book’s plotlines and focus on several key aspects of the work. For example, the subplot about the protagonist’s sister is completely absent from the film, but his rise in his journalism career is shown in maximum detail. And to document his successes, a new character is introduced — the writer Nathan D’Anastasio (Xavier Dolan).
If the first third of the film turned out naively romantic, then from the moment Lucien joins the journalistic fraternity, “Lost Illusions” sharply acquires sharpness, causticity, and outright satire. It exposes the subtleties of working with information (truth is on the side of those with more power or money) and ironically shows the principles of a critic’s work in a dependent media outlet. But what is even more interesting is that Lucien’s entire journey reflects the idea that in the pursuit of satisfying ambitious demands, a person often abandons real creativity and even their own self. Such stories are encountered at every turn today, when wildly talented artists trade their talent for quick fame. Fortunately, the era of blogging perfectly caters to this.
The thought that life promises happiness seems to blind the mind, suppress the soul
“Lost Illusions” plot-wise overlaps with many significant works. For example, if desired, one can discern parallels with , except that the political context and motives of the characters will differ greatly. What sets the French story apart is the intoxicating spirit of freedom. It gives the feeling that anyone can rise above their station, regardless of the strength of their family name. It shows that the realization of talent is in the hands of the talent’s owner. As is the possibility of ruining it.
These opportunities and contradictions are very well conveyed by the rising star of French cinema, Benjamin Voisin (last year he was noted for his role in François Ozon’s film “Summer of 85”). Thanks to his plasticity and charm, the hero easily transforms from a funny, infantile country bumpkin into an arrogant, but no less infantile, representative of the bohemian scene. It is easy to believe how Lucien trades genuine feelings for more advantageous ones.
Xavier Dolan is also wonderful, but here he is more for formality and adding elegance to the main character’s background. The same can be said for Gérard Depardieu in the role of an illiterate publisher with incredible commercial acumen.
Is the film “Lost Illusions” worth watching?
Xavier Giannoli, armed with Balzac’s classic text, managed to create a relevant film on topical issues, fill it with French charm, and give the talented actor Voisin an opportunity to shine. For 2.5 hours, the viewer can immerse themselves in the story of the rise and fall of a talented but ambitious poet, enjoy the beautiful setting of 19th-century Paris, and find fascinating parallels with modern media and pop culture stars.
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