Fidelio, l'odyssée d'Alice

Plot synopsis:
Two years prior to the opening scene, the Spanish nobleman Florestan has exposed or attempted to expose certain crimes of a rival nobleman, Pizarro. In revenge, Pizarro has secretly imprisoned Florestan in the prison over which he is governor. Simultaneously, Pizarro has spread false rumors about Florestan's death.
The warden of the prison, Rocco, has a daughter, Marzelline, and an assistant, Jaquino, who is in love with Marzelline. The faithful wife of Florestan, Leonore, suspects that her husband is still alive; she gains employment working for Rocco, disguised as a boy, under the alias "Fidelio". As the boy Fidelio, she has earned the favor of her employer, Rocco, and also the affections of his daughter Marzelline, much to Jaquino's chagrin.
On orders, Rocco has been giving the imprisoned Florestan diminishing rations until he is nearly starved to death.
Place: A Spanish state prison, a few miles from Seville
Time: Late 18th century
=== Act 1 ===
Jaquino and Marzelline are alone in Rocco's house. Jaquino asks Marzelline when she will agree to marry him, but she says that she will never marry him now that she has fallen in love with Fidelio, unaware that Fidelio is actually Leonore in disguise (Jetzt, Schätzchen, jetzt sind wir allein—"Now, darling, now we are alone"). Jaquino leaves, and Marzelline expresses her desire to become Fidelio's wife (O wär ich schon mit dir vereint—"If only I were already united with thee"). Rocco enters, looking for Fidelio, who then enters carrying a heavy load of newly-repaired chains. Rocco compliments Fidelio, and misinterprets her modest reply as hidden attraction to his daughter. Marzelline, Fidelio, Rocco, and Jaquino sing a quartet about the love Marzelline has for Fidelio (Mir ist so wunderbar—"A wondrous feeling fills me", also known as the Canon Quartet).
Rocco tells Fidelio that as soon as the governor has left for Seville, Marzelline and Fidelio can be married. He tells them, however, that unless they have money, they will not be happy. (Hat man nicht auch Gold beineben—"If you don't have money on you"). Fidelio demands to know why Rocco will not allow for help in the dungeons, especially as he always seems to return short of breath. Rocco says that there is a dungeon down there where he can never take Fidelio, which houses a man who has been wasting away for two years. Marzelline begs her father to keep Leonore away from such a terrible sight. Rocco and Leonore sing of courage (Gut, Söhnchen, gut—"All right, sonny, all right"), and Marzelline joins in their acclamations.
All but Rocco leave. A march is played as Pizarro enters with his guards. Rocco warns Pizarro that the minister plans a surprise visit tomorrow to investigate accusations of Pizarro's cruelty. Pizarro exclaims that he cannot let the minister discover the imprisoned Florestan, who has been thought dead. Instead, Pizarro will have Florestan murdered (Ha, welch ein Augenblick—"Hah! What a moment!"). As a signal, Pizarro orders that a trumpet be sounded at the minister's arrival. He offers Rocco money to kill Florestan, but Rocco refuses (Jetzt, Alter, jetzt hat es Eile!—"Now, old man, we must hurry!"). Pizarro says he will kill Florestan himself instead, with Rocco forced to dig the grave in a ruined well in the dungeons. Once the grave is ready, Rocco is to sound the alarm, upon which Pizarro will come into the dungeon and kill Florestan. Fidelio, hearing Pizarro's plot, is agitated, but is soothed by thoughts of Florestan (Abscheulicher! Wo eilst du hin? and Komm, Hoffnung, lass den letzten Stern—"Scum! Where are you off to so fast?" and "Come, hope, let the last star").
Jaquino once again begs Marzelline to marry him, but she continues to refuse. Fidelio, hoping to discover Florestan, asks Rocco to let the poor prisoners roam in the garden and enjoy the beautiful weather. Marzelline similarly begs him, and Rocco agrees to distract Pizarro while the prisoners are set free. The prisoners, ecstatic at their temporary freedom, sing joyfully (O welche Lust—"O what a joy"), but remembering that they might be caught by the prison's governor Pizarro, are soon quiet.
