Le Nain rouge
Belgium
Synopsis
Lucien Lhotte is a small man in his thirties.
He is a conscientious employee in a large law firm where he assiduously writes up vile and incriminating letters for divorce cases.
Unable to consider marriage for himself he puts a particularly vindictive ardour into destroying those of others. Nevertheless, one sweltering afternoon, encouraged by the voluptuous opera singer Paola Bendoni, a wealthy client from his office, he dares the gestures of love that his infirmity have kept under wrap for so long. Then begins insidiously the redemption of evil by grace ...
"... Or the descent into hell of a small man who is going to use his delightful instrument to hoffst himself into the world of big people. Only children, an a lovely summer day, will sense through this profusion of debauchery that one of thern has merged among the other men."
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The feature debut of director Yvan Le Moine, Le nain rouge (The Red Dwarf) centres on Lucien L'Hotte, a very small man in his thirties who is a conscientious clerk in a large law firm. His job consists of the assiduous invention of vile and incriminating letters for divorce cases (unable to consider marriage for himself, he
takes a particularly vindictive delight in destroying those of others).
Nevertheless, one swelteringly hot afternoon, after some encouragement by a wealthy and voluptuous client, Lucien dares to make the overtures of love that his infirmity has kept under wraps for so long. Thus begins the redemption of evil by grace.
He is a conscientious employee in a large law firm where he assiduously writes up vile and incriminating letters for divorce cases.
Unable to consider marriage for himself he puts a particularly vindictive ardour into destroying those of others. Nevertheless, one sweltering afternoon, encouraged by the voluptuous opera singer Paola Bendoni, a wealthy client from his office, he dares the gestures of love that his infirmity have kept under wrap for so long. Then begins insidiously the redemption of evil by grace ...
"... Or the descent into hell of a small man who is going to use his delightful instrument to hoffst himself into the world of big people. Only children, an a lovely summer day, will sense through this profusion of debauchery that one of thern has merged among the other men."
---
The feature debut of director Yvan Le Moine, Le nain rouge (The Red Dwarf) centres on Lucien L'Hotte, a very small man in his thirties who is a conscientious clerk in a large law firm. His job consists of the assiduous invention of vile and incriminating letters for divorce cases (unable to consider marriage for himself, he
takes a particularly vindictive delight in destroying those of others).
Nevertheless, one swelteringly hot afternoon, after some encouragement by a wealthy and voluptuous client, Lucien dares to make the overtures of love that his infirmity has kept under wraps for so long. Thus begins the redemption of evil by grace.
Director's Statement
I am a small man
Small enough to make people cry.
But, above all, I am small for life
And I do not know how I'm going to be able to stop this nightmare.
Then, it means that I have a lot of things an my mind.
Up to now my life has always been lonely and full of hatred, perfectly ridiculous.
But now it is over.
I have decided to grow up and to be rewarded a hundred times over
All that life always forbid me to do.
It is going to be better than revenge, almost a redemption.
What I still don't know
Is that to reach my aim
For the very first time of my life
I will have to accept the small man
Hidden deep within me, hidden deep into us all.
Small enough to make people cry.
But, above all, I am small for life
And I do not know how I'm going to be able to stop this nightmare.
Then, it means that I have a lot of things an my mind.
Up to now my life has always been lonely and full of hatred, perfectly ridiculous.
But now it is over.
I have decided to grow up and to be rewarded a hundred times over
All that life always forbid me to do.
It is going to be better than revenge, almost a redemption.
What I still don't know
Is that to reach my aim
For the very first time of my life
I will have to accept the small man
Hidden deep within me, hidden deep into us all.
Cast & Crew
Directed by: Yvan Le Moine
Written by: Yvan Le Moine
Cinematography: Dany Elsen
Costume Design: Pierre-Yves Gayraud
Original Score: Daniel Brandt, Alexis Shelegin
Cast: Jean-Yves Thual (The Red Dwarf), Anita Ekberg (Paola Bendoni), Dyna Gauzy (Isis Colombe), Michel Peyrelon (the circus director), Arno Chevrier (Bob), Arno Colombaioni (the old clown)
Nominations and Awards
- European Cinematographer – Prix Carlo Di Palma 1998
- Feature Film Selection 1998
