Human Resources (1999) User Reviews

A powerful, heartbreaking drama, well acted and realistic. ***1/2 (out of four)

[Movie-12 · 8/10 · 12 January 2001]

HUMAN RESOURCES / (1999) ***1/2 (out of four)

By Blake French:

The powerful, heartbreaking new French drama "Human Resources," written by Laurent Cantet and Gilles Marchand, is so authentic the only true professional actor in the cast is Jalil Lespert, who plays Franck, the son of a workaholic. The rest of the performers were chosen from unemployment organizations in regard to the business the characters would have to play. "The title "human resources" is first of all a reaction against the cynicism of that expression," explains director Laurent Cantet in an interview. "A human being is administered the same way you would administer stocks or capital." After watching this film we understand what he means by those words.

The working characters employed by a personnel division factory where Franck's dad is currently employed. He has been working there for thirty years and is happier when his son is emotionally further apart from him. Franck has defied his family heritage, went to college, and has recently returned to the French home where his parents live. He gets a job as a manager at the company in which his father works. This is where he becomes torn between business opportunities and staying loyal to his principles of fairness and morality. The people at the factory treat the workers like machines, and it is then when he understands "human resources" refers to people as variables in the production flow graphs.

Director Laurent Cantet is not from a working class family, as cleared up in a press kit, so these skillful and wise foreign filmmakers decided to get ideas confirmed by those who did live that life. The parts of the factory workers are played by actual workers; the boss is a real boss; the union leader is a real union leader. The film is also shot in an authentic working factory, as if a documentary was in the creation. Cantet was absolutely correct: who better to imitate the positions and postures of a worker's body bent over a factory machine, or especially the language itself, much of which was selected the workers themselves. The factory's supervisors are cutting back, and Franck gets the privilege of listening to the suggestions that a recent questionnaire asks. The questionnaire is to help make the employers, who are drained of most consciousness on the job, feel they are important to the success of the corporation. Then, while snooping around on the boss's computer, Franck finds the questionnaire is nothing but a pretense for upcoming layoffs, that of which his father is on the list. While Franck is furious at the deceptions, his father refuses to even go on strike after learning of his fate-he is simply to used to consistence and routine, he fears change.

The movie is more about the inner struggle between Franck and his father than the actual protesting by the employees or how the factory supervisors fight back. American movies are not often about factory workers, and when they are, the subject is more parody, like in "Officer Space" (1999), than class struggle. One of the best arguments this movie makes is that class struggle is still alive today, and has a high impact of various societies. There are other themes in "Human Resources": greed and power, communication between Franck and his family, the father-son association he has with his boss, finding one's place in society, and shame and regret.

"Human Resources" is of the most penetrating films of the year; it offers descriptive writing and empathizing characters. Shot in a documentary style, the direction is focused and sincere, and the performances are mesmerizing. The only thing keeping it from perfection is the somewhat slow-moving script that occasionally strays idle when some of the most important events take place. Beyond that, however, "Human Resources" is a must-see if you are a fan of original, reality theme-based dramas.

Brilliant

[AKS-6 · 8/10 · 11 May 2001]

This was a positive surprise... I didn't have a clue what to expect when I rented Ressources Humaines, but it turned out to be a great film with fine performances from the cast (especially Jalil Lespert and Jean-Claude Vallod).

First, the premise is very interesting. What happen with the family dynamics when the sons and daughters are more educated than their parents? Of course, that is only one aspect of this film's premise. Second, the scene where Franck is yelling at, and blaming, his father is absolutely heartrending. Only a stone wouldn't react to that masterful scene. Third, "entertaining" is hardly the word to describe Ressources Humaines, but I have to say that this film seemed much shorter than tired comedies like Charlie's Angels and Scary Movie.

(8/10) Highly recommended.

A refreshingly humane film !

[brook.jane · 8/10 · 27 September 2000]

Although the context for this film is the political tension surrounding the introduction of the 35 working week, the soul of the film lies in the relationship between father and son and its power to evoke folk memories of other, epic, generational struggles.This power comes not so much from what is said but from what is NOT said - looks, gestures, silences.This makes it sound as though the film is ponderous but it isn't: the context makes sure that there's plenty of action and there is a lightness of touch in the family scenes.The two struggles ( familial and political)are perfectly intertwined with each adding meaning to the other.The Human Resources of the title therefore refers not just the rather inhuman term for personnel management - but also to the resources which father and son find within themselves to cope with their respective situations.

