OSS 117 : Comment est votre second degré ?
Calmos・6 minutes read
OSS 117, a French spy created in 1949, embarked on adventures that led to success in books and film. The character, a mix of parody and pastiche, embodies French culture through comedic portrayals that highlight contradictions and historical struggles.
Insights
- OSS 117, created in 1949, has had a varied history in books and on screen, with Hubert Bonnisseur de la Bath becoming a significant figure in French cinema.
- The OSS 117 movies, while following a formulaic spy genre pattern, led to the production of numerous TV and cinema clones in the wake of James Bond's success.
- OSS 117 moves beyond parody to embrace pastiche, blending different cinematic elements and styles to create a new narrative that pays homage to old cinema and French culture.
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Who is OSS 117?
A French secret service agent created in 1949.
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Summary
00:00
French Spy OSS 117: A Cinematic Legacy
- OSS 117, a French secret service agent, was created in 1949 by writer Jean Alexandre Brochet, also known as Jean Bruce.
- OSS 117's adventures began in a series of 265 tongue-twisters, leading to his success in books and on the big screen.
- Hubert Bonnisseur de la Bath, played by actors like Kerwin Matthews and Jean Dujardin, became a staple in French cinema.
- OSS 117 faced tough competition in the 70s, leading to a decline in popularity and disappearance from the limelight.
- Hubert returned in 2006 in a film directed by Michel Hazanavicius, with Jean Dujardin portraying the main role.
- In the movie, set in Cairo, Hubert investigates the disappearance of a fellow spy, Jack Jefferson, under the guise of a poultry salesman.
- The OSS 117 movies followed a formulaic spy genre pattern with colorful openings, gadgets, villains, and pretty ladies.
- The success of OSS 117 led to the production of numerous TV and cinema clones in the wake of the James Bond franchise.
- While not comedic in tone, spy movies like "Where The Spies Are" and "The Ipcress File" also featured humor and wit.
- OSS 117 is considered a true heir to the legacy of slick and dandy spies like James Bond and Indiana Jones, known for seizing every opportunity for a good pun.
03:28
Spy movie parodies: a comedic twist.
- OSS 117 showcases a hero different from James Bond, hinting at parody.
- Parody movies imitate existing films to exaggerate and subvert their core elements.
- Parodies like Airplane! and SpaceBalls target easily identifiable movies for ridicule.
- Spy movies' codified nature makes them ideal for parody due to recognizable characters and patterns.
- The 60s saw numerous spy movie parodies like Our Man Flint and Dr. Goldfoot.
- International spy parodies like For Y'ur Height Only and From Beijing with Love added unique flavors.
- The Italian-dominated Eurospy genre often blurred the line between parody and imitation.
- Operation Kid Brother, starring Neil Connery, was presented as a comedy but resembled a second-rate spy film.
- French filmmakers like Claude Chabrol and actors like Pierre Richard have mocked the spy movie myth.
- The British spy genre created a faithful spin with Casino Royale, featuring an aging, clumsy James Bond.
05:46
Spy Parodies: Austin Powers and OSS 117
- Spy parodies struggled to match the success of official spy movies until Mike Myers' Austin Powers trilogy in the late 90s.
- Austin Powers' story involves a British spy frozen in the 60s who wakes up 30 years later to combat Dr. Evil.
- The movie's time-jumped story adds comedy through nostalgic elements and homage to the 60s era.
- OSS 117, another spy comedy, is set in 1955 and filmed using era-appropriate techniques like Technicolor.
- The sequel, Lost in Rio, transitions to the 60s with pop culture visuals and references to classic Hollywood films.
- Both OSS 117 movies pay homage to old cinema through visual cues and references to iconic movies and actors.
- OSS 117 moves beyond parody to embrace pastiche, mixing and remixing various cinematic tropes and styles.
- Pastiche, derived from the Italian pasticcio, involves blending different elements to create a new, mixed-up narrative.
- Pastiche aims to faithfully represent and contextualize inspirations, unlike parody which often satirizes them.
- Pastiche examples include films like La La Land and Spaghetti Westerns, mixing genres and styles to create unique narratives.
09:03
Hazanavicius: Master of Cinematic Homage
- The movie "La Classe Américaine" is a re-dub and re-cut of various classics from Warner Studios, telling the story of Georges Abitbol, the classiest man on earth.
- Hazanavicius, the director, has also created movies for the big screen, all centered around the idea of borrowing from other works.
- "The Artist," a tribute to silent films, received five Academy Awards, showcasing Hazanavicius' talent for homage rather than exploitation.
- In "OSS 117," action scenes are meticulously reproduced to mimic the style of the 1960s, with attention to detail like using the "rear projection" technique for car scenes.
- The pastiche's strength lies in highlighting outdated elements like over-the-top acting and old-fashioned equipment, creating a comedic effect for modern audiences.
- The spy genre, as seen in "OSS 117," is caricatured along with its era, blending fondness and mockery in a mix of humor.
- "OSS 117" pastiches both a genre and an era, presenting a rose-tinted image of post-war France through a French spy character.
- The OSS series is also a pastiche of a rose-tinted image of post-war France, showcasing a different take on the spy genre and the time period.
- In the books, OSS 117 is an American spy, but Hazanavicius transforms him into an authentic Frenchman in the movie adaptations.
- Hazanavicius' approach to filmmaking involves borrowing elements from various sources to create a unique and engaging cinematic experience.
12:55
French Stereotypes Mocked in Satirical Comedy
- Hubert is transformed into a stereotypical Frenchman working for a French organization.
- He embodies clichés like always wearing an undershirt, complaining, and drinking mountain bitters.
- The character Hubert is a comedic tradition in France, mocking overly proud patriots.
- OSS 117, like Superdupont, represents French values with a baguette and camembert-based superpowers.
- Hubert, a colonialist, sexist, racist, and homophobic, would be seen as an unpleasant character today.
- The movie's visual design and Hubert's character reflect a 20th-century audience's expectations.
- The newer 117 inherits flaws and strengths from his predecessor, being a ladies' man and skilled fighter.
- The movie is satirical, requiring viewers to use their "SECOND DEGREE" to understand the humor.
- Comedy relies on interpretive cooperation, leaving the audience to decipher the hidden messages.
- Second-degree humor can be misunderstood, with some viewers missing the intended satire.
16:44
French Fool: The Complex Comedy of 117
- The challenge of using second-degree humor is to obscure the joke's core meaning while providing enough hints for the audience to understand.
- Writers Hazanavicius and Alain utilize various tools to clarify the movie's intent, such as the reactions of supporting characters to 117's blunders.
- 117's interactions with others depict him as foolish and endearing, with Hubert displaying childlike behavior when confronted with his faults.
- Dujardin's acting seamlessly transitions between serious and comical expressions, enhancing the connection between the audience and the character.
- Philosopher Léon Dumont theorized that laughter stems from someone's failure despite their confidence, highlighting the humor in arrogance being chastised by defeat.
- 117, embodying French culture, is portrayed as a laughable yet brilliant fool, symbolizing the country's contradictions and historical struggles.
- Hazanavicius' portrayal of France as the eternal second, lecturing the world but failing to confront its own issues, is reflected in 117's character.
- 117 is depicted as a proud rooster ashamed of his true nature, symbolized by the metaphor of a poultry bird, showcasing his incongruity and brilliance.
- The character's antics, like flashing his codpiece and referencing Christmas balls, add to his comedic yet complex persona, making him a unique and memorable figure.
