Maybe it’s because I’ve been driving around in a half-finished Citroën 2CV without front fenders myself, but I found this 1974 Nigerien-French movie, Cocorico Monsieur Poulet (that translates to, roughly, Cock-a-doodle-doo Mr. Chicken) a thoroughly charming and frenetic film, and, most significantly, a film that has one of the best and most demanding starring roles for a Citroën 2CV. Well, a 2CV derivative at least, what appears to be a 1963-1965 or so AK 350 Fourgonette van. It’s named Patience.
I’m not exactly certain of the year of the car because even at its most together in this movie, there’s only about 75% of the car present, it seems. It does seem to have the 425cc/18 hp engine, though, based on the valve covers. The car is really one of the main characters in this movie, which is about a chicken vendor, who has a plan to buy chickens cheap way out in the country and then sell them at a healthy profit in the big city of Niamey, Niger.
That’s really the essentials of the plot; most of the film was improvised by the actors, especially Damouré Zika and Lam Ibrahim Dia; Jean Rouch, the director, was one of the founders of French cinéma vérité, and was an anthropologist. The film straddles and crosses a lot of boundaries, as it is not really a documentary, not completely fictional, not entirely realistic (there’s at least one demon, you see), though the end result is gleefully chaotic and fascinating.
Here; tell your boss you need to desperately poop and then spend an hour and a half in the can watching this:
It’s in French, but there are English subtitles, which should help you get the idea. Those subtitles were not present on the version I watched a while back, so I should probably re-watch it myself and actually understand what’s being said.
As you can probably guess, though, what I was mostly focused on was the remarkable Citroën named Patience that is really one of the co-stars of the film. Delightfully ramshackle and cobbled-together, this chicken van traverses all kinds of rough terrain, including making several river crossings in various ways, from just driving on through to being completely disassembled and transported in multiple boats.
No matter how deconstructed or submerged or mud-caked the little van gets, it never stops, and manages to keep buzzing along throughout the entire film, enduring trials that would make the most smug Land Rover weep thick, viscous 20W-50.
The 2CV’s legendary simplicity I think is the crucial element that keeps Patience humming along, along with some metaphysical sort of mechanical determination I can’t fully define.
This movie is also contains perhaps the first cinematic demonstration and use of windshield-wiper-equipped goggles, which prove to be quite useful.
It’s a very different sort of movie than what many of us are used to, but I really enjoy the almost dadaist embracing of chance and happenstance, the exuberance and emotion, and the inspiring inability to give up that the characters – especially that van – embodies.
If you have time, give it a watch; it’s extremely entertaining and really makes you respect how rugged and capable these little two-cylinder machines actually are.
British equivalent, was/is probably a Morris traveller. My folks had one for 12 years before we got too big, and it was sold on. Some 15 years later saw it in the bush, starting first time, with a very happy owner, although the beautiful body work had been bashed and bruised….
When I first moved to France in the late 1990s it was not uncommon to see grass track racing with 2CVs starring.
Completely forbidden now — people under 40 are so soft it is a wonder they can step outside.
Congratz on getting Cold Start out first thing.7am!
Oh, it’s World Quantum Day! That explains it.
Do all of the road adventures make this 2CV a bit of a sports coop?
That was fowl.
I knew I was going to be henpecked for that.
Anyone else getting a “If Mad Max: The Road Warrior was a comedy” vibe from Jason’s description of the movie?
Just me?
Okay, fine…
French language being always split tongued, the title would read a bit multidimensional for French speakers.
Cocorico means basically cock-a-doodle-doo, but is also the expression of French national pride, triumph or patriotism as the rooster is an unofficial symbol of France. It can also be irony for something very French – characteristic or achievement.
Poulet means chicken, but – especially combined with Monsieur – is a slang for cop.
So the title could be very innocent (I haven’t seen the movie and am not sure of the context), but could also be digging way deeper.
As for what Patience did – beat this, Patience 🙂
No seriously. Watch it.
I only watched the first few minutes, but the guys were already discussing concerns about the police. so I think you’ve hit on something.
>it can also be irony for something very French – characteristic or achievement.
It’s hard to think of something more French than a 2CV!
This is a dive so deep you need a fluorocarbon liquid breathing apparatus.
Makes James at 15 seem like American freakin’ Idol by comparison.
The ultimate irony would be if it was David who sent Torch the link for this.
I want to take a moment and reflect on the phrase delightfully ramshackle and its use vis-a-vis any kind of commentary around the deservedly legendary 2CV.
If ever there were a car that, at the end of an awful lot of brilliantly applied engineering and design, nevertheless came out of the factory brand new and yet somehow also looking delightfully ramshackle, the 2CV is it. When some thrown-together jalopies come into the world looking exactly like what they are, a kitbash of parts thrown together in a shed, the 2CV appears to actually be the shed. And here is today’s example, the decidedly even more sheddy Fourgonnette. It appears to be a chicken coop on wheels – could a car be more perfect for a chicken-centric road trip movie?
That was a nice turn of phrase. It could have been the headline for the whole post, frankly. And possibly the movie.
I wonder if this stylistically inspired The Gods Must Be Crazy and its automotive supporting actor, a Land Rover named Antichrist that features in one of the great sight gags I have ever witnessed. Another must-watch if you’ve never seen it.
Jason, you need those goggles.
Patience! knows how to get through the dirt.
Believe PBS aired this not long after it was made.