There is a naturalness about the location, the setting and the pace that makes this film a refreshing change from Hollywood High Tech. It is well worth seeing.

Powerful study of divided loyalties

[nqure · 25 October 2000]

Despite the apparently 'dry' subject matter of conflict in the workplace, this is a passionate film. At times,the scenes are so realistic and so involved that you forget this is a film and are actually watching scenes from real people's lives (which is perhaps because many of the actors are no-professionals as in Bresson & Loach). The film does not provide any easy answers, only more questions. I found the scenes between the father & son very moving especially the one at the end where the father continues working at his lathe whilst the son first berates him for his failure to stand up for his rights and then hurls his father's work angrily onto the floor. A very compassionate film.

Management vs. labor in a contemporary French setting

[DennisLittrell · 6/10 · 14 January 2007]

I thought this was played in a rather too pedestrian manner until near the end when the unspoken conflict between the father and the son exploded. In a sense this is a story more or less a century behind its time. We have the factory and the bosses, and we have the workers whose labor is exploited by those who own and control the capital. We have the union organizers who are little different from those who long ago sought a worker's paradise while employing communist tactics.

But where this is different is that it depicts the conflict in a contemporary setting with the institution of the 35-hour week as the bone of contention. Jalil Lespert plays Franck, the son who is home for the summer from college in Paris to serve as a management trainee at the factory where his father (Jean-Claude Vallod) is employed. The father is a throwback to the loyal worker of the 19th century who was wedded to the machine, who adored the machine, someone who has completely accepted his status as worker/cog in the greater machine that is the factory. Even in his off hours he works cutting wood using a large buzz saw in his garage. But he wants something better for his son.

The son is personable and talented. He puts together a questionnaire that allows management to see how its employees feel about the 35-hour week in order to better manipulate them. By accident he discovers that management is going to fire 12 workers, most of whom have spent their entire working lives for the company. This is the crisis point for the son.

Without going into plot details, what we discover at the end is that the father despises himself because he is nothing more than a man who feeds a machine while the son reveals that he at some level hates his father because he is a factory worker, a man who had neither the ability nor the gumption to raise about his station in life and a man who is afraid to question management.

Bottom line: slow and realist to the point of being mundane with professional, but uninspired direction by Laurent Cantet.

(Note: Over 500 of my movie reviews are now available in my book "Cut to the Chaise Lounge or I Can't Believe I Swallowed the Remote!" Get it at Amazon!)

A deeply felt human drama about class mobility

[howard.schumann · 9/10 · 27 September 2004]

"You're not fired. You can stay. You're too young, too cheap to be unprofitable." -- Franck Verdeau

Laurent Cantet's first film, Human Resources, shows the dehumanizing effect of mechanical labor on the relationship between a father and his son in rural France. The film has a strong political message but never feels sterile or preachy; rather it is a deeply felt human drama about class mobility. Jalil Lespert, the only professional actor in the cast, is Franck Verdeau, a young, handsome intern who works for the same company in which his father (Jean-Claude Vallod) has toiled for thirty years. Mr. Verdeau is a heavy-set taciturn individual who operates an automatic welding device that forces him to stand on his feet all day, bent over his machine and proudly claims that he can churn out 700 parts per hour. A member of the old school who does not believe in upsetting the bosses, the father is more compliant than most workers who still operate within the system but express their misgivings in union activity.

Franck has just returned home from school in Paris. Eager to seize upon the opportunity presented to him through his father's sacrifice, he seeks to impress management and launch his career by assessing the validity of instituting a 35-hour workweek. Although he has made a good first impression on his shrewd boss (Lucien Longueville), he soon comes into conflict with union leaders who are fearful that reducing the amount of hours will lead to automation and loss of jobs. Torn between his professional obligations and his sympathies for the workers, Franck naively proposes a referendum of the workers on the issue. This plays into the hands of management seeking to drive a wedge between the workers and their union, led by firebrand activist, Danielle Arnoux (Danielle Melador).

