The Cat in the Bag (1964)

Le chat dans le sac (English: The Cat in the Bag) is a 1964 drama film by Gilles Groulx, which played a seminal role in the development of Quebec cinema. The film's themes, improvisational style, hand-held camera work and evocative music signalled the emergence of a new generation of Quebec films and filmmakers.

The film mixes Direct Cinema documentary techniques and distancing devices similar to those employed by Jean-Luc Godard to tell the story of a young man's struggles to come to terms with his place in Quebec society and Quebec’s place in Canada.The protagonist, a journalist played by Claude Godbout, struggles with the question of whether to change society or accept it the way it is. His Jewish girlfriend, an actress with a budding theatre career, does not share his concerns, leading to tension between the two. Claude leaves Montreal for the Quebec countryside to reflect on his life, and with the distance between them, their love fades.

Critic Robert Daudelin stated that “At last we were confronted by a film which really belonged to us, one in which we were happy to recognize ourselves and see ourselves close up. [It] was (and remains) the image of our most recent awakenings.”

It received the Grand Prix at the 1964 Montreal International Film Festival. Le Chat dans le sac was identified as a “culturally significant film” by the AV Preservation Trust through the 2002 Masterworks programme.

Synopsis

Comme métaphore de la question complexe de la maturité politique du peuple québécois dans ses choix sociaux, le réalisateur emploie un jeune couple dans la vingtaine dont les confrontations expriment leur difficulté d’être.

Actors