"(We) wanted to show how this woman, without realizing it, over one weekend, manages to inspire a solidarity that was totally lost in the workplace, In the attempt to save herself, she manages to recreate this important element: solidarity. This is what interested us. Not pointing the finger at who is to blame, whether it's the company, our society or the harsh competitiveness of the working environment." Jean-Pierre Dardenne on "Two Days, One Night"


Brothers Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne are interested in the economic reality that governs the lives of working people. They do not preach to the audience, however, as can be inferred from the quote above. They also use interesting visual techniques to symbolize the way money divides people. In "Two Days, One Night", there is a scene where Sandra is speaking to one of her co-workers on the street. They stand outside a store, with Sandra making her case to keep her job. Behind them is a wall. It has two separate colors, and two separate sizes of bricks, dividing the screen in half. Sandra and her co-worker seem to be in two different spaces, even though they are only 3 feet apart.

Another film similar in theme to "Two Days, One Night" is "Blind Shaft" (2003). "Blind Shaft" was written and directed by Yang Li. It is a story told against the backdrop of the huge migration of Chinese workers from rural areas to the cities. Yang Li, like the Dardenne brothers, chose not to use any music on the soundtrack. The main characters are coal miners, who take advantage of the dangerous working conditions that exist in the mines. "Blind Shaft" is darker in tone than "Two Days, One Night", but is also concerned with the economic forces that affect average people.

A book I read recently does not deal specifically with film, but it does examine the economic plight of artists in the internet age. "The Cult of the Amateur: How blogs, MySpace, YouTube, and the rest of today's user-generated media are destroying our economy, our culture, and our values" was written by Andrew Keen. The book was published in 2008, when MySpace had not been overtaken by Facebook. That fact aside, the book is still relevant for anyone who thinks that filmmakers, writers, and musicians should be paid for their work. You may not agree with everything Andrew Keen has to say, but he raises many important issues about how we consume culture in the 21st Century.


Here's the latest article from the Drama Movies site at BellaOnline.com.

Two Days, One Night Film Review
Would your co-workers choose to keep their yearly bonuses if it meant you would be fired? Marion Cotillard stars as a woman fighting to keep her job and her dignity over the course of "Two Days, One Night".

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art66623.asp

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