Arnoux, a real-life left-wing union activist, is an aggressive and uncompromising leader who does not hesitate to let management know exactly where she stands. When more layoffs seem to be forecast including that of his own father, Franck must choose sides between the militants and the father who made his job and career possible. Mr. Verdeau is opposed to the union and cannot see any benefit from a staggered workweek that would mean increased leisure. Their final confrontation about the father's passivity brings to the surface resentments about his father's social class that have been repressed for many years.

Human Resources is shot inside an actual factory, creating an authenticity furthered by its cast of actual factory employees. I found myself deeply involved with the characters. In tackling an issue that Hollywood has stayed miles away from, Cantet has made us aware of the daily drudgery of millions of people around the world for whom compromise and submission is a way of life. The film never loses his focus, striking a balance between social relevance and a character study of deeply conflicted individuals whose work is reflected in their self-image. Cantet said in an interview, "The title Human Resources is a reaction against the cynicism of that expression. A human being is administered the same way you would administer stocks or capital. I wanted to play on that double meaning and go beyond coded administrative lingo in order to talk about an actual human's resources." He has succeeded impressively.

Good but could have been great

[mats123 · 7/10 · 13 January 2011]

This could have been a great film about labour relations in a globalised world. Instead we get a much more narrow and black and white perspective. Management basically being crooks and the communist union protecting genuine workers' right. It is sad that the direction didn't have a better grasp of reality. Still the move has good moments and raises interesting questions.

One thing I don't like is the director's way of using dirty tricks to get his audience on the union side. First the union woman is portrayed as an awful and disgusting person. Then the same person gets the last word after the audience have started to dislike her. Cheap trick.

Still the movie is quite good but nothing extraordinary. My limit of a watchable film is 6 and a great film is 9 on the IMDb scale.

excellent

[rtlusa · 9/10 · 30 September 2000]

I am French and I am very proud when I see that such a movie can be produced in my country - It's not a movie with Gerard Depardieu, it's a movie with real situations and real people, about working in a factory, blue collar and white collar confrontation, family feud. Acting is great with only one professional actor, the rest being amateurs. I highly recommend it. It's not an easy piece. But it will you make think.

well done docu-drama

[villamondial · 7/10 · 14 December 2001]

A well-done docu-drama by Laurent Cantet. It reminded us a lot of "Norma Rae", without the "American" touch, meaning a well-settled, calm reality film. The story about the young trainee coming back to his home-town, working in the same factory where his father worked for 30 years is filmed in a "true" manner. The actors seem to be real workers (and many are). The conflict of the son, who suddenly works close the the boss, above his father, is well told and well acted. The father is still standing at a machine, doing monotonuos movements with his hand - a type of work, which inhumanity Charles Chaplin already commented on with "Modern Times". The story leads to a climax, when the workers start to strike, after it was discovered that 12 people (including the father) will get fired. But we will have no happy ending or fake solution. The son will go back to Paris, having learned a few lessons of life and the workers will continue to strike.

Powerful film

[suee13 · 10/10 · 29 August 2000]

This is a well-made, powerful film addressing the dynamic between union factory workers and management in a suburban French factory. The director makes use of many non-actors, like the union rep (who is a union rep in real life) which lends the film an almost documentary-like feel. I thought the acting was extremely real and powerful and this potentially boring subject matter kept me captivated to the end. I highly recommend this film.

An interesting and very French look at labor and management.

[planktonrules · 7/10 · 4 April 2018]

"Human Resources" is a very French look at labor and management. What I mean is that it takes a decidedly more adversarial look at this relationship...something more common there than in the US or our films.

Franck (Jalil Lespert) is going to be graduating soon from college. So, for his internship, he returns to the factory where his dad has long worked and Franck's job is in the front office...with management. He has arrived at an interesting time, as the relationship between the owners and the workers are deadlocked. The boss insists he's got the workers' best interests at heart and the communist labor leader simply wants nothing to do with him and her position is purely adversarial. Most viewers likely will assume this labor leader is an extremist...and it sure looks that way. Franck decides to try appealing directly to the workers...and he's wildly successful. What he doesn't know is that the boss really IS a duplicitous creep and he's using Franck. So what will Franck do when he learns the truth?

