Corbo is a French foreign language film that follows the
story of a teenage boy growing up in Québec under the influence of the FLQ
(Front de libération du Québec) during the 1960's.
The film does a great job creating a life-like atmosphere fitting the time frame and provides insight into how members of the then growing organization interacted with one another.
Corbo touches on various topics including Québec separatism, political ideology and the power that ideas and influence can have over others.
The film does a great job creating a life-like atmosphere fitting the time frame and provides insight into how members of the then growing organization interacted with one another.
Corbo touches on various topics including Québec separatism, political ideology and the power that ideas and influence can have over others.
Synopsis
Corbo centers on the main character Jean
Corbo, a 16 year-old teenager who is something of an outcast.
However, he is far away from being oppressed. His father (an Italian-immigrant) is a wealthy lawyer, Jean attends private school and their family lives a quite privileged life in a posh neighborhood. But due to his Italian background Jean is often ostracized by his private school peers and tends to spend his time alone.
One day Jean decides to roam the Montreal streets and meets a girl named Julie who he immediately takes a liking to. After chatting a few times, she introduces him to her other friends who are all activists like herself, who turn out to be members of the FLQ. Jean joins their ranks where he quickly becomes radicalized.
Jean battles the differences between his two very different lives and tries his utmost to prove to his new friends that he is not a spoiled "brat" like his family and classmates. This sets him on a dangerous journey as he strives to prove himself to them.
The remainder of the film follows Jean as he becomes more and more enthralled with the FLQ and their ideology. Which eventually results in Jean being sent on a big mission with possible fatal consequences.
However, he is far away from being oppressed. His father (an Italian-immigrant) is a wealthy lawyer, Jean attends private school and their family lives a quite privileged life in a posh neighborhood. But due to his Italian background Jean is often ostracized by his private school peers and tends to spend his time alone.
One day Jean decides to roam the Montreal streets and meets a girl named Julie who he immediately takes a liking to. After chatting a few times, she introduces him to her other friends who are all activists like herself, who turn out to be members of the FLQ. Jean joins their ranks where he quickly becomes radicalized.
Jean battles the differences between his two very different lives and tries his utmost to prove to his new friends that he is not a spoiled "brat" like his family and classmates. This sets him on a dangerous journey as he strives to prove himself to them.
The remainder of the film follows Jean as he becomes more and more enthralled with the FLQ and their ideology. Which eventually results in Jean being sent on a big mission with possible fatal consequences.
Important Themes
Corbo is a strong an abrasive film right from the beginning.
At the start of the film the viewer is met with a blunt declaration -
francophones make up 80 per cent of the province yet anglos control most of the
commerce, with workers left out in the cold. Non-violence is not
the answer. Only a radical approach can decolonialize Québec and bring the
province back to the people.
Not only does this set the tone and context of the film but it is also directly from the FLQ manifesto. An edited version the 1970 manifesto can be found here.
Not only does this set the tone and context of the film but it is also directly from the FLQ manifesto. An edited version the 1970 manifesto can be found here.
The Québec sovereignty movement was born during the 1960's
which included the coming together of Québecer values, concepts and ideas
advocating for Québec independence.
The movement brought together many diverse groups resulting in the political Bloc Québecois Party being formed in the late 1960's.
To this day, the FLQ is the only domestic terrorist organization to exist in Canada). They sought out to attack British and Canadian symbols, owned organizations, banks and factories. All in an attempt to (as stated earlier) "decolonialize Québec and bring the province back to the people".
The movement brought together many diverse groups resulting in the political Bloc Québecois Party being formed in the late 1960's.
To this day, the FLQ is the only domestic terrorist organization to exist in Canada). They sought out to attack British and Canadian symbols, owned organizations, banks and factories. All in an attempt to (as stated earlier) "decolonialize Québec and bring the province back to the people".
And this is where Jean Corbo comes in because the story of
Corbo is indeed true. A 16 year-old Jean Corbo was brought into the fold of the
FLQ and was sent to detonate a bomb at a Canadian owned factory in
Montreal.
This attack was one of many carried out by the FLQ in the 1960's.
All of which led to the climax of violence in October of 1970, named the October Crisis, where Quebec Labour Minister Pierre Laporte was kidnapped and killed along with British diplomat James Cross (who was released at a later date in 1970).
A full list of FLQ events can be found here.
This attack was one of many carried out by the FLQ in the 1960's.
All of which led to the climax of violence in October of 1970, named the October Crisis, where Quebec Labour Minister Pierre Laporte was kidnapped and killed along with British diplomat James Cross (who was released at a later date in 1970).
A full list of FLQ events can be found here.
Conclusion
Altogether Corbo is a tremendously well researched film. It is common for biopics to lack detail and to stray away from real facts. But the story of Jean Corbo and the FLQ was told very well, true to time frames and events.
Corbo tells a story of a very impactful point in Canadian history and not only discusses the dangers of domestic terrorism but the effects of political ostracization has had on the people of Quebec.
I enjoyed Corbo. But I guess I am a bit
biased when it comes to the subject matter of the film, as in university I wrote
many papers on Quebec secession, Canadian public administration and
anti-terrorism. But having said that, the film can be enjoyed without much previous knowledge on
the topic.
Corbo tells of a very unique story speaking to the role the FLQ played during the 1960's, something that is relatively unspoken about now.
It is a brilliant film and I would recommend it to absolutely anyone interested in foreign film and especially to any fellow Canadians out there.
Corbo tells of a very unique story speaking to the role the FLQ played during the 1960's, something that is relatively unspoken about now.
It is a brilliant film and I would recommend it to absolutely anyone interested in foreign film and especially to any fellow Canadians out there.
