Mon Oncle Antoine: Adding Our Movie to the Discussion

In recent years, a new ritual has been taking place during the holiday season: the discussion about whether or not a movie taking place at Christmas can be considered a Christmas Movie. Whether we believe that to be the case or not, it gives us a chance to add a movie about our heritage to the discussion. Claude Jutra’s Mon Oncle Antoine put rural Quebec’s daily life on the big screen for the first time, and covered a range of topics that defined an era. The issues of that era had influenced southern immigration to the United States in the years that preceded it, and would influence the rapid social change of Quebec’s Quiet Revolution in the years that followed it.

Most in the Franco-American Community are familiar with the film, so we won't spend much time on the description prior to examining the issues. Filmed in 1971, it depicted the early 1940s. Set in the asbestos mining town of Black Lake, the film is a coming of age drama focusing on an early teenage boy. Poverty and isolation are the background to events that unfold during a 24 hour period around Christmas, shattering many of the boy’s views and experiences.

Starting at a high level view, we see the politics of the era in play. The 40’s were the beginning of the Maruice Duplessis political era now known as the Le Grand Noirceur. The era was punctuated by foreign owned companies operating in Quebec, keeping taxes and unemployment low, but wages, advancement opportunities and government services equally low. In the opening minutes we see the condescending style of the English-language mine supervisors, and the ensuing resentment of the employees. A disgruntled employee finishes his beer bitterly exclaiming “that’s one less for the English.” The mood, and its causes, still permeate large segments of Quebec today. 

As we move to a lower level view, we see individual issues begin to emerge. A father leaves his family in the Fall to work in the logging camps. He leaves his eldest son in charge of the family, telling him he can go to school the following year. In this one minor exchange, viewers are exposed to the lack of educational requirements of the time.  As the film progresses, viewers are introduced to an early teenaged girl who is living with, or is unofficially adopted by, her employer. The same status appears to exist for the main character (Benoit), which creates the status of “Mon Oncle” for Antoine. In this structure we see the lack of any concept of social services.  Finally, we see a boy develop a fever and eventually pass away in his bedroom. While his death is central to the greater storyline, it subtly displays the lack of hospitals and formal healthcare available during the period. 

It's worth restating that the Noirceur years followed the end of our migration period

to the US. Our grandparents didn’t experience these exact industrial conditions, however they faced the same impoverished, isolated rural life. In their case, there was an option that existed to the South, which ceased by the time depicted in the film. Those shown in the film continue on without the Southern Option.

It’s also worth throwing out a certain warning; looking back at the harsh times experienced by a culture can create a sense of victimhood. While it’s important to recognize the harsh realities of the era, it’s equally important to also look at those difficult conditions as the ones that caused our cousins to create such massive changes in their political systems and daily lives. Miners would eventually strike, politicians would enact laws, and citizens would vote and adopt new ways of life, all helping shape modern Quebec. 

Finally, while we’re discussing these harsher topics, there are plenty of other less difficult references that can be made. Franco-Americans will observe many items that are associated with our heritage including early morning church duties, work in the logging camps, and festive community celebrations with call and repeat songs. Also, why not bring up how many awards the film has won both in Canada and internationally. To this day, more than 50 years after its release, Mon Oncle Antione is still considered one of the best Canadian Films of all time. 

Whether it's the historical aspects or the awards and notoriety, Mon Oncle Antoine is a chance for us to insert our heritage into what is now a seasonal discussion. With that, watch the film if you haven’t, brush up on it if you have, and join the conversation. Merry Christmas, everyone.