This film is a tough sell for many viewers. A film about labor and management is NOT a sexy or exciting idea for most viewers. It also is very slow at times and features a direct-to-video look. Still, despite all this, it is a powerful and well acted film that gets you to think.

a HR course in my VCR

[bjurstedt · 9/10 · 12 July 2001]

An excellent movie, a must for everyone interested in sociology, management or leadership. Terrific acting, partly by amateurs playing themselves, and a setting as realistic as your factory next door. For pessimistic people maybe a bit too depressing...

Conflict between classes build up to an emotionally explosive climax

[Mancic2000 · 7/10 · 4 March 2009]

This is a challenging depiction of the irreversible suppression of lower classes by upper classes, and how people belonging to the former are ill-equipped to fight in a battle they can never win. The issues of corporate morality and social justice are skilfully infused in a father-son relationship, which is itself tainted by class difference and "shame" for being in the lower classes. The irreconcilable difference between classes in both a familial and corporate context is given real flesh and bones by the highly unforgettable climax built up in the scene where the son forced his father to confront him for his "shame" felt since childhood because of the father's working class status and which extended to even after the son has advanced to a higher class. A brilliant semi-documentary on corporate morality which has also successfully injected a layer of personal morality crisis.

Disappointing

[=G= · 5/10 · 19 December 2004]

"Human Resources" tells the story of a young man who interns in the Personnel Dept. of a big French manufacturing plant where his father is a machine operator. The story is all about the tensions which arise between management and labor as the factory prepares to lay workers off and the effects on the relationship between father and son. Given its bland character representations, inconsequential story, limited production value, and annoying white subtitles (with no outline) which are impossible to read when overlaying white subject matter, there is little reason to recommend this film in spite of its favorable critical ratings. Recommended only for French speakers. (C+)

admirable

[Kirpianuscus · 9 August 2020]

It has all the pieces of docudrama. Not professional actors, clash between workers and managers, admirable performances - Jean Claude Vallot is the main example - Jalil Lepris giving the fair portrait of young man discovering the real side of reality. A film about family, illusions, youth , friendship and fundamental options. Admirable in each detail.

Good movie for the 19th century

[Andres-Camara · 7/10 · 6 December 2016]

The first thing I have to say is that as a film it seems like a simple movie, without any aspiration. It is not good for planning, photography, or anything special. The only good thing is the actors that at least make it credible. To those interested in the explanation of the title in the spoiler.

Spoiler:

As a movie for people who do not even dedicate themselves to the movies or have to do it seems to me that it is a movie that can be seen. Although I do not agree with his message, I have to say that as a movie it is worth it.

It seems to me a film for the last century because there are all the ingredients, the totalitarian trade unionist, the boss who goes in the back, the employees less subservient to Leninism and then the clerks, who all over the world branded entrepreneurs and are mere currants. The trick comes when the prepared person arrives and it is not based on nonsense if not in today's world, liberal and raises things to see if they work, although this proved the 35 hours failed in France for not being competitive, without bias ideological. I saw his point well until, as it has not led to an ideological point, nothing reasonable and totally sentimental. It is clear that today you have to update whether you or your father.

By the way I am amazed at the lack of freedom that the film asks for and only one critic has commented, when you are forced to go on strike, why does not it look like the free choice to work or strike, does anyone oblige to strike? Nobody realizes that at the end of the film, if the second part were done, if the strike had lasted a long time, they would all be unemployed by bankruptcy and if it had not lasted, they would all be unemployed, because of bankruptcy and That the costs today are unbearable.

What the driver of errands would say when I passed him, the same thing but it is called evolution and you have to assume it. I hope not to disturb anyone with what I say, but to see if we have already evolved

Morality Drama

[harry-76 · 10/10 · 2 March 2001]

"Ressources humaines" is a consideration of the tensions created between management and labor, as seen through the eyes of a business grad student serving as a temporary management trainee during his school break.

