The Eighth Day
A film on general release where the lead actor has Down's Syndrome is a rare phenomenon. For that film also to receive awards is even more remarkable. But The Eighth Day is such a film. What is it like?
It is a French film with English subtitles and is a great achievement, without doubt. Two men take the lead roles - one is probably the most popular film star in France, David Auteuil; the other, Pascal Duquenne, makes his film debut as Georges, a man with Down's Syndrome. You would expect the first to do well. In fact, both produce a first class performance. The result is a film with humour and pathos, bringing together in stark contrast the vastly different worlds of the marketing executive and a person from an institution for people with learning difficulties.
Rejection
There is a fascinating proximity between the two men and their contrasting lifestyles. Notably, they both experience and suffer from rejection: Harry from his own family; Georges from his family and the world at large. In the end, each makes his own escape from the pain this causes.
