Sous le sable (2000)

Director:

François Ozon

Writers:

Emmanuèle Bernheim (writer)
François Ozon (writer)

Release Date:

4 May 2001 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Mystery

Tagline:

Can love vanish without a trace?

Plot:

When her husband goes missing at the beach, a female professor begins to mentally disintegrate as her denial of his disappearance becomes delusional.

Plot Keywords:

Beach | Professor | English Literature | Suicide | Disappearance

Awards:

8 nominations

Cast

Charlotte Rampling	...	Marie Drillon
Bruno Cremer	...	Jean Drillon
Jacques Nolot	...	Vincent
Alexandra Stewart	...	Amanda
Pierre Vernier	...	Gérard
Andrée Tainsy	...	Suzanne
Maya Gaugler	...	German woman
Damien Abbou	...	Chief lifeguard
David Portugais	...	Young lifeguard
Pierre Soubestre	...	Policeman
Agathe Teyssier	...	In charge of luxury store
Laurence Martin	...	Apartment seller
Jean-François Lapalus	...	Paris doctor
Laurence Mercier	...	Paris doctor's secretary
Fabienne Luchetti	...	Pharmacist

Also Known As:

Under the Sand (International: English title) (USA)

Runtime:

92 min

Country:

France

Language:

French | English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Netherlands:12 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Finland:K-11 | France:U | Hong Kong:III | Italy:T | Norway:11 | Peru:14 | Portugal:M/12 | Spain:13 | Sweden:7 | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | USA:Unrated | South Korea:18 | Germany:6 | Canada:R (Ontario)

Filming Locations:

Lit-et-Mixe, Landes, France

Company:

Euro Space

Quotes:

Marie Drillon: I am his wife, and I'm telling you, this is *not* him!

Movie Connections:

Followed by Le temps qui reste (2005)

Phantom Limb Pains

The death of a beloved person implies also a big loss, a loss which dependents refuse to believe.

Director Ozon flurries and unsettles the viewer again. It begins with the cut right after the vanishing of Marie's (Charlotte Rampling) husband Jean. It's summer. The married couple apparently enjoys their vacation at the sea. Suddenly, Jean disappears and the search of the police remains without a result. Cut! Marie sits with friends at a table, ostensibly in a flashback, outside it's winterly, Marie tells from Jean, who is waiting at home. She goes shopping and buys some clothing items for Jean. However, by and by, the viewer realizes, that this is not a flashback: It is the time after Jean's vanishing and Marie lives on as if nothing has happened.

The film concentrates only on Marie and her denial of reality, her non-acceptance of the loss, which goes so far, that she i. e. sees Jean in the door while she sleeps with another man, Vincent. Jean remains ubiquitous in Marie's life, he is always there and only disappears in a few scenes when reality comes in her life for a second. He is also present in the character of Vincent, whom she replaces with her missing husband, talks to him and treats him as if it was Jean.

That's why the film takes place in Charlotte Rampling's face, who shows a fantastic performance: She appears in every scene, her mimics symbolize the whole suffering of Marie. In clear, calm shots Ozon glances at the emotional recovery of his protagonist. Behind her chilly facade, Rampling only forebodes the psychological precipice of her figure and screens the film from flying out into melodrama. Rampling is the undoubted highlight, the highlight of a film which leaves behind an unsettled viewer.