La Tete Contre Les Murs [Masters of Cinema] [DVD] [1959]

An emotionally disturbed young man (Jean Pierre Mocky) is institutionalized against his will at a mental asylum by his spiteful father (Jean Galland). There, two doctors with decidedly different methods in treating their patients attempt to cure their patients. One (Pierre Brasseur) is more traditional and disciplinary and by the book and also a bit of a hypocrite (he chastises an intern for using the word lunatic to describe a patient but in private with another doctor, he does the exact same thing). The other (Paul Meurisse) is less authoritative and allows more freedom. The same year he directed the elegant horror film LES YEUX SANS VISAGE, Georges Franju directed this less known but insightful look into mental asylums and its treatment of patients. It's far more restrained and matter of fact than the overheated melodrama of its American counterparts like THE SNAKE PIT or ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST and therefore by default, more disturbing. The similarities to Ken Kesey's CUCKOO'S NEST are evident and one wonders if Kesey had seen it as the film came out in 1959 and Kesey's novel published in 1962. With Anouk Aimee and Charles Aznavour, who would probably have gotten an Oscar nomination if this had been an American film.

The Eureka DVD (from Great Britain) is an excelletn B&W transfer in a 1.33 aspect ratio.

Considering that the practise of having someone sectioned in a psychiatric hospital, as a method of personal power and control, was wide spread less than 50 years ago, this film is quite disturbing. I suppose it raises other questions about how much individuality we really have; about how much our community will accept behaviour that strays beyond the boundaries of 'normal'.

The DVD came with a high quality 48 page booklet with info about the film and Franju.
Here is some info from the back of the dvd you may find helpful.

. New high definition transfer
. New and improved optional English subtitles
. Original French theatrical trailer
. A new video interview with Jean Pierre Mocky filmed in 2008
. A new video interview with Charles Aznavour filmed in 2008

I really like everything about this 'Masters of Cinema' release. Someone has actually given some thought to this and it shows. Even the poster artwork is really thoughtful.
I hope this film unsettles you as much as it did me ;-)

"Head against the wall" (1959) takes place mostly inside a closed psychiatric ward. The protagonist, a young man with social and economic problems, is placed there against his will by his father. There he encounters two psychiatrists with different ideas about methods of treatment. He also meets a friend and a girl who visits him, and from the start his mind is bent on escaping.

There are some problems with the film. First: in the other Franju films I've seen, "Judex" and "Nuits Rouges", neither the characters or the action seems believable. Sometimes it feels rather cartoon-ish. This may suite the plot and characters in the latter movies fine. But in "Head against the wall" it seems like Franju wants to say something important about real society and/or psychiatry. For me this did not work out 100%. Also, the difference between the two schools of psychiatry is not explained or dramatized in a very interesting way. All we know is that Dr Varmont wants to keep the patients locked up for life, while Dr Emery wants to let them do whatever they like. Ok, so Dr Varmont is cold and cruel and Dr Emery is humane and progressive...

Anyway, the film is not bad. The plot is not predictable and some scenes are well made. It's worth seeing if you are interested in Franju or french cinema pre-new wave. Or in films about psychiatry.

In the extra material Jean-Pierre Mocky, who plays the young man, says that the film was/is considered a masterpiece and that it is still shown on psychiatry convents. Well, I can believe the latter but not the former statement. Mocky seems to have been chosen to be director of the film from the beginning, but then it went to Franju. Mocky directed some parts while Franju was sick, so that it was/is unclear whether it's a Mocky film or a Franju film. Well, at least the MoC cover goes for Franju. There is also an interview with the actor/singer Charles Aznavour that unfortunately is too unstructured. And as usual a booklet with information about the film and about Franju.

The picture/transfer is ok, stable but maybe a little hazy sometimes.