La Travestie” is a French drama film released in 1988, directed by Yves Boisset and adapted from Alain Roger’s novel of the same name.
Synopsis
This story is about Nicole Armingault, a provincial lawyer who feels unhappy in her life as she finds the legal profession to be too male controlled. In a radical approach, she convinces her three lovers to pay for an abortion because she is pregnant, which was all a lie. After this, she steals from her law firm and changes her location to Paris where she starts to identify herself as a male. This chain of events leads her to identify herself as a male and forms multiple relations which include an intimacy with Myriam, a prostitute and later becomes aquainted with the underworld of the city, covering ideas of identity, gender and roles within society.
Cast & Crew
- Director: Yves Boisset
- Screenplay: Yves Boisset, Robert Geoffrion, Al James, Alain Scoff
- Music: Philippe Sarde, François Dompierre
- Cinematography: Yves Dahan
Main Cast:
- Zabou Breitman as Nicole Armingault
- Anna Galiena as Myriam (also known as Solange)
- Valérie Steffen as Anne-Marie
- Yves Afonso as Alain
- Christine Pascal as Christine Chatelain
IMDb Ratings
As of now, “La Travestie” holds an IMDb rating of 4.9/10, based on 57 user reviews.
Personal Insights
“La Travestie” investigates the psychological and sociological concerns of a woman in the process of constituting herself in the male-oriented context of society. Zabou Breitman wonderfully interprets Nicole, combining delicacy and strength of a character who is going through change. The film takes a critical view on gender constructs and individual autonomy set in the context of 1980s’ Paris which is an interesting plot.
Cultural Significance
The politics of the film complement its exploration of key gender issues and feminism, whereby ideals of gender identity and societal pressures affect the individual creation of the self. A woman taking extreme means as a means of getting her life back on track is indicative of real life situations and gender and identity politics in film.
Availability
At the moment, major streaming platforms do not offer “La Travestie” to watch. If any audience wants to search for the film, they’ll need to use specialized streaming services or even physical media options.
The Streamable
“La Travestie” Cabin focuses on social identity and its restrictions, and this is beautifully interpreted by Zabou Breitman who captured the feeling of the play . Socio-political issues are explored in the feminist context that are relevant with the aid of deeply understanding the notions of gender and autonomy.
