GFF 2012: Hymn to the Dardenne Brothers

Igor, Rosetta, Olivier, Bruno, Lorna, Cyril; these are the lead characters of the six films that Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne have built their formidable reputation on. Before watching each of these movies I knew nothing about these people or their situations, but within an hour I felt as if I had known them all my life, and I cared deeply about their fates. The Dardennes aren't know for directing thrillers (at least, not in the conventional understanding of the genre), and yet their films grip me on a level that seems beyond the best of Hollywood. I have watched and re-watched their movies multiple times and I remain awestruck by their ability to generate such rich drama from seemingly unpromising material. They seem incapable of making a bad film – the question is, how do they do it?

We may look for clues in the brothers' technique, but their directorial style is simplicity itself. They follow their protagonists with a handheld camera, often trailing them in a manner that has become something of a trademark (see how many times they are name-checked in reviews of The Wrestler, Ballast, 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days, and many others), and they let their films unfold in long, naturalistic takes. Their approach has become more refined over time; for The Silence of Lorna they moved to Liege, adopted a more composed camera style and (to the horror of some critics) had something resembling a plot, but their films still feel distinctly organic and alive.

I think the secret of the Dardennes' success ultimately comes down to their compassion and honesty. Nothing in their films feels artificial and we are moved because we genuinely become involved in the stories, not because our emotions are being manipulated. There is a refreshing lack of judgement in their work too – on more than one occasion, the brothers have presented us with a father who has betrayed or abandoned his own child, but every character in a Dardennes film has reasons behind their actions, and they all deserve our understanding and empathy. The Dardenne brothers show us people making bad choices and doing foolish things, but they are never beyond redemption and the filmmakers never lose faith in the essential humanity of their characters.

The Kid With a Bike is more of the same from the Dardennes. I mean that as praise but some will take it as a means to criticise them, suggesting that the siblings are going over old thematic ground and working well within the parameters they have set for themselves. Maybe that's true, but if it results in a film as emotionally complex, gripping and flawlessly made as this every couple of years, who can complain? The truth is that the Dardennes don't need to change a thing – they're already working at a level that most contemporary filmmakers can only dream of.