After meeting with Pizarro, Rocco reenters and tells Fidelio that Pizarro will allow the marriage, and Fidelio will also be permitted to join Rocco on his rounds in the dungeon (Nun sprecht, wie ging's?—"Speak, how did it go?"). Rocco and Fidelio prepare to go to Florestan's cell, with the knowledge that he must be killed and buried within the hour. Fidelio is shaken; Rocco tries to discourage Fidelio from coming, but Fidelio insists. As they prepare to leave, Jaquino and Marzelline rush in and tell Rocco to run, as Pizarro has learned that the prisoners were allowed to roam, and is furious (Ach, Vater, Vater, eilt!—"O, father, father, hurry!").
Before they can leaves, Pizarro enters and demands an explanation. Rocco pretends that the prisoners were given a little freedom in honor of the Spanish king's name day, quietly suggesting that Pizarro save his anger for the prisoner in the dungeon below. Pizarro tells him to hurry and dig the grave, and then announces that the prisoners will be locked up again. Rocco, Leonore, Jacquino, and Marzelline reluctantly usher the prisoners back to their cells. (Leb wohl, du warmes Sonnenlicht—"Farewell, you warm sunshine").
=== Act 2 ===
Florestan is alone in his cell, deep inside the dungeons. He sings first of his trust in God, and then has a vision of his wife Leonore coming to save him (Gott! Welch Dunkel hier!—"God! What darkness here" and In des Lebens Frühlingstagen—"In the spring days of life"). Florestan collapses and falls asleep, while Rocco and Fidelio come to dig his grave. As they dig, Rocco urges Fidelio to hurry (Wie kalt ist es in diesem unterirdischen Gewölbe!—"How cold it is in this underground chamber" and Nur hurtig fort, nur frisch gegraben—"Come get to work and dig", the "Gravedigging Duet").
Florestan awakes and Fidelio recognizes him. When Florestan learns that the prison he is in belongs to Pizarro, he asks that a message be sent to his wife, Leonore, but Rocco says that it is impossible. Florestan begs for a drop to drink, and Rocco tells Fidelio to give him one. Florestan does not recognize Fidelio, his wife Leonore in disguise, but tells Fidelio that there will be reward for the good deed in Heaven (Euch werde Lohn in bessern Welten—"You shall be rewarded in better worlds"). Fidelio further begs Rocco to be allowed to give Florestan a crust of bread, and Rocco consents.
Rocco obeys his orders and sounds the alarm for Pizarro, who appears and asks if all is ready. Rocco says that it is, and instructs Fidelio to leave the dungeon, but Fidelio hides instead. Pizarro reveals his identity to Florestan, who accuses him of murder (Er sterbe! Doch er soll erst wissen—"Let him die! But first he should know"). As Pizarro brandishes a dagger, Fidelio leaps between him and Florestan and reveals her identity as Leonore, the wife of Florestan. Pizarro raises his dagger to kill her, but she pulls a gun and threatens to shoot him.
Just then, the trumpet is heard, announcing the arrival of the minister. Jaquino enters, followed by soldiers, to announce that the minister is waiting at the gate. Rocco tells the soldiers to escort Governor Pizarro upstairs. Florestan and Leonore sing to their victory as Pizarro declares that he will have revenge, while Rocco expresses his fear of what is to come (Es schlägt der Rache Stunde—"Revenge's bell tolls"). Together, Florestan and Leonore sing a love duet (O namenlose Freude!—"O unnamed joy!").
Here, the overture "Leonore No. 3" is sometimes played.
