Rouge (2020)
37KRouge (2020). 1h 26m
“Broadly this is a tale about Chemical companies dumping waste in the land and lying about it. Some people want to keep the lie as it protects their jobs despite the damage; others get shirty and want something-to-be-done-about-itu003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThis is well-done here; kinda French Arab Silkwood … OK that is dealt withu003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eBut really as a viewer I saw a masterclass in acculturationu003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eMost of the actors here are French Arabs so wedged into France that there is nothing Arab left; apart from the ethnicityu003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eAs if you made a film in the US with Chinese American actors who only celebrate the 4th of July and Thanksgiving NEVER mentioning The Chinese New Year; talking about football scores and baseball whilst drinking Bud and banging about the right to bear arms … 100% acculturationu003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eHere in France it transcribes at a party where waltz is the dance of choice; the speech is 100% French only the sister speaks French with a slight Arab intonation on some words; all the main actors might be called Jean-Claude and Marie and you would be none the wiser. And yet ethnically 100% North Africanu003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eSo no Arab food no mention of Arab anything at any point. The language of Arabic is not used once not even a word ….u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe filmmaker here wanted I guess to show full integrationu003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eSome might find this disquieting. A blend of cultures is a cool thing; blend of languages seen in many French-Arab films; references; mention of u0026quot;the old countryu0026quot; etc etc maybe this is what happens with 4th and 5th gen folks; but it is unnerving …u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eAnd then you see the relationship between the father and the daughter and THERE all the values of u0026quot;the old countryu0026quot; are there he treats her like one treats a girl in the u0026quot;the old countryu0026quot;. He is the boss. She should listen. So like a fake rolex he is a French worker but the dynamics in the family are pure North African. So it kind of irks. Who are you? Where are you? No French father does this in 2021 … not like thatu003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eVery odd … not sure what to make of all this …. what it bodes for the future of that community … one could argue it needs to fly two flags culturally not one semi-fake oneu003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe film is average + a 6 or a 7.”