A proposed 35-hour work week is used as a dramatic charge for investigating both sides of white/blue collar concerns in a factory setting. After a strike is called by the workers, who feel betrayed by management, while management feels betrayed by its trainee who publicly discloses a "secret memo" on the pending firing of several workers, the film ends before a resolution is reached.

Actually, it's not necessary to reveal the resolution, for that's not what the film appears to be about. While both sides feel their respective issues deeply, and both have seemingly legitimate arguments, at least to themselves, we witness what may actually be an absurdist comedy:

Is the creation of a world of limitation a state of awareness that may in itself be spurious? Is the belief in lack a subconsious denial of human potential? Is the reacting to injustice an indvertent bonding of the actor to his own nemisis? Indeed, are not management and labor in effect merely different sides of the same coin?

From a distant perspective, after "Ressources humaines" has unfolded and its passion and emotion subsided, we observe a dented sponge returning to its original shape. Nothing has really progressed, only temporarily allowed its profile to give.

Yes, there is nothing to do in Laurent Cantet's world but to silently laugh at his sharp depiction of errors. Jalil Lespert as the student, Frank, and Jean-Claude as Le pere give mesmerizing performances.

The illusion and the angry

[jpmorex · 10/10 · 1 February 2001]

Beautiful film about the broken illusions and the angry of one administrative technician from working class origin. The working class didn´t go "to paradise", but Charles Marx isn´t dead yet.

Superb film on labor and family issues, a must-see

[Chris Knipp · 9/10 · 21 July 2007]

This drama about a labor-management conflict tearing apart a father-son relationship is truly one of the finest French films of the last decade and is a must for anyone interested in contemporary films on social issues. Terrific performances especially by Jean-Claude Vallod as the factory worker father, Jalil Lespert as the management-trainee son, Chantal Barré as his mother, and Danielle Mélador as the feisty rep of the Communist-backed CGT union--among others. Though Cantet's subsequent films ('Time Out'/'L'Emploi du temps', 2001, 'Heading South'/'Vers le sud,' 2005) have been interesting and original, he has yet to hit on anything as strong as this. First time I've seen this film again since it appeared briefly in a Berkeley theater in 2000, and it moved me just as deeply as it did then. A great deal more could be said about 'Human Resources,' but most of it has already been said. I wish Jalil Lespert, who has appeared in so many films, had had more roles like this, but the only other notable one I know of for him is as 'Le Petit Lieutenant,' in Xavier Beauvois' touching and well acted cop flick, for which Nathalie Baye got the Best Actress Cesar.

Father-son relation in the factory and in the working-class environment.

[silverauk · 8/10 · 5 August 2002]

This movie is very sober but realistic. The director Laurent Cantet uses non-professional actors in their natural environment which gives the movie a certain power less dramatic than "Norma Rae" but stronger in intensity. The scene where the father (Jean-Claude Vallod) shows to his son Franck (Jalil Lespert) the very simple work he is doing every day for years on is moving. There is also the conflict of the young manager Franck with the director (Lucien Longueville) which is characteristic for such social problems. The family-life is well depicted.

Do yourself a favour and take my advice.

[donal-carolan · 1/10 · 29 April 2008]

This film is probably the worst film that I have ever seen. I'm studying french at college and thus understood all the dialog, so the language barrier wasn't an issue. I must say it is really hard to empathize with any of the characters depicted in the movie. There is only one professional actor in the cast and I'm guessing no professional directors or writers.

Although I have rated it 1 out of 10 it probably doesn't merit such a poor rating. This is merely a futile effort of lowering its current overall rating of 7.3 to something more realistic. Perhaps 4.3 would be a more accurate rating because the film is a true non-event 100 minutes or so in length that you will never get back.

The real shame is that I am sure some college student is busting his nut making a film twice as good and half the length. However if you want to join the bandwagon which seems to be rolling around IMDb you might as well go ahead give "Lost in Translation" a 10 as well.

Honor thy father and mother

[renelsonantonius · 22 August 2003]

Fyodor Dostoyevsky's novel 'The Brothers Karamazov', for all its monumental breadth and depth in philosophy and theology, has at its very core the dominant figure of the Father, whose callous authoritativeness and irresponsible disposition--and eventual murder--have decidedly molded the characters and philosophies of his four sons--Mitya, Ivan, Alyosha, Smerdyakov--and altogether marked their essentially tragic fate.

