THE SEARCH (France/Georgia 2014) ****
Directed by Michel Hazanavicius
THE SEARCH, first screened at Cannes is supposed to be a remake of the Fred Zinnemann 1948 film about WWII concentration displaced children but the setting is completely different. It is set during the Chechnya War in 1999 when Putin was (and still is) the President of Russia.
THE SEARCH begins with a totally black screen when a soldier first finds a video camera and attempts to get it to work. He films a horrific incident of the mother and father of a family being slaughtered by Russian soldiers for entertainment. The 9-year old son escapes with his baby brother while his sister searches for him. This is THE SEARCH of the film’s title. Many, including myself are unaware of this war and its effects.
The film contains twin stories that are intercut though their time lines are different and revealed at the film’s end as sort of a clever plot twist.
One story sees a young Russian teen, Kolia, recruited for military duty. Kolia’s morals are compromised by the facets of war as he transforms from a normal teenage boy into a ruthless killing machine that embodies no hope of redemption. He learns to kill innocence and leave what's left of his childhood behind. This serves to explain the horrors that have resulted in the Chechnya War.
The other story follows orphan Hadji, a young lad who witnesses his family's murder by the soldiers at the beginning of the film. Hadji flees his home in search of someplace safer and is reluctant to be picked up by refugees and taken to an orphanage. He does not know however that his teenage sister, Raissa, managed to survive. She begins to search for Hadji, whom she believes is still alive. Hadji is aided by human rights worker, Carole played by the director’s wife Berenice Bejo.
Both stories are equally important and pressing as well as equally compelling.
The theme of Europeans ignoring the humanity problems in Russian states is not a popular one, which might account for the reason for the film’s lack of success. (But film was selected for TIFF.) This theme of non-involvement is emphasized in the meticulously shot film’s best segment. Carole delivers her well prepared speech to the U.N. where a number of members show disinterest. One strolls in late into the room and exchanges greetings during her speech while another appears texting and yet another dozing off with his eyes open. It is a powerful scene which emphasizes how much needs to be done to influence a select few.
Hazanavicius’ film shows moments of great sensitivity in simple scenes like Hadji’s first hugging Carole or his first scream of joy when he meets his sister. Hazanavicius could have gone for the tears but holds sentiment back. The result is a clear message delivered in a very tasteful and carefully thought of film.
It is difficult to fathom that it is the same director Michel Hazanavicius who made the light and entertaining Oscar Winner THE ARTIST and the spy spoof OSS 117 comedies. THE SEARCH is deadly serious, makes its point and hits the audience hard in the message across.