Annotation

Lauren Finkelstein

Annotation: April 7

Scatton-Tessier, Michelle. "Le Petisme: fliring with the sordid in Le Fabuleux

Destin D'Amélie Poulain." Intellect Ltd 4.3 (2004): 197-207. 1 Apr. 2008 .

 

Scatton-Tessier argues that through Amélie’s pleasing aesthetic, a focus on isolated and ordinary people and an overriding sense of loss dominate the film—a contrast from one’s initial, superficial reaction to the film, one of light-hearted pleasure. Fundamental to her case is “petisme”, a recently created French word that focuses on the small pleasures in the world, the quick fixes that Amélie produces throughout the film. Through a logical and clear progression from examples from the film to larger social implications, she guides the reader away from the film’s ability to simple “make its audience feel good” (197). Her subsequent claims—happiness is never shared with others and communication among persons is only possible with the help of machines—are all guided by an overwhelming push to understand the film’s small pleasures as a reaction to increasing personal isolation due to “globalization, crime…and the loss of individual identity in the technological age.” (197). Throughout her meticulous progression of claims, from an overwhelming (un)happiness to the relationship between motion/immobility, she is conscious of her audience—an American reader, not very knowledgeable in French cinema—and provides in depth definitions, concrete examples, and translations of terms and titles. Scatton-Tessier tries to understand and explain the film in relationship to its’ contemporaries, identifying underlying forces within, rather than viewing it as a revolutionary cinematic piece. She goes farther than the film’s careful examination of human vulnerability through a sentimental lens and suggests the fall of the individual in modern society.

· “It is difficult to agree with Jenuet’s claim that Amélie is a fully positive work when every element of his inhabitants’ daily lives from childhood to adulthood is tainted with loneliness and unhappiness.” (200).

This quotation shows Scatton-Tessier trying to go beyond Jeunet’s intended initial joy of Amélie and relate it to an overriding social context. This idea of isolate and continued unhappiness—that is eventually remedy for most—is very applicable in my argument concerning the use or representation of photobooths

· Amélie fixes the lives of others through focusing on smaller, more trivial aspects of their lives. She does not concern herself with overriding and daunting issues, rather she tries to make the here and now a little better. [Original quote: “Amélie intervenes, yet without directly addressing a problems or a desire. She provides what is lost or escaping our knowledge. She fixes small problems. She cannot solve unemployment.” (201).]

While I agree with Scatton-Tessier’s notion of le petisme, I feel that she discounts these small actions a little too quickly. I believe that it is these little actions that perpetuate life and happiness because the larger issues, such as unemployment, cannot be quickly fixed with a grand gesture. It is these little acts that keep us going.