Pauline Giroud - Strasbourg
Sliding Doors (“Pile et Face”)
Début du film
1er visionnage de l’extrait
Watch the video extract and try to get all the details. You should be able to relate it precisely. You can take notes
Who?
Where?
Action?
Mise en commun des elements à l’oral
Watch the extract again and write a presentation of it for next time
Exemple de paragraphe:
The story of the film Sliding Doors is set in London. At the beginning of the film, we fly above the city as if we were n a plane. Then, we enter Helen and Jerry’s flat. She’s very late for work, she’s in a hurry. She kisses Jerry, who is pretending to sleep, and sets off for work. When she’s out, he takes the phone off the hook and then, has a shower. We can see Helen hurrying in the street, buying a sandwich and going in a shop before entering a building in the City. When she arrives in the meeting-room, she learns that she is fired because she borrowed four bottles of vodka to celebrate her birthday. At that moment, we see a woman, Jerry’s lover, in Helen and Jerry’s flat; she’s getting undressed. As Helen is in the lift to go out of the building, she drops an earring and a man, James, picks it up for her. Then she goes to the underground station but when the train comes, the story splits in two: in one story, Helen misses the underground train and has to wait for the next one. In the other story, Helen forces the sliding doors open and gets in the train, where she sits next to James.
To sum up, what are the main changes in Helen’s life at the beginning of the film?
-She got fired / sacked. She has no job anymore.
-Her boyfriend has got a mistress / lover.
-She met James (twice).
Now, imagine what is going to happen next in the 2nd story, if she takes the train…
If Helen gets in the train, she’ll be home very soon. There, she’s going to find her boyfriend with his mistress. So they will split up / break up and she will move out in a new flat. He life is going to change completely. Maybe he’s going to go out with the man she met in the tube / underground, James, and they will fall deeply in love. As for work, she going to start a successful career, and she’ll be an independent woman.
And in the 1st story, if she misses the train?
If Helen misses the train, she’ll take the next one and so, she’ll be home later. There, she’s going to find her boyfriend alone since his mistress will have already left. Life will go on as before: Jerry will cheat on her and she won’t know about it. As for work, she ‘s going to find another one.
PRL going to ≠ will (rebrassage)
Will on prédit quelque chose, indépendamment de la situation présente.
Going to on prédit quelque chose. Lien fort avec la situation présente. Futur proche.
Think about Helen’s feelings: which story is the best for her? Miss or take the train?
(Si difficultés à répondre, demander aux élèves de faire un tableau avec avantages et inconvénients)
If she takes the train she’ll be sad since her life will be destroyed because of her boyfriend’s love affair. But she’ll be independent, free. On the contrary, if she misses the train, she’ll be happier because she won’t know that her boyfriend has a mistress.
But she’ll necessarily discover the truth at some point or another, because you cannot lie eternally / forever and she’ll be sad anyway.
Expression orale personnelle
So, the fact that she misses or takes the train will change her future. Do you think you can change your destiny / fate if you want to, or that everything is written in advance?
We are going to watch the end of the film. Imagine: what’s the situation in the end?
Visionnage de la fin du film.
Helen, in both stories, has had an accident.
Watch the end of the film and be ready to de scribe the situation. Take notes.
(Donner le script après le visionnage)
Both Helens / Helen, in both stories has had an accident and they are now both unconscious in hospital. Helen 1 is accompanied by Jerry, and Helen 2 by James. Both Helens were pregnant and both lost the baby in the accident. We learn that James wanted / intended to marry Helen, and that Helen 1 had discovered the truth about Jerry’s love affair since she asks him to go away.
In the end, both stories join as Helen 2 dies while Helen 1 wakes up. But finally, Helen 1 meets James and we can expect that they will fall in love.
Compréhension détaillée
Helen 2 has completely changed her haircut. What does it show?
It shows that she has made a fresh start / got a new start in life. She’s freer, more independent and dynamic.