Two films I recently saw, though not really epic in scope, have arguably imbued the spirit of the literary masterpiece:the French 'Human Resources' by Laurent Cantet and the Russian 'Mother and Son' by Aleksander Sokurov are predominantly deferential to the parental figures, respectively, of the Father and the Mother.

If Dostoyevsky's 'Karamazov' is in the manner of the psychological/existential probing of the human soul with a murder-mystery on the surface, in what way do the two films work on their archetypal themes?

'Human Resources' works as a labor drama as it involves an educated son (Jalil Lespert as Franck)who returns to his hometown after years of studying in Paris to be trained as part of the management staff of a factory(whose name serves as the film's title)where his father(Jean-Claude Vallod as Jean-Claude)has been devotedly working for 30 long years.

Despite being imbued with fresh ideas and attitude, Franck tries as much as possible to maintain a "moderate" persona at work in deference to his father's unquestioning servility--to the point of becoming an anonymous piece among the assembly of workers(who isn't, anyway?).So we can initially see that the son's newly-assumed, though arguably much higher, position is "humbled" before the father's mere length of service.

But little did Franck expect that he would be gradually immersed in--and eventually, fiercely committed to--a sensitive issue regarding a planned assembly-line scheme that almost all the factory workers consider as exploitative and inhuman, as it would basically enforce the policy of "reduced hours and workers, forced production quota, less pay." I say "almost", because everyone else is visibly concerned except for the young man's father, with whom the "business as usual" philosophy is adhered to the fullest, despite the fact that in the near future, the management would already have "no business" with him.And this is what agitates Franck further.

Thus, in an emotionally-shattering confrontation, the son makes it known to the father the worthlessness of all his labors and value as an assembly-line worker.With his new-found cause, Franck may have saved his father's reputation, but not his own future("When are you going?" and "Where is your place?" are his meaningful queries by the film's end).

While 'Mother and Son' is an entirely two-character drama(Gudrun Geyer and Aleksei Ananishov in the title roles)that is outwardly simple but, in fact, open to multiple interpretations.I have my own take on the story(uncertain though it may be), but for fear of pre-empting those who might want to see the film sooner or later(and of putting myself to shame), I better not dare to give my piece of mind on the matter for the time being(I patiently watched the film three times for three straight days, but still...!).Instead, let me say that, as this was made by a contemporary Russian filmmaker(acclaimed in Cannes for his equally maverick works, 'Russian Ark' and 'Father and Son'), it was closer to the mood and leanings of the above-mentioned Russian literary classic--dark, brooding, eerie, lambasting.If you thought Andrei Tarkovskij was enough to rattle your brains out, think again.

The disciple has learned his lesson from the master--by heart.(I have another Russian film in waiting, '100 Days Before the Command' by Hussein Erkenov, said to be another 'obedient' disciple.)

With regard to the narrative technique, the two films move radically on different threads.

Laurent's work is molded according to the style of a neorealist "docu-drama"--the emphasis is on the commonplace and the seemingly trivial, but not to be taken for granted;the characters are portrayed by non-professional or first-time actors who, for the most part, have lived the lives they essay onscreen;and to further bolster the authentic feel, dramatic frills and shrills, the "workshop-intensive"-type of acting are shunned(this isn't to say, however, that there are no crucial turning points in the film, as the above-mentioned confrontation between the father and son indicates;it's just that the emotions are raw, rather than garnished).Again, the viewers are asked to observe, to immerse themselves in the lives and concerns of these ordinary people, who are essentially no different from them.

I say "again", because 'Human Resources' was released around the time when other French-language dramas of the same mold had initially made their way to the silver screen:'La Promesse', 'Life of Jesus', 'Rosetta', 'Humanity', 'Dreamlife of Angels.' There seemed to be a "trend" back then.

But if these films--particularly 'Rosetta' and 'Humanity'--tended to be "inward-looking", to dwell in their anxiously-guarded private world, Laurent's film, as its primary issue(the workers contending with a proposed labor scheme)calls for, doesn't only concentrate on the two central characters but takes into consideration the other critical characters as well--their fellow factory workers(in the same way that Dostoyevsky pierces through the souls not just of the Karamazov brothers but also of the various important figures that directly or subtly affect their lives).

