Review: Donne moi la main (2008)

The film begins as an animation, showcasing two boys, one in a bakery and the other on the outside. They are almost identical. With a nod of the head they run off together with only the clothes on their backs and their knapsacks  One of the boys scares the other and they fight. They are obviously brothers. They walk on a deserted road. This is how it begins.

The film transfers to live action after the introduction. They walk along train tracks and there is nothing but the sound of their feet shuffling and what sounds like the beginning of a beautifully and strategically scored film. Both boys wear the same thing, blue jeans and a black t-shirt, each with their respective backpacks. They boys are evidently twins and the choice of apparel points this out. More than five minutes pass before there is dialogue and the first thing actually said is "on est perdu?" (are we lost?). Of course we know the boys are headed somewhere but we do not know where. The dialogue is minimal but it draws you in. We have yet to know their names.

One boy has a scar across his eyebrow, Antoine (Alexandre Caril). His brother, Quentin (Victor Caril) draws along their journey. We soon learn that they are heading to Spain and that is only concluded by them teaching each other the basics of Spanish. They fight about stupidities, scuffle and don't speak much and yet, they draw you in.

The music chronicles this film. It is the only thing accompanying the passing scenes, almost as if to showcase time passing as the two brother venture on. They meet people along the way. A girl from the shop, Clementine (Anais Demoustier), joins them for a while but then heads off onto her own path. It is with her that they speak again and we discover they are going to their mother's funeral in Spain. They never met her. Once they part from her they hitch a ride, run away and climb aboard a moving train. Occasional dialogue occurs but it is mostly music and the sound of passing vehicles or their own feet moving along. They fight like brothers and ignore each other. When they find work on a farm Quentin catches the attention of a boy working there and it is apparent that there is romantic interest. They spend the night together away from the farm and make love but Antoine was worried and went looking for his brother. He watches them in a stoic manner but you can tell this affects him gravely. The next day Quentin finds that Antoine is ready to leave contrary to their plans and he follows his twin. There is no goodbye between him and the boy.

Their journey to Spain goes on but the tension between the two is heavy. Finally the boys get separated because of ensuing events. The rest of the story follows Antoine until they meet again at their mother's funeral. The music in this film is very important. The soft bluegrass tunes play in the background almost always when they are together, signifying the journey going on. The only time that there are lyrics is when Quentin sings to the boys of the farm " Donne moi la main" which really tells the viewer everything any added dialogue could not get across. The dialogue is minimal because it is not necessary. When they are separated there is no music as Antoine walks on. Only when he is unconscious for a time does music play until he is found, again, signifying they time passing by once more.

The music, passing scenes and minimal dialogue hold the symbolism to their journey and relationship. The brothers fight but they need each other and cannot be parted for long. When Antoine makes it to the funeral he reaches for his brother's hand.  Once again, there are no words needed to explain and there are no words for me to describe the emotion here. Every silence in this film is planned and holds meaning. Every time there is or isn't music, it means something  The relationship between the twins is understandable in that only they understand each other  If you have to patience to appreciate something a little different and appreciate the planned symbolic behind the production I definitely suggest this film. The real life brothers really get the emotions and relationship across. It was lovely in it's originality and there is so much you can get out of it. Enjoy!