Movie Review: The Barbarian Invasions (2003)

The Barbarian Invasions (aka Les Invasions Barbares) is Canadian movie and Best foreign Language film of 2003 that tells a story about final days of Remy who reunites with old friends, ex-wife and son to farewell to life.

The film is brilliant. It has unique dramatic storyline and a great cast. The same time it hides direct messages concerning numerous social issues.

Director Denys Arcand is critical to any economic formation in the modern world. In a five minute scene of hospital he explains how brutal a social health care can be - full of indifference, carelessness and bureaucracy. Inhuman treatment is so much common towards anybody that in a moment you hate everything that can be associated with the word "socialism".

Denys makes fun of capitalism as well. There is a scene where a priest takes an auctioneer to a Church basement showing some old statuettes and chalices for sale. The girls examines all of them and states that they would be more valuable in Churches than on free market, in other words "they are useless". Well, it is matter of argue but the director sees capitalism as not spiritual.

The name of the movie itself "Barbarian Invasions" refers to everything new and barbarian that comes into one definite culture and makes everything up and down. The main character Remy is old fashioned man who does not get along his son very well. But as the death comes closer, he has to adopt to doing stuff he never enjoyed before. He has to accept the son he rejected long time ago, he has to restart friendship to people who he knew  once and he has to restore relations with ex-wife. Remy puts lots of effort to put himself among the people he admired and this works.

There are a lot stuff that invades in each person's life. Remy has his own barbarians - cancer, that kills him slowly, family which made his life a lot complicated and restricted in personal freedom and friends  who make Remy remember all the foolishness done in the young years. He deals with most of his invaders but the strongest one -  the death - can not be beaten and Remy is trying to get used. As long as he refreshes his relations with every important person in his life, learns that it is hard to think about your own demise.

However, alongside the drama content, movie includes a lot funny and happy moments, just like the normal lives of normal people. Accordingly, I found the film a lot sincere and easy watching. I simply loved it!

8/10