Chabrol Day Two: Class status and delusional thinking

Jean Renoir and Luis Buñuel may be the cinema’s preeminent critics of bourgeois foibles, but consider this passage from Chabrol’s La Cérémonie (1995). Buried in the bustle of the Lelievre family’s activities, Catherine (Jacqueline Bisset) asks housekeeper Sophie (Sandrine Bonnaire) if she can work overtime on Sunday for the daughter’s birthday party. Sophie says no, she already has plans, but she’ll do what she can before she leaves for the day. Catherine says she understands. Sunday rolls around, Sophie does what she said she’d do and Catherine hits the roof. I can’t think of an instance when either Renoir or Buñuel paid proper attention to this sort of elitist backpedaling. Perhaps they were too engaged in the highlife to notice.

In the scene below, Sophie is on the left, Catherine on the right:

Catherine: By the way, it’s Melinda’s birthday on Sunday.


Catherine: We’ll be having some guests. Can you be there?


Sophie: Well, on Sunday…


Sophie: I’m volunteering at the church.
Catherine: Really?


Sophie: The postal clerk and I are going to sort clothes.
(Catherine chuckles in disbelief)


Catherine: I understand.


Catherine (condescending): Listen, do what you can.


Catherine: I’ll try to manage myself.

~ Sunday ~


Sophie prepares food for the party


(Sophie brings food trays to the guests)
Catherine: Put them on the table.


Catherine (to her son, Gilles, played by Valentin Merlet): Dear, could you ask Sophie for some ice?


Gilles returns with the ice
Catherine: Thanks dear, where’s Sophie?


Gilles: She’s not there.


Catherine: What do you mean?


Catherine (agitated): What’s going on here?


Catherine goes to the kitchen


The food, plates and utensils are ready, but Sophie’s not there


Catherine (announces to the guests, disturbed): I can’t believe it!


Catherine: She took off!