The prisoners and townsfolk sing to the day and hour of justice which has come (Heil sei dem Tag!—"Hail to the day!"). The minister, Don Fernando, announces that tyranny has ended. Rocco enters, with Leonore and Florestan, and he asks Don Fernando to help them (Wohlan, so helfet! Helft den Armen!—"So help! Help the poor ones!"). Rocco explains how Leonore disguised herself as Fidelio to save her husband. Previously in love with Fidelio, Marzelline is shocked. Rocco describes Pizarro's murder plot, and Pizarro is led away to prison. Florestan is released from his chains by Leonore, and the crowd sings the praises of Leonore, the loyal savior of her husband (Wer ein holdes Weib errungen—"Who has got a good wife").

Tags: romantic

Review:
Sentimental voyage.
Lucie Borleteau's first feature-length movie is a strange one.
It has an interesting premise (few are the movies that revolve around a woman...
working as an engineer on a freighter) but its development is - to say the least - surprising.
You might expect a documentary on the theme : 'the everyday life and working conditions of a female worker on a merchant ship' or a sociological study dealing with the point 'how does an insert element manage to fit into an a priori unfriendly universe?' And - to be fair - there are elements of the response to both questions.
On the documentary side, the cargo ship Fidélio on which most scenes take place is a real one and it shows.
As a consequence everything rings true, from the sorry state of the antiquated freighter to the engine room operations to the superstitious Filipino crew members, to the wild sprees ashore.
As for the study of what it is like to be a woman in a male-dominated environment, the result is only fairly convincing : this is probably due to the fact that Alice is seen in too many scenes in which she thinks of love, yearns for sex or actually makes love and in not enough where she carries out her engineer's job.
And when she IS doing so, she appears too beautiful, too well-groomed and her hands are just about greasy enough.
Of course it is Lucie Borleteau's choice to show that a woman, whether working in an engine room or not, will be a woman (which I perfectly understand), but it seems to me her film would have been better if she had found a more adapted balance between the intimate and the documentary sequences.
On the whole, though, "Fidelio, l'odyssée d'Alice" remains quite a watchable film.
First of all because it may be the first (or if is not, one of the first) fiction movies on its theme - and this is no small thing.
In addition, even if more could have been shown about Alice's trade, the relationships between the various member of the crew are well observed and well captured in this aptly-made drama.
Another asset of 'Fidélio' is its fine cast consisting either of professionals (in particular the classy Ariane Labed as Alice the free woman and the sensitive Anders Danielsen Lie as Felix, the young lover she has left behind) or of real-life seamen who play themselves in a very realistic way.
All in all, a voyage you can embark on provided you don't mind a significant part of its running time being devoted to its main character's sentimental pangs or graphic lovemaking..
"...open-minded...".
French actress, screenwriter and director Lucie Borleteau's feature film debut which she wrote with screenwriter Clara Bourreau, is inspired by her best friend who was a sailor.
It premiered in France, was screened in the Concorso internazionale section at the 67th Locarno international Film Festival in 2014, was shot on locations in France, Poland and Senegal and is a French production which was produced by producers Pascal Caucheteux and Marine Arrighi de Casanova.
It tells the story about a thirty-year-old daughter, sister and mechanic at a cargo ship called Fidelio.Distinctly and subtly directed by French filmmaker Lucie Borleteau, this quietly paced fictional tale which is narrated mostly from the protagonist's point of view, draws a reflectively multifaceted and literary portrayal of a Norwegian citizen named Felix whom has left his country of origin to become an author and his relationship with his girlfriend.
While notable for its atmospheric milieu depictions, distinct cinematography by cinematographer Simon Beauflis and real locations, this character-driven and narrative-driven story about parallel lives, a human being who moves like the character which carries the boat where she temporarily lives, the others whom she is accompanied by and a word starting with l and ending with e, depicts a cinematographically poetic study of character and contains a great and timely score by composer Thomas de Pourquery.This mindfully interrelated journey which is set in France in the 21st century and where a captain named Gaël is reunited with a former friend, is impelled and reinforced by its cogent narrative structure,substantial character development, rhythmic continuity, comment by Alice: "I'll never be an ordinary girl." and the reverent acting performances by Greek actress Ariane Labed and French actor, musician and director Melvil Poupaud.
