The Returned Section (A)

Question 1

When was The Returned released in France and on what channel?

Answer 1

2012 on Canal+

Question 2

Who was it directed and created by?

Answer 2

Fabrice Gobert

Question 3

Who funded it?

Answer 3

Regional Agency - Rhone-Alpes Regional Fund
National Agency - Centre National de la Cinematographie

Question 4

How much funded did it receive for season 1?

Answer 4

450,000 euros

Question 5

What type of narrative does it have?

Answer 5

Multi-strand ,Flexi and Non-linear Narrative
Multi-strand is when there is many stories
Flexi is where timelines cross over
Non-linear is when we see flashbacks

Question 6

What polarizing issue can be linked to The Returned?
What facts can you tie in?

Answer 6

Immigration.
9% of people living in France are immigrants.
The government bulldoze camps set up by asylum seekers.
It costs 14,000 euros per person to deport them.

Question 7

Who do Claire and Pierre represent?

Answer 7

They can be representative of the salvation army within France, accepting and wanting to help the new arrival, immigrant/daughter.

Question 8

How does The Returned fit its genre?

Answer 8

Supernatural - desaturated, with an eerie score

Question 9

Name 2 Binary Opposites in The Returned.

Answer 9

Dismissive with effect/denial (Mr Costa) vs Acceptence (Julie)
Government/dismissive (Jerome) vs Salvation Army/welcoming (Claire and Pierre)

Question 10

What does Jerome’s character stereotypically represent?

Answer 10

A hypermasculine male - Thomas Scheff
Stereotypical idea of a man with the fact we live in a patriarchal society. (Hall)
Examples: smokes
buys sex
emotionally unavailable

Question 11

How is The Returned successful?

Answer 11

Hesmondhalgh’s theory of culturally formating.
Star Power - pre-sold audience of Fabrice Gobert
International Remake - brought to the UK by Walter presents
Popular Genre - pre-sold audience from the movie Les Revenants in 2004
Serial formatting - 8 episode series, with 12 minutes of adverts per hour

Question 12

How is it vertically integrated?

Answer 12

Vivendi owns Canal+ and TPS

Question 13

How is it horizontally integrated?

Answer 13

There is 14 different offshoots of Canal+ including canal+ sport and canal+ family.

Question 14

What occurs in TR that can be described as a simplistic narrative?

Answer 14

Something that follows the theory.
1. Barthes Hermeneutic codes
2. Binary Opposites - Levi-Strauss

Question 15

What occurs in TR that can be described as a complex narrative?

Answer 15

Something that challenges a theory.
1. Todorov’s narrative structure (flexi, multi and non-linear narrative)
2. Propp’s archetypes - eg Simon’s princes is Adelle but Adelle’s princess peace.

Question 16

How true are stereotypes in TR? theorists you can apply? quote?

Answer 16

Hall - Jerome is a stereotypical male, chain smoking, buying sex from Lucy “that’s the third time this week”
Jackson Katz - “you think it’s nice?” when commenting on someone’s art for their dead children.
Thomas Scheff - stands looking away from the camera is panning shot when the rest of the family are comforting each other.

Question 17

What is the genre of TR?

Answer 17

French poetic realism

Question 18

Who came up with the idea of French Poetic Realism? And what does it entail?

Answer 18

Sigmund Freud.
Genre based on aesthetics, and unheimlich (un-homely), which is the fear around death.
Unfamiliar vs familiar (eg dreams are familiar but un-homey)

Question 19

How is French Poetic Realism conveyed in the butterfly scene?

Answer 19

Impossible shot
Score
Soft focus
Floaty steady cam shots
Otherworldly mis-en-scene
desaturation
slow motion, mirroring a dream like scenario.
Frame with dead butterflies, something beautiful in death and the mundane.

Question 20

How is the plot referenced in the butterfly scene?

Answer 20

Butterfly signifies rebirth, caterpillar to butterfly, restricted to beautiful. (Barthes)
Binary opposite between the beauty of the butterfly and the death is is surrounded by. (Levi-Strauss)
Hovers over the image of Mrs Costa signifying and foreshadowing that she is the one to return.