''Hélas pour moi'' (

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

: ''Alas for Me'' or ''Oh Woe Is Me'') is a 1993

French film French cinema consists of the film industry and its film productions, whether made within the nation of France or by French film production companies abroad. It is the oldest and largest precursor of national cinemas in Europe; with primary influ ...

directed by Jean-Luc Godard and starring Gérard Depardieu. This film is inspired by the legend of

Alcmene In Greek mythology, Alcmene () or Alcmena (; Ancient Greek: Ἀλκμήνη or Doric Greek: Ἀλκμάνα, Latin: Alcumena means "strong in wrath") was the wife of Amphitryon by whom she bore two children, Iphicles and Laonome. She is best kn ...

and

Amphitryon Amphitryon (; Ancient Greek: Ἀμφιτρύων, ''gen''.: Ἀμφιτρύωνος; usually interpreted as "harassing either side", Latin: Amphitruo), in Greek mythology, was a son of Alcaeus, king of Tiryns in Argolis. His mother was named e ...

and attempts to show the desire of a god to experience the truth of human desire, suffering and pleasure.

Plot

Abraham Klimt arrives in a small Swiss village to investigate an incident that occurred on July 23, 1989 involving Rachel and Simon Donnadieu, a local couple. He interviews several of the townsfolk and enlists the aid of a poet, Aude Amiel. In flashback, the story of Rachel and Simon unfolds. Per the Greek myth on which the film is based, God, or a god, comes to earth with his assistant, Max Mercury. He decides he wants to possess Rachel Donnadieu, so he takes the form of Simon Donnadieu when Simon leaves home on a business trip. God-as-Simon returns to Rachel while Simon is away, and the two have an encounter. Or not. Rachel is not talking about the incident, and Simon, in a brief encounter with Klimt at the end of the film, denies that it happened. The evidence provided by the flashbacks is contradictory. Ultimately, Klimt concludes, "There is nothing left to say concerning Simon and Rachel. The rest occurs beyond images and beyond stories."

Cast

* Gérard Depardieu as Simon Donnadieu *

Laurence Masliah Laurence is an English and French given name (usually female in French and usually male in English). The English masculine name is a variant of Lawrence and it originates from a French form of the Latin ''Laurentius'', a name meaning "man from L ...

as Rachel Donnadieu *

Bernard Verley Bernard Verley (born 4 October 1939) is a French actor and producer. Biography Former student of les ''Beaux-Arts'' in Lille, he then joined the TNP Jean Vilar. His brother ''Renaud Verley Renaud Verley (born 9 November 1945) is a French ac ...

as Abraham Klimt * Aude Amiot as Aude Amiel * Roland Blanche as The drawing teacher * Jean-Louis Loca as Max Mercury *

Louis-Do de Lencquesaing Louis-Do de Lencquesaing (born 25 December 1963) is a French actor and film director. His daughter, Alice de Lencquesaing, is also an actress. Filmography As an actor *''Les dernières heures du millénaire'' (1990, Short) *''Madame Bovary'' ...

as Ludovic *

Fabienne Chaudat Fabienne Chaudat (born 1 July 1959) is a French film and theatrical actress. Career Fabienne Chaudat attended the and then Jean-Laurent Cochet Jean-Laurent Cochet (28 January 1935 – 7 April 2020) was a French director and actor. Biograph ...

Background

Cinematographer Caroline Champetier said that the original scenario began with God riding a train through France and Switzerland, observing all the battles of humanity through the window. This sequence required expensive special effects and Godard finally gave up on the idea after visiting a company that demonstrated for him the effects they achieved for Jean-Pierre Jeunet's ''Delicatessen''.

References

External links

* French fantasy comedy-drama films Films directed by Jean-Luc Godard 1993 films 1990s French-language films 1990s French films {{1990s-France-film-stub