Canadian Film Forum

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A Documentary by Claude Jutra

Short biography of Caude Jutra

Clude Jutra was born in March, 1930 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. He had a very happy childhood and his family helped him to develop his thirst for cimema, writing, photography and drawing. (archives radio canada)
At an early age, he made two shorts with Michel Brault. In 1954 he joined the National Film Board. Here he will make documentaries and his first professional films such as: “Felix Leclerc, troubadour”, “Wow”, “Le Niger, jeune republique”, “Mon oncle Antoine” (1971), his best work and is believed to be one of the greatest works of the Canadian cinema. (IMDb).
After NFB, Jutra had the need for independence. At that time he made his full-length films “A tout prendre” (1963), “Pour le meilleur et pour le pire” (1975), “By design” (1981), “La dame en couleurs” (1984).
Due to his great experience in cimematography and theatre, he was asked to teach cinema techniques, scenario writing and directing at University of California, Los Angeles in 1966. Later, in 1975, he teaches “la mise en scène” at “Lionel-Groux of St. Therese College”.
One can notice the influences of great cinematographers in his work such as: Jean Luc Godard, Francois Truffaut, Jean Rouch or Charles Chaplin. He had very good relationships with Norman McLaren, Michel Brault and Gille Carle.
He was famous not only in Canada, but also abroad. Since 1993, it has been offered a “Prix Clude-Jutra”, for the most gifted director for a full-length film.

“Félix Leclerc, troubadour” (1958)

