OCTOBER
A film review by James Berardinelli
Copyright 1994 James Berardinelli
Status: O
Rating (0 to 10): 7.9
Date Released: No U.S. release currently planned Running Length: 1:37 Rated: No MPAA Rating (Language, violence, mature themes)
Starring: Hugo Dube, Luc Picard, Pierre Rivard, Denis Trudel, Serge Houde Director: Pierre Falardeau Producers: Bernadette Payeur and Marc Daigle Screenplay: Pierre Falardeau Cinematography: Alain Dostie Music: Richard Gregoire No U.S. Distributor; Released in Canada by C/FP Distributors In French with subtitles
The events surrounding the kidnapping and murder of Quebec's labor minister Pierre Laporte in 1970 by the Front de Liberation du Quebec (FLQ) is a matter of national history for Canadian citizens. However, for those outside the country, details surrounding this incident may be little-known, or not known at all.
The FLQ was a terrorist organization operational in Canada during the late 1960s and early 1970s. Participants favored the separation of Quebec from the rest of the country, and were willing to use violence to press their claim. The group's most infamous action occurred during October of 1970 when four FLQ members from the Chenier cell kidnapped Minister Pierre Laporte. Eight days later, after the government refused to meet a list of seven demands, Laporte was killed. OCTOBER details the events during that long week from the perspective of the abductors.
As is inevitable for any sympathetic portrayal of terrorists, OCTOBER has stirred the cauldron of controversy. In Canada, the movie has been called everything from an amazing portrait of the loss of innocence to blatant FLQ propaganda. In reality, it's some of both.
Writer/director Pierre Falardeau is a separatist sympathizer, and this film is based on the account of one of the four kidnappers, with whom Falardeau is friendly. At times, the film maker's political agenda interferes with his story, especially during the first half, when the characters are wont to spout FLQ slogans (which sound exactly like the kinds of things all terrorist organizations say). While it's necessary for the audience to understand why the characters act as they do, Falardeau apparently wants to force a sympathy not only with them, but with their movement as well.
Where this movie really shines is in the interaction between the four terrorists (played by Hugo Dube, Luc Picard, Pierre Rivard, and Denis Trudel) and their victim (Serge Houde). The relationship that develops is complex and multi-layered as the basic humanity of all involved is uncovered. Falardeau eschews simplistic terms like "good," "evil," "right," and "wrong." Laporte is not the "scumbag" he was believed to be, and the FLQ don't really want to kill him. In their own words, they are militants, not killers.
The no-win situation that arises when the government refuses to honor the FLQ's demands fuels the ultimate conflict of conscience that comprises the final act. Killing Laporte, in addition to being morally reprehensible, would hurt the FLQ's image. Freeing him, however, would give the organization a reputation for backing down--and to back down is to be defeated. In war, the undermanned side cannot afford defeats.
Motion pictures depicting the terrorist's point-of-view are not especially popular, for obvious reasons. Like Neil Jordan with THE CRYING GAME, Pierre Falardeau faces a momentous challenge in getting his audience to identify with individuals who bear such a negative label. While the director may have played somewhat loose with the facts (as Jim Sheridan did in IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER), it's difficult to deny the dramatic impact of his finished product. Only those blinded by personal involvement in the issue are likely to deny the effectiveness and skill with which OCTOBER's tragedy is illustrated.
- James Berardinelli (blake7@cc.bellcore.com)
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