Figure 1.--The boy here is Elaine's grandson from her adopted daughter. Sailor suits were still a popular style for boys in France during the 1930s. Styles in the colonies were essentially the same as for France itself. Although climate was a factor. Thus boys in the colonies commonly dressed ike boys in southern France during the Summer. Click on the image to see a close up of his sailor suit. |
This French film is a passionate love story that the French do so well. It was directed by Régis Wargnier. A French mother and her adopted daughter fall in love with a soldier. The two fall in love with the same soldier. The film is set in French colonial Indochina (modern Vietnam). The film received the 2004 Academy Award for the best foreign film. It was shot on location in Vietnam, Malaysia and Switzerland. The film starts in 1930 before World War II. Many French colonials lived their entire lives in Indochina and never even visited France. The French colonial regime gave the French enormous advantages in Indochina. The Vienamese were turning increasingly nationalistic and Marxist ideas were becoming influential. The movie centers on Eliane whose father owns and operates a lrge rubber plantation. Attending an auction, she meets a French military officer--Jean-Baptiste She has an affair with him but then rejects him. Her adopted daughter Camille then falls in love with the same officer. Eliane acts to stop the fair, or so she thinks. The film is well costumed and some boys are seen. One boy wears sailor suits. I'm not sure how he fits into the plot. Some of the outfits look quite accurate. One outfit with very long white shorts does not look right for the period.
"Indochine" was directed by Régis Wargnier.The film received several French Academy of Cinema awards as well as the 1992 Academy Award for the best foreign film. It was shot on location in Vietnam, Malaysia and Switzerland.
The film stars Catherine Deneuve and Vincent Perez. I'm not sure who the child actors are.
Figure 2.--Another boy appears early in the film when a French woman is leaving the rubber plantation. Her two children are playing near weighing scales. The girl is standing on them and the boy is on a scooter. A few years later dressed in white long shorts and a sailor hat he throws a stone at 'grandmother.' Her Indian Driver chases him and takes him to his employee. Click on tghe image here to see this scene. |
The film is told in flasbacks as Grandmother tells a little boy about his mother and father. Eliane tells him the story when he is a young man. The little boy is the son of her adopted daughter. The father was the officer they both fell in love with. The baby comes to grandmother via the Red Cross. Another boy appears early in the film when a French woman is leaving the rubber plantation. Her two children are playing near weighing scales. The girl is standing on them and the boy is on a scooter. A few years later dressed in white long shorts and a sailor hat he throws a stone at 'grandmother.' Her Indian Driver chases him and takes him to his employee.
The film starts in 1930 before World War II and the Japanese occupation.
The film is set in French colonial Indochina (modern Vietnam). Many French colonials lived their entire lives in Indochina and never even visited France. The French colonial regime gave the French enormous advantages in Indochina. The Vienamese were turning increasingly nationalistic and Marxist ideas were becoming influential.
This French film is a passionate love story that the French do so well. An expatriate French mother (Catherine Deneuve) and her adopted Vietnamese daughter (Linh Dan Pham) fall in love with a soldier. The two fall in love with the same French naval officer resulting in a bitter conflict. The movie centers on Eliane whose father owns and operates a lrge rubber plantation. Attending an auction, she meets a French military officer--Jean-Baptiste She has an affair with him but then rejects him. Her adopted daughter Camille fall in love with the same officer. Eliane acts to stop the fair, or so she thinks. Cmille goes for a walk and meets the officer. There is a scuffle and the girl shoots his commanding officer. The couple escape. They have a baby. One day when father takes the baby to 'baptise' it in water troops capture him with his child. He is taken prisoner again. He must be let off because he has the baby with him. He committes suicide. Grandmother takes care of the baby. The boy grows up hense the picture of him in a sailor suit.
Figure 2.--Here we see the one boy's sailor cap. Note the black pom on top. These poms I think were more commonly red. I'm not sure how common the black poms were and if they had any significance. |
The film is well costumed and some boys are seen. One boy wears sailor suits. The sailor suit was still a popular style in France, but perhaps not as popular as suggested by the film costuming. The clothing worn by French boys in the colonies tended to be the same as French boys in France. Here of course climare was a factor. Thus boys in the colonies commonly dressed ike boys in southern France during the Summer. Much of the costuming looks quite accurate. One outfit with very long white shorts does not look right for the period.
Navigate the Boys' Historical Clothing related style pages:
[Return to the Main alphabeticla "Im-Iz" movie page]
[Return to the Main English movie page]
[Return to the Main movie page]
[Lederhosen]
[Peter Pan collar]
[Shaved heads]
[Skeleton suits]
[Ethnic]
[Kneesocks]
[School uniform]
Navigate the Boys' Historical Clothing Web Site:
[Introduction]
[Activities]
[Biographies]
[Chronology]
[Clothing styles]
[Countries]
[Theatricals]
[Bibliographies]
[Contributions]
[FAQs]
[Glossaries]
[Satellite sites]
[Tools]
[Boys' Clothing Home]