A presently open-minded and mysterious narrative feature which gained, among other awards, the Best Actress Award at the 67th Locarno Film Festival in 2014..
Hermosísima!.
A whole new version of a french romance.
I loved the translation from romantic European balconies to salty freighter balconies.
I also appreciate a lot the 'woman empowerment' factor.
I find it really important that cinema worries about representing other types of femininity.
Romance has been idealized for so many years and I think this one explains very well a type of love that has always existed but not everybody likes to admit.
It kind of helped me understand it without freaking out about my own experiences.
Photography was gorgeous!
The casting was amazing, it's so inclusive and diverse.
The music caught me..
.. the mind of a male.
..a woman playing the mind of a male...
we're not totally sure till the very end..
then the look and the smiles.....
it's a film cannot be watched just once..
especially since you're reading subtitles and jumping back to watch.....
the flow being chopped up every few seconds, so more gets filled in once knowing the dialogue, then being able to more easily watch....the actors and performances keep it together..
..how many times you watch it, and the rating you give it, are probably both to change...
Sex Ahoy in this French Sea Faring Tale.
Alice (Ariane Labed 'The Lobster') is an engineer on a cargo ship.
She has a handsome and doting boyfriend who is Norwegian – Felix (Andres Danielsen Lie 'Oslo 31 August') and after returning from a voyage she hops into 'the sack' with him before going off to replace a dead engineer on the 'Fedelio'.
Only this is a ship which has been renamed and is actually the ship she apprenticed on, and worse still the sultry captain with matinée idol good looks who was her first love is now her boss and married.Well soon they are all at sea – in more ways than one and she reveals that as a woman 'she has needs' and knows how to fulfil them.
So begins her 'odyssey'.
She also indulges in the belongings of the dead engineer piecing together his wayfaring life through diary entries and pictures.
However what this really develops into is a voyage of self discovery.Now this has a lot of bedroom gymnastics in it and to put it mildly she 'arrives' faster than an Uber cab.
Now I am all fine with that sort of thing but the story – like the journey – meanders in places and at times it is hard to know why a scene was included.
That too is fine as the relevance of all reveals itself in the final denouement.
All in all a very accomplished film but not one that is an entry to French films but more for those who really like a bit of Gallic difference..
A character study at sea.
The opening shot of "Fidelio: Alice's Journey" has lead actress Ariane Labed skinny-dipping.
Get used to it; it's far from the last time you'll see her naked form in this French film.
Indeed, for a production with only one major female role as against several male roles, it is noticeable that there is much, much more female nudity than male.Alice (Labed) is an engineer who, upon getting a job aboard the freighter 'Fidelio', is dismayed to discover its captain Gaël (Melvil Poupaud) is an old flame.
This might make the view expect a bit of a relationship pot-boiler, but actually the "will-they-won't-they" business is dealt with pretty quickly.
The film also resists the temptation to descend into tiresome "woman in a man's world who has to prove herself to the boorish men" territory; Alice is accepted into the Fidelio's crew with little comment about her gender and - a half-hearted attempt at molestation aside - it's of little direct importance to the storyline.
Instead the film follows the day-to-day goings-on of Alice's life on board: there is a bit of business with a dead crewman's diary, but on the whole the film is an interesting character study of a flawed but likable central character.As for the acting, Greek-born Labed brings a traditional French gamine quality to the central role, well-served by a wardrobe that allows Alice to be understatedly feminine as well as one of the boys.
As Gaël, Poupaud is merely there: the role doesn't offer him much in which to sink his teeth, but I've never found him the most expressive of actors anyway.
Anders Danielsen Lie, as Alice's artist boyfriend, could perhaps have made more of his role: instead he comes across as dull, boring and slightly bewildered, leading the viewer to understand just why Alice wants to spend most of her time at sea...