Greetings, dear reader! In this edition of Sunday Morning Movie, we’re diving into a heartwarming coming-of-age tale that follows two young sisters from France amidst the backdrop of political unrest in the early 1960s. Alongside this touching narrative, we’ll explore some poetry that offers a dark reflection on contemporary America, resonating profoundly with our current times.
Reviews:
Letterboxd shares:
This movie holds a special place in my heart. Even if it were simply a light-hearted exploration of French adolescence—with 13-year-old Anne epitomizing youthful rebellion in her stylish trench coat and daring shoplifting—I’d love it. But what truly exhilarates is her 15-year-old sister Frédérique’s radical journey as the school’s anti-establishment figure. The kids are definitely alright.
P.S. There’s a lovely slow dance to “Sleep Walk”—I’ve often declared that if I ever made a film, I would want a scene like that.
Additionally, another reviewer states:
Though I didn’t experience Paris in the 60s, the bittersweet moments depicted are deeply relatable. “Peppermint Soda” captures both sisters equally, with just a three-year age difference creating a powerful dynamic. I admired the film’s subtlety—the fleeting glances and nuances between peers that feel incredibly authentic. With its lyrical quality, everything unfolds naturally. One can sense the personal resonance for Diane Kurys; the heartfelt conflicts and emotions are conveyed with both grace and restraint. It might just be the finest female coming-of-age film ever made.
As noted by The Playlist:
In the 1970s, significant voices emerged in French cinema, presenting women as more than mere caricatures, imbuing characters with a depth previously unseen. Kurys was pivotal in this movement; “Peppermint Soda,” her debut film released in 1977, draws heavily from her own teenage years. Her distinct voice is immediately evident. The film depicts a school year following a summer at the seaside, showcasing students catching up on the first day back in a narrative style that is strikingly genuine—Kurys, alongside cinematographer Philippe Rousselot, captures the interactions among these young women beautifully.
Meanwhile, Alt Citizen remarks:
Diane Kurys masterfully encapsulates the emotional turbulence of adolescence while reflecting a politically charged environment in France. “Peppermint Soda” intimately explores the relationships among sisters, friends, and their mother. Although the director does not label herself a “feminist director,” she shares stories close to her heart, making her debut film profoundly autobiographical. Released in 1977, it quickly became a cult classic, winning the esteemed Louis Delluc Film Award. Set in the early 1960s, it evokes deep nostalgia, recalling a time of gender-segregated schools, lively dances to the twist, and the enjoyment of peppermint sodas—a nod to the evocative song “Diabolo Menthe” by popular French singer Yves Simon, who provided the film’s soundtrack.
My Thoughts:
I find this delightful film enchanting. Rather than a conventional narrative, it presents a vivid picture of two girls’ everyday lives, their experiences as they navigate school, friendships, and interactions with boys. I look forward to watching it again. Be sure to check out the director’s interview at the bottom of the page once the film concludes.
Director: Diane Kurys
Writers: Diane Kurys, Alain Le Henry
Notable Cast: Éléonore Klarwein, Odile Michel
Plot Summary (Spoilers Ahead!):
Set in 1963 Paris, sisters Anne (Klarwein) and Frédérique (Michel) grapple with their parents’ divorce and the aftermath of their fractured family dynamic. They attend a strict school where Anne faces ridicule from teachers and yearns for maturity, symbolized by her desire to start her period and her curiosity about boys, fueled by her older sister’s inscribed love letters.
Frédérique deals with her own emotional ups and downs regarding her boyfriend, which leads her to political engagement and some rebellious acts at school that challenge authorities, particularly due to her Jewish background. Moreover, her admiration for an older man, the father of a missing friend, complicates her journey through adolescence.
The story poignantly highlights the challenges of growing up. The sisters navigate their turbulent youth with a delicate innocence that tugs at the heartstrings, leaving viewers hopeful that they will find their footing in due time.
***
Shifting to poetry, I’d like to share a piece that I composed five years ago. Its inspiration stems from a thought I had while in class two decades earlier, resulting in the last line about “the ass of the Golgotha parade.” Eventually, I felt ready to express the poem. Enjoy (or not):
Sour milk brass band squirting
Curdled streamers of home and hearth.
Waxy residue sliding down the empty faces
Of the hollow, hungry mobs
Feasting on whipped sugar shit foam
Hope
And servile rage.
Pressing in, grasping at nothing.
Skeletal beasts prancing
Flowers and finger bones
Dragging wailing corpse wagons
Down fly-blown streets
Trailing barbed wire ribbons
Wrapped with shameful smiles.
Teeth cracking and popping
Under rough shod hooves.
Above, iron clouds
Booming drums of gray,
Lightning screams down the stairs headfirst
To frame the dire vision of the Machine.
Stacks spewing oily black processed love.
Gears screaming, choked with cries
And sooty grease from the Oven.
Brain flecked red wheels roll baby roll!
Engorged on white phosphorus
And the DU blues.
Laughing voids
Leering and winking
Riding high!
Gnawing and snapping
Insatiably satisfied
Beaming down with high pride
Upon the shattered eggshell skull fragments
Shat from the ass
Of the Golgotha Parade.
