Johnny Depp at Cannes Film Festival
Renowned American actor Michael Douglas opened the 76th Cannes Film Festival. The grand film festival will continue till May 27. On this occasion, he was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award ‘Honorary Palm d’Or’ of the Cannes Film Festival. Indian audience remembers Michael Douglas for his famous film ‘Basic Instinct’ (1992). When the film was being screened at the International Film Festival of India, the police had to lathi charge to control the crowd. For the first time, Indian audiences had seen such open sex scenes in a film. The film was also in the competition section of the Cannes Film Festival.
The 76th Cannes Film Festival opened at the Grand Théâtre Lumiere with the screening of French actress Maiwen’s film ‘Jean du Bury’. In the film, Maiven plays the central role of Jean du Bary while King Louis XV of France is portrayed by American actor Johnny Depp. The film is in the news due to the ongoing sexual harassment lawsuits between Johnny Depp and his ex-wife Amber Heard. Several journalists in Europe and the US have objected to Jeanne du Bury, starring Johnny Depp, as the opening film of the prestigious Cannes Film Festival, questioning festival director Thierry Frems in a press conference as to why such an actor should be cast. Why such a big platform is being given to someone who is facing a case of sexual harassment? Thierry Frames said that the Cannes Film Festival supports all forms of freedom of thought and expression. Unless legally till the time the film or actor is not banned how can we stop them? Hollywood’s famous actor Woody Allen has also supported the Cannes Film Festival in this matter and said that the European film culture is more liberal and tolerant than the US.
Jeanne du Bury is the story of a simple working-class girl who with the strength of her beauty and intelligence, rises through social ranks to reach the position of King Louis XV of France. The king is crazy about her and keeps her as a courtier in his palace, Versailles Palace. The king says that Jeanne is the only woman in all of France who sees him not as a king, but as a man. Both start loving each other very much. After the king’s death from chickenpox on 10 May 1774, the film shows her leaving Versailles Palace to become a nun in a church monastery. The historical truth is that he was hanged in 1789 during the French Revolution. The film’s director Maiwen says that he intentionally fictionalized the film.
Jean du Bary is a romantic love story set in 18th-century France and the daily routine of the royal palace. John Depp, an all-American actor, does a memorable job as the King of France. The camera pans mostly within the Palace of Versailles and shows the life, court, and customs of the royal palace in fine detail. No matter how cunningly hidden in the desires of a simple girl Gian to rise, her love for King Louis XV of France is true and innocent. The biggest thing is that the king also plays this love which starts with the attraction of the body but goes ahead of it. Along with acting in the film, the dress design and cinematography are amazing. While watching the film, we see and feel the France of the 18th century and the wonderful love story that happened during that time.
Indian Cinema on fire
This time from India in the world’s most important film fair, Anurag Kashyap’s ‘Kennedy’ (Midnight Screening), Kanu Behl’s ‘Agra’ (Director’s Fortnight) FTII, Pune’s Yudh Jeet Basu’s Marathi short film ‘Nehemich’ and Manipur’s veteran filmmaker Aribam Shyam Sharma’s restored ‘Ishanau’ (a Cannes classic) by Shivendra Singh Dungarpur being screened. Anurag Kashyap’s ‘Kennedy’ has not only got an important place this time but it is being shown four-five times on May 24-25. Kanu Behl’s Agra is also shown several times.
Hollywood veteran filmmaker Martin Scorsese’s ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ and James Mangold’s Harrison Ford starrer ‘Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny’ have been asked by their producers to hold special screenings out of competition. Have decided. But this time films of many veteran filmmakers from all over the world are being screened in the competition section who have won the ‘Palme d’Or’ award for Best Feature Film at the Cannes Film Festival. These include Kore Iida Hirokazu (Monster) from Japan, Ken Loach (The Old Oak) from the UK, Nuri Bilge Ceylan (Dry Grasses) from Turkey, Aki Kaurismäki (Fallen Leaves) from Finland, Wim Wenders (Perfect Days) from Germany, Marco Bellocchio ( Kidnapped), Kouthar Ben Hania from Tunisia ( Four Daughters), Todd Haynes ( May December), Wes Anderson (Steroid City) and more. This time debut films of young filmmakers are being shown prominently in each section.
