claude henri grignon -- la liste noire (1968) -- english subs

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Alexis Labranche is a self-repressed heavy boozer. Once in a while, Alexis' safety valve pops open: he takes off through the countryside and vanishes from sight so he can drink all his fill. In "La liste noire" (The Black List), Seraphin Poudrier, Alexis' arch enemy, seizes the occasion to attempt to vanquish him once and for all. The fine (if redundantly talkative) script by Grignon places Alexis' drinking problem under the crossfire of three distinct ideological networks. Ultra-WASP Seraphin Poudrier severely criticizes all forms of alcohol consumption and rejects them as vilifying and undeserveful of understanding or approval. The Priest of Sainte Adele is cloistered into his mystical adoration and biblical exegesis, and, in conformity with Roman Catholic dogmas, considers alcoholism as a sin no different than others, thus redeemable through confession. Finally, heads of large family and morally liberal Basile and Scholastique Fourchu, although as disapproveful than Seraphin with alcoholism, want the social body to absorb deviance to ensure its functioning. Therefore, they tend to focus on Alexis' virtues and demonstrated qualities, not making a big deal of his misconduct, for the sake of societal efficiency. They both impersonate social-democracy in contemporary Quebec: individuals are allowed to stand out occasionally, as long as they keep community issues at the heart of their preoccupations. All in all, a great and occasionally funny episode, beautifully acted by all. Of notable interest is the very delicate final confrontation between Seraphin Poudrier and the Priest of Sainte Adele, played to a perfect pitch by Julien Bessette (who happened to be a personal friend of the prematurely-deceased Jean Pierre Masson).

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