La Vie Est Belle

La Vie Est Belle was surprisingly a fun movie to watch. Many of the films we have watched throughout the semester have been serious films or documentaries. I was surprised to see comedic and satiric elements in this film because I based my assumptions on the previous films from Africa that we viewed. This film was interesting because the plot had a love story you can’t help but admire along with traditional African songs, making it seem at times like a musical. The elements of psychic ability and witchcraft were also present, which gave the film a twist. Those elements almost made this film seem like a Hollywood film, especially when you consider the side plots of Kourou trying to make a music career and Mamou trying to break Kabibi and Nvouandou up.

                I think “life is rosy” means that life has its ups and downs, but you have to learn to appreciate the good things in life, no matter how small. To me, it is like the saying “stop and smell the roses.” You can worry about all the problems in your life or have a focus on the future, but if you don’t stop to smell the roses every once in a while, you miss out on life’s smallest treasures. Kourou loves music and finds happiness when he sings. He has no money and is working as a servant, but there is always a smile on his face. He sings while he washes the dishes, washes clothes, and shines shoes. Life is rosy for him because he knows that it could always be worse. This film puts the rich and the poor side by side and it becomes obvious that the poor has their struggles because they cannot pay for food or rent. Likewise, the rich have their own problems, as Mamou and Nvouandou have marital issues. Everyone always thinks that the grass is greener on the other side, but that is not always the case. Everyone has their own struggles to deal with; it’s their attitude about those struggles that makes the difference.

                One of the cultural messages that this film imparts is that while Africa as a country may be poor, the people are not always struggling. As I stated when I wrote about And So Angels Die and Black Girl, I do not know much about the African culture, other than that there is poverty and a good portion of the population is affected by AIDS. I think this film shows that people can find happiness anywhere they desire. Even in a town like Kinshasa, where there is a mix of poor and rich, people can find happiness, like Kourou found in music. Culturally, I think this film also tries to show the world that Africa can be on the big stage in cinematic art by bringing films that people want to watch. By infusing elements of comedy, such as when Kourou buys the typewriter then drops it in the pond, this film becomes attractive to the most viewers worldwide. African filmmaking today marks the end of portraying Africans living in a “miserable condition of life” and instead portrays a more realistic interpretation (Diawara 110). I think that if films like this one reach other countries, it will change the way people think about Africa in a global context.