The Best Way to Walk [La meilleure façon de marcher] **** (1976, Patrick Dewaere, Patrick Bouchitey, Christine Pascal, Claude Piéplu, Michel Blanc) – Classic Movie Review 11,822

Claude Miller makes his directorial debut with the notable and much admired 1976 French film The Best Way to Walk [La meilleure façon de marcher]. It tackles the always tricky and relevant themes of adolescent rivalry and sexual confusion, and stars Patrick Dewaere, Patrick Bouchitey, Christine Pascal, Claude Piéplu and Michel Blanc.

Patrick Dewaere and Patrick Bouchitey play teenage summer-camp counsellors Marc and Philippe at a holiday camp in the French countryside in 1960. One night, the virile, hairy and macho Marc surprises the reserved, intellectual and sensitive Philippe dressed and made up like a woman, and he then starts a relentless campaign of humiliating Philippe.

It is an exceptional film, beautifully and subtly written, with lots in its heart and mind, and powerfully played by the two young main actors, who are exactly right for their roles and interpret the challenging scenario perfectly.

The cast are: Patrick Dewaere as Marc, Patrick Bouchitey as Philippe, Christine Pascal as Chantal, Claude Piéplu as camp director, Marc Chapiteau as Gérard, Michel Blanc as Raoul Deloux, Michel Such as Léni, Franck d’Ascanio as Hervé, and Nathan Miller as kid with glasses.

Bruno Nuytten won the César Award for Best Cinematography.

Writers: Claude Miller (scenario, adaptation and dialogue) and Luc Béraud (adaptation and dialogue).

The title comes from a holiday camp song: ‘The best way to walk, after all, is ours. It’s to put a foot in front of the other and then do it again.’

Philippe and Deloux (Michel Blanc) watch Ingmar Bergman’s subtle masterpiece Wild Strawberries (1957) in the TV room at night while Marc and his friends play cards and tell dirty jokes.

Claude Miller (20 February 1942 – 4 April 2012). His first feature is the admired The Best Way to Walk. 

The films of Claude Miller: The Best Way to Walk (1976), This Sweet Sickness (1977), Garde à Vue (1981), Deadly Run (1983), An Impudent Girl (1985), The Little Thief (1988), The Accompanist (1992), Le Sourire (1994), Class Trip (1998), Of Woman and Magic (2000), Alias Betty (2001), Little Lili (2003), A Secret (2007), Marching Band (2009), I’m Glad My Mother Is Alive (2009), See How They Dance (2010), and Thérèse Desqueyroux (2012).

Patrick Dewaere in 1978.

Patrick Dewaere (26 January 1947 – 16 July 1982) became one of the most popular actors in French cinema in the 1970s and enjoyed a three-decade career until his suicide in Paris following personal, financial and addiction problems.

Patrick Bouchitey (born 11 August 1946) has appeared in more than 80 films and TV shows since 1972. His film Lune Froide [Cold Moon], based on Charles Bukowski short stories, entered the 1991 Cannes Film Festival.

© Derek Winnert 2021 Classic Movie Review 11,822

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