After Félix Leclerc, Quebecois singer and song writer, has become successful in France, he returns to Canada in 1953. Jutra will make a documentary film with him in 1959.
That is the reason why Jutra accompanied by his team and the singer Monique Leyrac will pay a visit to Felix Leclerc at his house in Vaudreuil, Quebec. During his shooting, he and Michel Brault will make new experiments with the camera. (archives radio canada)
The films begins with a parallel movement of the camera, crab-wise, (00:09), a panning movement towards the village of Vaudreuil. It will be clear to everybody that we are in Canada, a long road with snow every where. During this journey, one can hear Felix whisling his famous song: Bozo, creating a romantic athmosphere. From 00:12, it continues with a long-shot travelling. This is the only long shot that we can see in the film, because it is a documentary and the main character, le troubadour, is more important than nature, or his surroundings. The camera is set on the car. Then, followed by parallel movement at 00: 50, in order to get a glimpse of the Canadian winter. The image is a bit jerky at the bottom of the picture frame at 1:00. Felix will welcome the viewer, he will be the one who will present himself and everything that will happen in the film. He will be not only an actor, but also a narrator (using over voice) most of the time. Thus, making the film authentic, and sometimes giving it an ironic counterpoint. Felix even mentions that it is a farce, some scenes are rehearsed many times.
Felix, the main character sometimes looks into the center of the camera (01:35) in order to talk to the viewer, to create a bond between the viewer and himself, to arise interest.
After Felix has invited the viewer and the shooting crew, he presents his chicken coop, not only chickens but ducks, too. The director uses some close-ups (02:39; 02:57) when Felix shows his hens. Suddenly, one can notice Felix hand which pushes the hens in the shooting frame (02:35). Maybe F. helped the director. Later, Felix hears some noise, the children were playing in the stable. A very nice dynamic scene, joyful play of the children and beautifully shot. There is a very nice medium long shot, to include all the children in their play at 03:19. At 3:29 Felix presents his son, Martin with mid long shot. Then, he comments the shooting crew, who is downloading his devices. Next, a very nice transit at 04:02 with the “suitcase” which is black, not to făcute a sudden shock between the frames.
Felix shows his room, remembering his “gloriuos” days, each object reminding him of something, Jutra uses panning to show this. First shows letter E, then pull-out from it to his face at 05:58, while he is talking, we have close-up, to see better his face, mimicry and his feelings towards his memories.
Later on, we can see a cameraman setting a camera, a sound director setting his device. All this, to show the difficulties of shooting, or making a film.
At 10:47, there is a medium close-up, and it remains the same camera movement while he is singing: Je crois, and Bozo. During both songs there are medium close-ups and close-ups, one can identify with the romantic, nostalgic feelings of the singer. Felix often looks to the left, as if looking for the past. One goes back in time, when troubadours chantaient au-dessous de fenêtres. At 11:08, there is a medium shot contra-plongé.
Then he, Felix, goes to have supper. Jutra finishes that frame, gets out of this shot with a pull-out and pivoting movement at 13:33-39. Here there is a very nice transit from supper and noon to evening and productive work with the fire place close-up shot at 13:39. As if Jutra creates a flow between the events of the day.
Next, Monique, another singer is coming who is pretending not knowing why she has come to him, Felix. We can notice that the conversation between the singer and Felix is badly sincronized at 14:45, and it doesn’t seem to be natural. But they sing and improvise very nicely at 15:59. Sadly, there is a bad framing to the left, Felix’s hand is cut at 17:55. It is amusing the way Felix proves “what one can make with one guitare”, “what can make with a song”. Le troubadour sings his own song and later with Francois Villion’s verses. They both conclude that one can sing about love, philosophy, fantasies. At 18: 26 there is push in and panning. Then, they stop singing when Dedouche, Felix’s wife, gives the singers something to drink. Next, Felix sings again, a love song and one can see the most beautiful scenes of the film. First, we see the flying of a bird with panning to the left, then a nice transit with trees in bloom. There are some special effects with birds in front of the window at 19:56, followed by a zoom-in at 20:02, then tilting up and stopping at a close up with Felix’s face, looking at his lover, contra-plongé.While Felix is singing about a stream that is travelling in zigzag, the camera creates a visual reference, travelling in zigzag, like the song at 20:38. We can see cross-fading at 20:48, 20:56, 21:05, 21:18. All of them giving a lyrical nuance to the frames. The song is sad, because he wishes to kill his lover for loving another man and lying to him. Then a new transit with a negru screen at 21:17.
At 21:31 special effects, because the couple doesn’t danse only the background image is moving.
At 22:07 there is a close-up and plongé, because they were shooting from her perspective, she is looking down on him, and vice versa at 22:10 contra-plongé, he is looking up to her.
Jutra with his team are leaving. Dedouche, Felix wife and his son, Martin go to bed, and at 23:34 there is a panning and tilting up movement of the camera.
Felix sings his last ballad “Bozo” which begins with water again, and has tilting down movement at 24:00, fading at 24:06, special effect at 24:20, a grayscale of a charriot and a lady at 24:39, fading at 25:39, followed by some fadings, all this create a dream world of the song. During these fadings, water is present and amplifies the sufferance of Bozo, who waited for his lover who didn’t show up.
The film ends when Felix has finished his song and he has turned the lights off.
Last but not least, composition: most of the pictures are well balanced and follow the rule of the thirds. (18:00, 20:29, 24:44, etc) Jutra plays with light and shadow, he knows when to use them and in which quantity, being a magician of shades (scenes from the last songs, scenes with him in the coop).
I liked the way he associated images from nature with the feelings of the singer, 20:55 the image of leaves in clear water, fading out; then a river fading out, and last the ocean “Irons mourir d’ amour dans la mer…I loved the gradation of water, a symbol of sensation, of feeling. A little water, a river and an ocean. It amplified the strong feeling of sacrifice for love, as the lyrics say.
I would like to recommend it to all those who have a romantic heart, like me, and for those who long for troubadours and serenades d’autrefois.

Bibliography:

Jutra, Claude. “Félix Leclerc, troubadour”. NFB, 1958, 27 min 5 sec
On line: http://www.nfb.ca/film/Felix_Leclerc_troubadour/ [ 02.02.2011]

UQAM. Je m’appelle Claude Jutra. Services des archives et de gestion des documents. Expositions.
On line : http://www.archives-expocj.uqam.ca/volet1/section1/presentation.asp [ 30.01.2011]