A curious (and delightful) example of crossing between fiction and documentary. In "Question d'heure" we are given to see the daily life of a family of bargemen in post-war France, their way of working, their problems. Which is not uninteresting but could appear tedious without anything other than the filmed recording of reality, uneventful as it most of the time is.
To avoid the tedium of pure didacticism, Victor Vicas and his scriptwriter Noman Borisoff have had an amazing idea: to transform a mere transport of jute bags from Paris to Ghent into a thrilling race against time. Emile, the bargeman, has a deadline by which he must make his delivery. If he fails, he won't get paid a bonus and God knows he needs the money.
The navigation of his barge is fraught with incidents of all sorts: delays in loading, a breakdown, clogged locks - not to mention the recovery of a drowning man nor the brilliant final twist. Treating his subject as a thriller, Vicas gives it a hell of a pace, both in terms of filming and editing, adding precious value to what first appears to be a simple recording of reality. A humorous commentary, also unusual in this kind of film, is another source of enjoyment. All in all, "Question d'heure" is a documentary (or rather a docu-drama) unlike any other. A real gem, unfortunately forgotten.
To avoid the tedium of pure didacticism, Victor Vicas and his scriptwriter Noman Borisoff have had an amazing idea: to transform a mere transport of jute bags from Paris to Ghent into a thrilling race against time. Emile, the bargeman, has a deadline by which he must make his delivery. If he fails, he won't get paid a bonus and God knows he needs the money.
The navigation of his barge is fraught with incidents of all sorts: delays in loading, a breakdown, clogged locks - not to mention the recovery of a drowning man nor the brilliant final twist. Treating his subject as a thriller, Vicas gives it a hell of a pace, both in terms of filming and editing, adding precious value to what first appears to be a simple recording of reality. A humorous commentary, also unusual in this kind of film, is another source of enjoyment. All in all, "Question d'heure" is a documentary (or rather a docu-drama) unlike any other. A real gem, unfortunately forgotten.