For his part, Sokurov's excruciatingly meditative and tranquil dialectics in his film(as if some kind of painter was deeply-absorbed in putting on canvas every scene), with an attendant sense of something forbidden taking place, is counterbalanced by the pastoral countryside, now and then draped in golden sunshine rays, heavy clouds and smooth wind, an expressionist camera focus and a few of the most astonishing shots ever composed onscreen.The "exact" nature of the "troubled" relationship between the mother and son can be gleaned from their evocative gestures and utterances--like "You always kept your eyes on me.I was ashamed", the son says to the mother and "I was afraid that they would take you away from me", the mother lets it known to the son.

Ah, to dissect an age-old commandment!

Examines what millions experience every day in the workplace

[bandw · 8/10 · 24 August 2012]

If you have worked in a hierarchical work environment, you will almost certainly identify with the themes covered; if you haven't, you will be treated to an intimate examination of the complexities of the work environment. The specific situation examined revolves around people working in a small French manufacturing plant, but the themes treated are universally applicable to any workplace. The three basic conflicts are between management and labor (that age-old battle in any capitalist society), between generations, and between stability and adapting to a changing world.

Franck is the son of man who has worked in the factory for some thirty years. As the movie starts Franck is returning from being in business school in Paris and he is given a position in the personnel department of his father's factory. Franck rises in the ranks and his father is proud of his success. But serious conflicts arise between Franck and his management and between Franck and his father.

I have the feeling that the movie is meant to condemn the way the workers are treated, but I think it details in an almost documentary fashion the inner workings that obtain in almost any workplace. Management is out to worry about the bottom line and the survival of the company and the workers are trying to do their jobs and take home a paycheck. Of course this sets up an inevitable conflict-- both management and labor want as big a share of the pie as they can get, but in that contest management usually has the upper hand. But the success of the company depends on the workers doing their jobs, so attention must be paid to their working conditions.

Franck's father's job is running a machine to stamp out metal parts and he is little more than a machine himself; he points out that he can make up to 700 identical parts an hour. On the surface this job looks horribly tedious, but the father seems quite content to run his machine, do his job, and go home. Of course such a job is ripe for automation, and Franck's father is slated for a layoff. I found the beauty of the movie to be in what appeared to me to be an evenhanded and realistic presentation of both sides of the management vs. labor dispute. I could not bring myself to view the company boss as an evil ogre, nor could I pity Franck's father.

It was hard for me to sympathize with Franck. In a brutal and heartrending scene between him and his father he expressed his shame for his father and his father's position, a shame that he claimed to have been passed down to him. I felt that Franck should have been proud of his father, a man who had provided him with a home environment to foster his success. And I did not see Franck's father as an unhappy man.

This movie is relevant to current (2012) politics in the United States where charges of class warfare abound. The movie explores what I think are inevitable themes that occur in a capitalist society. The themes touched on are so common and deeply significant that it is puzzling why they are so rarely treated in film. What is offered instead is a diet of comic book super heroes, vampires, murder mysteries, fantasies, and so forth.

Heartbreaking & Inspiring

[aorourke55 · 9/10 · 20 March 2008]

The movie was so powerful I wondered if things would be better if every corporate executive and politician got to watch it.

The movie asserted the importance of treating all people decently without any artificial speeches or distracting overdramatization.

Considering that union leaders can be just as flawed and self-serving as any corporate executive, it was inspiring to learn that Arnoux is a real life labor activist in addition to her role here. Some of the best moments (in addition to the father-son relationship) showed how she could quickly forgive people for treating her unfairly in order to work with them for the common good, and how she reached out to the father in a painful moment instead of being absorbed in her own agenda.

A must see movie

[ninajey · 10/10 · 26 August 2020]

Just finished watching Ressources humaines for the first time. What a great film! Father and son scene towards the end of the film even made me cry - Jalil Lespert's acting was very emotional but Jean-Claude Vallod was absolutely amazing in this scene. I've loved everything about this film.