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On December 20th, French President Emmanuel Macron participated in a 135-minute interview on French television. The topics discussed included the new immigration law, the upcoming bill on assisted dying, the ongoing war in Ukraine, and the Israel-Hamas conflict. During the interview, Macron was questioned about Gérard Depardieu, which has been a controversial topic in France. While it may have been more prudent for him to stay neutral, Macron is known for speaking his thoughts openly and did not shy away from commenting on the matter.
“I will never participate in a search for a man,” he stated. When asked about the removal of the Légion d’honneur from the actor, which his culture minister Rima Abdul Malak recently began, Macron responded while looking directly at the interviewer: “The Légion d’honneur is not a symbol of morality.” He stated that his culture minister had acted too quickly. Macron expressed his admiration for the actor and praised him for bringing pride to France. However, there was an immediate negative reaction to this statement.
In 2018, a legal complaint was made by Charlotte Arnould against Depardieu, accusing him of rape. At the time, Arnould was a 22-year-old aspiring actress who had accepted an invitation to Depardieu’s residence. She claims to have been raped during this visit. Six days later, she returned to Depardieu’s home and alleges that she was raped again. The case was initially dismissed after a nine-month investigation, as the police reviewed CCTV footage from Depardieu’s residence and found no evidence of coercion. However, Arnould contested this decision and the case was reopened in 2020. The investigation is still ongoing.
In April of last year, the investigative news site Mediapart, which is known for its unwavering pursuit of those in positions of power, released a collection of articles featuring 13 women who accused an actor of making sexist comments and inappropriately touching them on the set of 11 films between 2004 and 2022. One of the women, Hélène Darras, filed a lawsuit against the actor for groping her while she worked as an extra on the film Disco in 2007. The accused actor, Depardieu, has denied all allegations made against him.
The airing of the TV documentary “Gérard Depardieu: The Fall of an Ogre” on December 7th has caused a controversy now known as l’affaire Depardieu. The documentary contains leaked footage of the actor making inappropriate comments about women during a trip to North Korea in 2018. His usual humorous and witty demeanor is absent, replaced by crass and embarrassing jokes that fail to elicit any laughter. It is a display of weakness. In English, it would be described as a disaster, while in French it is referred to as a shipwreck.
The images have sparked two reactions in the nation, causing what feels like a battle between generations – the old and the young. However, there is one exception – my generation, born in the mid-70s, who stand in the middle and strive to maintain peace in our country, France. The women who have accused Depardieu now feel justified as his words serve as evidence of his inappropriate sexual conduct, leading to scrutiny of the entire French film industry. Their voices are growing louder and their anger has resulted in action. Canada has revoked Depardieu’s national order of Québec, and the Grévin Museum in Paris (known as the French Madame Tussauds) has removed his wax figure. At 75 years old, Depardieu has been dropped from future film projects, and it seems that his career may be over. Similar to Kevin Spacey, who also vanished from the screen and stage in 2017 after facing sexual assault allegations, although he was found not guilty earlier this year.
However, there is a different perspective in France that believes the criticism towards Depardieu has gone too far and urges people to reserve judgment. They argue that as a citizen, Depardieu should be presumed innocent until proven guilty, and his fame actually makes him more susceptible to false accusations. While his behavior may be unacceptable, it is not a criminal offense. Recently, a letter was published in Le Figaro and signed by prominent figures in the French film and music industry, such as Charlotte Rampling, Roberto Alagna, and Carla Bruni, expressing support for the actor. They believe he has been unfairly targeted with a “torrent of hatred” and unfounded accusations. They describe him as the last remaining “monstre sacré” (a term coined by Jean Cocteau to describe Sarah Bernhardt), stating that attacking Depardieu is essentially attacking the arts. They also acknowledge that his talent as an actor has greatly contributed to the cultural success of France and that his legacy will remain profound regardless of the outcome of this situation. Some also point out that it takes no courage to criticize a 75-year-old, 20-stone Depardieu, who is often seen using a wheelchair.
Viewed from a foreign perspective, defending a man facing accusations of sexual violence by invoking his genius may be perceived as a distinctly French approach. This was the case in 1946 when Jean Genet, a poet and pornographer with a history of 13 convictions for theft, faced the possibility of life imprisonment for another offense. French artists and intellectuals, including Jacques Prévert, Jean Cocteau, Pablo Picasso, André Breton, and Jean-Paul Sartre, came together to petition for amnesty on behalf of this renowned figure in French literature. As a result, Genet was granted a presidential pardon. Similarly, in the case of Depardieu, although he has not been convicted of any crime, the invocation of genius stems from the belief that exceptional talent elevates the artist to a transcendent level.
Cocteau’s commentary on Genet in his Journal 1942-1945 may serve as a perfect depiction of the sentiments many French individuals hold towards Depardieu. He states: “The bomb Genet: for me, the most significant occurrence of our time, the prime illustration of an unseemly and dazzling purity. His creations instill in me a sense of rebellion, disgust, and awe. The radiance of a somber star.”
Depardieu will always be remembered in the collective memory of France as a rough diamond, rescued from a life of wrongdoing by the power of the French language and the rich literary and theatrical works. No one else will ever embody the characters of Cyrano de Bergerac or Georges Danton like he did, as they served as reflections of his own life. De Bergerac, the poet who believed himself to be too unattractive for love, yet possessed a sharp wit and honesty that gained him many enemies, ultimately dying with his spirit still intact. Danton, the scarred and daring revolutionary who spoke for the people, lived life to the fullest and met his end at the guillotine.
Certain pieces of art cannot be cancelled, at least in France.
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Agnès Poirier is a commentator on politics, as well as a writer and critic.
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Source: theguardian.com
