Nothing much happens in Bertrand Tavernier's 1984 film, A Sunday in the Country, but at the end I felt like I had attended a close family gathering and became part of the family. Based on a novel by Pierre Best, an elderly painter of still lifes and historical scenes (Louis Ducreix) invites his family to his French country estate just before World War I. The family takes walks, they talk about dinner, tell each other stories and engage in the mundane occurrences of the day. In the process, the film becomes poetic witness to the enduring strength of family. Beautifully photographed in autumn pastels, Tavernier's film looks like an impressionist painting itself. I felt bathed in soothing warmth that lingered long after the end of the film.
An atmosphere of nostalgia and melancholy soon sets in. The artist, Mr. Ladmiral, admittedly finds his son Gonzague (Michel Aumont) a disappointment and prefers his more free-spirited daughter Irene (Sabine Azema). When she shows up full of energy, Ladmiral becomes alive and openly discusses his innermost feelings. He tells Irene that he flirted with Impressionism in his early life, but instead decided to paint what he really felt. It is clear that he is disappointed that he did not follow his first inclination. In one of the most poignant scenes in the film, he tells Irene that he had been dreaming of Moses who died content after seeing the "Promised Land", then asks her, "Did I age too quickly"? As her answer, she lovingly asks him to dance with her.
In the final sequence, Ladmiral returns home after seeing his family off on the train. He looks at the still life he has been painting, removes it and replaces it with a blank canvas. It is uncertain if he is now ready to paint in the impressionistic style or has accepted his own limitations and is content with seeing the "Promised Land". The clear light shining through the window signals the latter.
An atmosphere of nostalgia and melancholy soon sets in. The artist, Mr. Ladmiral, admittedly finds his son Gonzague (Michel Aumont) a disappointment and prefers his more free-spirited daughter Irene (Sabine Azema). When she shows up full of energy, Ladmiral becomes alive and openly discusses his innermost feelings. He tells Irene that he flirted with Impressionism in his early life, but instead decided to paint what he really felt. It is clear that he is disappointed that he did not follow his first inclination. In one of the most poignant scenes in the film, he tells Irene that he had been dreaming of Moses who died content after seeing the "Promised Land", then asks her, "Did I age too quickly"? As her answer, she lovingly asks him to dance with her.
In the final sequence, Ladmiral returns home after seeing his family off on the train. He looks at the still life he has been painting, removes it and replaces it with a blank canvas. It is uncertain if he is now ready to paint in the impressionistic style or has accepted his own limitations and is content with seeing the "Promised Land". The clear light shining through the window signals the latter.