Paris, 1887. The recently liberated press and the easily vexed nobility are often at loggerheads — or, rather, at crossed foils. Under the pretext of repeatedly flouted honor, we are witnessing a golden age of dueling. It is in this sharp context that Clément Lacaze, virtuous master of arms but haunted by war, Marie-Rose Astié de Valsayre, journalist and feminist activist, Ferdinand Massat, reactionary newspaper owner, and Colonel Louis Berchère, very dishonorable war hero. Driven by distinct and often contrary values, they confront each other in the aptly named A matter of honorfrom and with Vincent Perez, with whom we spoke.
It must be said that at the mention of the name of the French star and the word “duel”, we immediately see Vincent Perez in full combat in streets strewn with corpses the day after the Saint-Barthélemy’s Day massacre, in Queen Margotby Patrice Chéreau, released in 1994.
“It is to Chéreau that I owe my fascination with the duel, but it predates Queen Margot », Reveals the actor-filmmaker.
“In 1988, he staged Hamlet, in the courtyard of the Palais des Papes, in Avignon, an extraordinary place where we play in front of 3000 people in the open air. I played Laertes, and there was this big final fight, very impressive, which we had worked on for four months and which we performed every evening. That’s really where I discovered the pleasure that comes from this mixture of armed dance, choreography, combat… I felt very comfortable in this exercise. Subsequently, there was Queen Margot, The Hunchback, Fanfan the Tulipand other films…”
Films on which Vincent Perez met privileged collaborators: the fencing masters. Not only do they have in-depth knowledge of the bladed and firearm weapons used during duels, but they are the ones who regulate each movement and movement in such a way as to create a credible sequence.
“I had the chance to work with great fencing masters, like Bill Hobbs, from the film The Duellists [Les duellistes, de Ridley Scott], or even Michel Carliez. Michel, I met him on Cyrano de Bergerac, by Jean-Paul Rappeneau. He was Bill Hobbs’ assistant. We worked together again, and our real big meeting happened on The Hunchback, by Philippe de Broca: there were some quite remarkable fights, including the opening one, in foil, with Daniel Auteuil. »
To note that The Guardian included the said foil joust in its list of the 20 best cinema duels.
“Michel and I have for years nurtured the desire to make a film about the duel. But this desire was not enough: we had to find a good story, as well as a reason to tell it. Quite quickly, I discovered a sort of golden age of the duel, between 1881 and 1889, and which was linked with the liberation of the press, in 1881. That is to say that journalists could now lead an investigation and publish without going through censorship. Suddenly, there was this meteoric rise in the duel, because of all these “flouted” honors. »
Prohibited, but tolerated
According to Vincent Perez, journalists could certainly destroy reputations, but, if necessary, they had to be ready to fight in a potentially fatal duel.
“The weapons rooms were full to bursting. The press seized on this phenomenon: all the major newspapers of the time, Le Figaro, The small newspaper and many others, had their own weapons rooms. Journalists involved in a duel even received a bonus. It was a fashion. There was approximately one death every 35 duels, not counting injuries, amputations… There was on average one duel per day. It was forbidden, but tolerated. »
During his research, Vincent Perez discovered an abundant period literature on the subject. One author, in particular, attracted his attention: Adolphe Eugène Tavernier, whose work The art of dueling was an authority among duelists of the time.
“There were all the explanations necessary for choosing a good witness, a good terrain, the fifty ways of fighting with a pistol, etc. Eugene Tavernier [Guillaume Gallienne] established himself as a key figure. In the film, everything is based on reality, but a reality reinvented for the cinema. However, it was very important that everything was rooted in research, in facts. »
This is evidenced by the characters, most of them composites inspired by various real historical figures. That being said, apart from Eugène Tavernier, Marie-Rose Astié de Valsayre also really existed.
“The central theme of the film is invisible: it is that of a changing world. There is the world before and the world as it is becoming. In the film, there are those who are clinging to the world before and there are those who participate in change, in evolution. These two factions echo their respective equivalents in our current era, because everything changes all the time. And in short, within this theme, there are sub-themes which embody this change in progress. Feminism is one, with this character of Marie-Rose Astié de Valsayre [Doria Tillier]. The fight that Marie-Rose leads in the film is the same one that she led in life. This character is probably the one who is closest to the real person: the second piece that she plays on the piano, towards the end, is inspired by one of the scores of Marie-Rose, who was also a composer. »
Marking a pause, Vincent Perez returns to the historical context in which the action takes place, around fifteen years after the war between France and Prussia.
“It is a war lost by France: it is nicknamed “The humiliating defeat”. Those who made it and whom we meet in the film are people in repair, I would say. They all have that in common. »
Except they express it differently. Clément Lacaze, the protagonist (Roschdy Zem), is open and projecting into the future despite the repercussions of what is now called post-traumatic shock syndrome. Conversely, Colonel Louis Berchère (Vincent Perez), the antagonist, is turned towards a fantasized past in which he continues to be a hero.
We return to the central theme: acceptance or refusal of a changing world.
With honors
Vincent Perez’s fourth feature film as director, and by far his most ambitious, A matter of honor almost never saw the light of day. The project was difficult to get off the ground, with some considering the subject outdated. But once financial partners were found, production was repeatedly compromised.
“The film was stopped many times, notably because of COVID. Remember: at one point, we thought cinema was dead. Funding was leaving, and we had to look for new ones… I fought like an animal for this film to exist. During filming, I was in this state of mind, having won all these fights with difficulty. »
In this regard, the final duel between Lacaze and Berchère constitutes the perfect metaphor for “all these fights” for the film.
“Imagine: leading a team by being yourself on a horse, a saber in hand… With the added pressure of summarizing the point of the film, namely the absurdity of the violence… This final apotheosis is not the character: it’s really me; it’s the director fighting to make his film a success. »
Now, this duel against fate, unforeseen circumstances and misfortunes, Vincent Perez won, yes, with honors.