The Best Way to Walk

Colour, 35 mm
France, 1975, 89 min
Section: Visions of Seven - Youth through the Eyes of French Filmmakers

Synopsis

Philippe is the son of the director of a boys’ summer camp and here, he heads a group which is putting together a theatre performance. His wards and, above all, he, himself, are different from the others, who take part in various sporting activities. His colleagues never miss an opportunity to take the mickey out of Philippe, and one of them, Marc, delights in arranging some coarse and humiliating surprise for him at any given moment. And not just because Marc once caught him dressing up in women’s clothes; the main reason is revenge for the fact that he feels an attraction towards Philippe. For Marc, who builds his reputation upon his muscles and the intelligence of an aggressive manipulator, this idea is unbearable. He plays with the timid and defenceless Philippe like a cat with a mouse. The atmosphere in the camp begins to thicken gradually and the hidden drama eventually comes to a head at the final farewell masked ball. This effective study of two opposing characters is reinforced by outstanding performances from the cast.

About the director

Claude Miller (b. 1942, Paris) studied at the IDHEC (1965) and then gained experience as an assistant to major directors (M.Carné, M.Deville, J.-L.Godard). He also produced films by F.Truffaut for seven years. He made several short features, before debuting in 1975 with The Best Way To Walk (La meilleure façon de marcher). Miller has made around 15 films, often with some of the best French actors (Patrick Dewaere, Isabelle Adjani, Gérard Depardieu, Miou Miou, Romy Schneider). He is involved in various genres, yet he always strives to achieve a precise, psychological study of his characters or to capture a specific social problem. Select filmography: This Sweet Sickness (Dites-lui que je l’aime, 1977), The Inquisitor (Garde a vue, 1981 – the film won three Caesars), The Accompanist (L’accompagnatrice, 1992), Betty Fisher and Other Stories (Betty Fisher et autres histoires, 2001) and Little Lili (La petite Lili, 2003).