Pick up elements which show that Helen 1 knows about Jerry’s love affair?
She is very cold when she talks to him, and she asks him to go away. Besides, he looks and sounds very guilty as he says “I swear”.
Comment on what James says: “I’m glad you caught that train that day”
“I’m glad you caught that train that day” is very ironical : if she had not caught that train she would not have met James. But a few seconds after he said that, she dies whereas the other Helen wakes up. So, if she had not caught that train / if she had not forced the sliding doors open, she would be alive.
What’s the main theme of the film and what’s the message?
The main theme of this film is destiny. The message conveyed is that it’s not good to try to change your destiny (since she dies) and that, anyway, what must happen will happen (she breaks up with Jerry, she has an accident and she meets James).
The story of the film Sliding Doors is set in______. At the beginning of the film, we fly above the city as if we were n a plane. Then, we enter Helen and Jerry’s ______. She’s very late for ______, she’s in a hurry. She ______ Jerry, who is pretending to sleep, and sets off for ______. When she’s out, he takes the phone off the hook and then, has a ______. We can see Helen hurrying in the ______, buying a ______and going in a ______before entering a ______ in the City. When she arrives in the meeting-room, she learns that she is ______ because she borrowed four bottles of vodka to celebrate her birthday. At that moment, we see a woman, Jerry’s ______, in Helen and Jerry’s flat; she’s getting undressed. As Helen is in the ______ to go out of the building, she drops an earring and a man, James, picks it up for her. Then she goes to the ______but when the ______ comes, the story splits in two: in one story, Helen misses the ______ and has to wait for the next one. In the other story, Helen forces the sliding doors open and gets in the ______, where she sits next to James.
Sliding Doors, Beginning of the film
Helen(to herself) “Hello, Helen, I had almost forgotten you work here”.
(to colleagues) I know, I know, you had almost forgotten I work here, but I swear I was up all night to find ideas for the fashion show and I really have one you see…what?
(Her boss shows the empty box of vodka)
I took four bottles of vodka on Friday, it was my birthday, you know that! I was having a party and I was running late so I borrowed some. I bought some more to replace it!
Boss: Not a lot of use to me when I have nothing to offer to the executives who drop by late Friday.
Helen:On top of my head, you could have told me to run out, it’s popular stuff! … We’re in PR, that’s what we do, isn’t it? But you didn’t do that, did you Paul? No…So I’m out…am I?
Oh, this is just perfect. Congratulations, you wanted me out for ages, now you’ve done it, very well done. For theft!
Sliding Doors, End of the film
Story number 1 / Story number 2Doctor: James, are you her husband?
James: Hum…we’re getting married…
Doctor:Helen has suffered major internal injuries, James.
Doctor: I’m afraid she’s lost her baby. You did know she was pregnant?
James: She’ll be ok, though, won’t she?
(Intensive care unit)
James: Helen, for some reason I know you can hear me. I’m glad we got things sorted out tonight. I’m glad you caught that train that day…I’m going to make you so happy, I promise.
(She dies) / Doctor: If I could have a quick word…
Doctor: Helen has lost her baby, I’m afraid, Jerry.
Jerry: She’s going to wake up, isn’t she doctor?
(Helen’s room)
Jerry: Helen, can you hear me? Can you hear me, Helen?
(Corridor)
James: I’m sorry I’m late.
Doctor 2:Oh, no problem. I’m please to say your mother is showing some signs of improvement this morning. She’s sitting up and she’s had her full breakfast.
James: It’s great!
(Helen’s room)
Jerry: Helen, I swear…I’ll do anything you want, darling.
Helen:Will you? In that case I want you to stand up, walk over to the door, open it, walk through it, and close it behind you.
(Later…)
Nurse: Call us if you have any problems at all. You are very fortunate. You had a lucky escape.
Helen: Say that again!
(Lift)
James: Cheer up! You know what the Monthy Python boys say?
Helen:“Nobody expected the Spanish inquisition”.