Arrete Ou Je Continue:

If You Don’t, I WillCultural Dossier by David Scheier and Catherine Ortega

Une Soirée Du Cinema Francais

We had wine Bordeaux & Chardonnay and hors d'oeuvres

Une Soirée Du Cinéma Français We made Crepes

Arrete Ou Je ContinueIf You Don’t, I Will

Sophie Fillieres, the director of this film, depicts a slowly disintegrating love affair between a married couple to express the necessity of effective communication in achieving and maintaining a healthy relationship.

Pomme’s JourneyPomme's crumbling relationship with her husband becomes apparent to her during the aftermath of a brain surgery that she underwent. This fact was not pressured onto the viewer and seemed to be thrown into the mix so that we could get a sense of the factors that played a part in her sense of identity.

Throughout the film she seems to have a desire to feel important to the lives of her intimates, her son and her husband. As a young man, one could guess that this desire of hers can seem overbearing to her son, especially considering the fact that her husband has thoroughly distanced himself in regards to their intimate relationship.

This relationship, along with her feeling neglected by her husband, ultimately leads to a journey in which she attempts a discovery of exactly what it is that she needs to feel more fulfilled by life.

Pierre’s Experience

While Pomme is dealing with these emotional grievances, Pierre is depicted as having an emotional affair with a younger woman who has a special needs child.Pierre’s character, though distant, is never depicted as sinister or completely dismissive of Pomme. He has many redeeming moments and comes off a bit sad and stuck. The only moments in which he doesn't seem this way is when he's with his presumed mistress. Pomme seems to lack energy as well though, unlike her husband, the relationship that she seems most invested in is Pierre and her son.

Awkward Humor

Considering the nature of the film, the director does a wonderful job of keeping it somewhat lighthearted with dry, awkward humor, using the same chuckle worthy moments to show the viewer the sadness shared between the main characters.There are a handful of bittersweet moments in which you get a sense of the romance and passion that once existed between the two; hints at sweet gestures and inside jokes.The saddest scenes are the moments of clumsy excitement that causes the viewer to imagine a young couple in love, a feeling of missing something that the director never explicitly shows.

Reaching A Stalemate

The closing scene of the film is an honest communication between the two about what they want and need from each other. This being said, there were very few words spoken and boiled down to Pomme proclaiming that what they were doing simply wasn’t enough for her. There is a scene in which Pierre angers his assumed mistress so it isn’t clear whether or not he hoped to remain with Pomme because he was used to her being there, or because he realized how easy it was to lose a woman he had less of a developed relationship with.

No matter his intention, his attempt to rekindle a flame was too late, Pomme had already made her decision.

Although both characters are victims of their own miscommunication and each other’s, it is apparent that they both grew tired of tiptoeing around each other’s emotions, constantly trying to appease the other and not feeling good enough. This issue is probably a familiar issue for many that are in or have been in a relationship.

A few studies have been made to reflect this including a somewhat recent study from Your Tango, an online magazine dedicated to relationships and love. This issue of miscommunication is explored and discussed by Your Tango contributor Rochelle Bilow, the statistics of which we will share with you near the end of our presentation.

Miscommunication As an Underlying Theme of the Film

Miscommunication

Bilow, Rochelle. "Want Your Marriage to Last?" Your Tango. Tango Media Corporation, 18 Nov. 2013.Web. 23 Oct. 2016.

According to a survey conducted by a Your Tango contributor, * 65% of people relate divorce to communication issues

* 43% was due to an inability to resolve conflict * 70% of men consider divorce because they felt their wives complained or

nagged too much * 83% of women consider divorce because of the lack of validation of

feelings and opinions

Perception of Self Concerning Body Weight

Another recurring theme in the film is concerning the character’s fixation with their weight. Pierre and Pomme share a personal trainer, who just so happens to be American who speaks very little French. It is the reason that they go on the weekly hikes which leads to Pomme’s personal journey through the forest.

It is common belief that French people are thin, and it’s not necessarily a misconception. This is true for a variety of reasons. One of these reasons is due to the fact that portions of meals in France are significantly less than those in the States. It is also true that a large majority of French markets aim to sell products that are organically grown.

This being said, it is also a social norm to maintain a thin waist and low

body weight, this can prove problematic to each individual’s perception

of self and often leads to normalized eating disorders.

Just Because;A Brief History of Crepes and Bordeaux

Crepes originated in Brittany, which is located in northern France, and is now the country’s national dish. They are most often made out of wheat flour and are essentially very thin pancakes. They can be made either sweet or savory. Sweet crepes would be based with sweet fillings or toppings such as chocolate and fruits. Savory would be filled with foods that have substance such as cheese, meats, or veggies. February 2nd is the French holiday called Fête de la Chandeleur which celebrates the coming of spring. Traditionally, if you flip a crepe and manage to catch it in the pan your family is bound to good fortune for the rest of the year, but only if you hold a coin in your writing hand as you do so.Bordeaux originates from the southeast of France from a port city called Bordeaux. Surprised? This wine has been produced in this city since the 8th century.

THE END

Works CitedBilow, Rochelle. "Want Your Marriage to Last?" Your Tango. Tango Media Corporation, 18 Nov. 2013.

Web. 23 Oct. 2016.If You Don't, I Will (Arrête Ou Je Continue). Dir. Sophie Fillières. Perf. Emmanuelle Devos, Mathieu

Amalric and Anne Brochet. Les Films Du Losange, 2014. Netflx.Seitz, Matt Zoller. "If You Don't, I Will: Movie Review." RogerEbert.com. Disqus, 17 Dec. 2014. Web. 23

Oct. 2016.