Charlotte Rampling in François Ozon’s ‘Under the Sand’: A Haunting Exploration of Human Nature

Charlotte Rampling in “Under the Sand”, by François Ozon

ARTE – SUNDAY, JUNE 25 AT 9:00 P.M. – FILM

From a certain point of view, like the David Lynch of Blue Velvet (1987) discovering a deadly swarm of ants under the somewhat too calm and orderly beauty of a landscape, François Ozon has always looked “under the sand”. He never ceases to dig into the surface of beings and things to reveal the monstrosity, sometimes grotesque, sometimes repugnant, of human nature.

The simplicity of Under the Sand is matched only by the trouble it inspires. In the opening, Marie (Charlotte Rampling) drives with her husband, Jean (Bruno Cremer), to their home in the Landes. Laconic and customary journey of an old couple, whose habits and intimate mutual knowledge have not got the better of the loving tenderness they feel for each other. The concrete daily routine almost imperceptibly distills something more tragic, which would immediately have to do if not with the promise of nothingness, at least with absence.

This occurs the next day, during a beach scene precise as a stab, brutal as a clap of thunder in a serene sky. Marie, lying on the sand, is reading a book, while Jean has gone swimming. Suddenly, Marie gets up, worried, the camera, which films her from behind, performs a rapid and striking rotation on her face: we know that something irreparable has happened.

The disappearance of Jean, of whom we do not know if he fainted in the wild or if he really drowned, inaugurates a new season of the film that this doubt, as in the best thrillers, will not stop haunt. The staging, extraordinarily economical and subtle, does not really make it possible to decide between the realistic hypothesis (he is alive, but his wife cannot, for an unknown reason, reveal his disappearance) and the metaphysical variation (the film is the stream of consciousness of a woman who cannot bring herself to mourn the loss of her loved one).

This indecision gives the film its power of fascination and reveals its deep nature, which is precisely that of cinema: a disturbing mix between real presence and a view of the mind. Under the Sand looks like a long confrontation between a face and a shadow. The face, resplendent and sovereign, of Charlotte Rampling evokes the enigmatic triumph of beauty at the moment of its vacillation. The shadow, both heavy and elusive, of Jean, that of passing time, which one would like to abolish and which nevertheless continues to insinuate itself into each wrinkle that Marie touches in front of her mirror.

Discreetly placed under the auspices of Honoré de Balzac (Marie reads at the beach The lily in the valley) and Virginia Woolf (she teaches Waves at university), this film is dominated, like the hero of the first, by a ghost and takes the form in which the second has defined life: “A luminous halo, a transparent envelope where we are locked up from the birth of our consciousness until death.”

Under the Sand, film by François Ozon (Fr., 2001, 95 min). With Charlotte Rampling, Bruno Cremer, Jacques Nolot, Alexandra Stewart. Available on demand on Arte.tv.

Jacques Mandelbaum

How does Charlotte Rampling’s performance in Under the Sand contribute to the exploration of Marie’s emotional state

Steadily following her, capturing her anxiety. She scans the beach, searching for Jean, but he is nowhere to be found. Panic sets in, and Marie’s world starts to crumble.

What follows is an intimate exploration of grief and loss. As Marie grapples with the sudden disappearance of her husband, the film delves into her psyche, unraveling her emotional state and blurring the lines between reality and imagination. Rampling’s performance is nothing short of breathtaking, as she effortlessly conveys the complexities of Marie’s emotions.

As the days turn into weeks and then months, Marie tries to adjust to her new reality. But the weight of her husband’s absence remains, haunting her every step. Ozon masterfully captures the emptiness and solitude that Marie experiences, using silence and stillness to convey her inner turmoil.

But Under the Sand is not just a film about grief; it’s also a meditation on the fragility of human relationships. Ozon delves into the complexities of marriage, contrasting the seemingly stable foundation with the unpredictable nature of life. The film raises questions about the nature of love and the extent to which we can truly know one another.

With its understated brilliance and haunting beauty, Under the Sand showcases François Ozon’s talent for storytelling. The film is a mesmerizing journey into the depths of the human soul, unearthing the darker aspects of our nature and challenging our preconceived notions of love and loss.

Charlotte Rampling’s performance is a masterclass in subtlety, as she navigates the intricacies of grief with grace and nuance. With each scene, she draws the viewer deeper into Marie’s world, making us feel her pain and longing.

Under the Sand is a thought-provoking and emotionally charged film that leaves a lasting impact. It is a testament to the power of cinema to explore the depths of human experience and to illuminate the hidden truths that lie beneath the surface. François Ozon has once again created a masterpiece that will linger in the viewer’s mind long after the credits roll.