TO YOUR HEALTH (PIERRE THÉVENARD, 1951, FRENCH FILM ARCHIVES)
CINEMATOGRAPHIC STUDIES
TO YOUR HEALTH!
DIRECTED BY PIERRE THÉVENARD ASSISTANT DIRECTOR: MAURICE PECH
FILMING: ALBERT VIGUIER, MARCEL FRADETAL, GILBERT GROSJEAN
MUSIC BY OLIVIER BERNARD
ANIMATED GRAPHICS BY SERGE TESSARECH & MARCEL BREUIL
NARRATED BY JEAN DAVY MEMBER OF THE COMEDIE-FRANÇAISE
EDITING: GEORGES ALÉPÉE PRODUCER: PIERRE CELLIER
SOUND: MAURICE CARROUET SYSTEM: E.S.C.C.
INFORMATION PROVIDED BY DR LÉON DÉROBERT
PROFESSOR OF LEGAL MEDICINE
Wine is one of France's principal agricultural outputs.
It is famous worldwide,
synonymous with some of our most beautiful wine-growing regions.
Other fruit, notably apples,
are the source of abundant fermented drinks
and liqueurs at Christmas time.
Of this bounty,
a significant amount flows abroad.
But much of it
goes to French citizens,
who do it full justice.
It is also tradition in France
to sing drinking songs, to praise wine.
We glorify it, with film stars and politicians
from France and abroad
glowing in its honour.
No surprise then,
that mistaken beliefs about wine are stronger than ever.
- To your health, sir. - To your good health, sir.
What a pleasure, even on the way down.
"Even on the way down," you say. Well then, let's see where it ends up.
Take a drink please.
Another, if you would.
Thank you.
Look, your stomach drains into the intestine,
from which the alcohol enters the organism through the bloodstream.
It is notably absorbed by the liver,
and by the brain.
The impregnation of the brain clouds the spirit of its owner,
and temporarily alters their personality.
It makes some merry and cheerful,
and others melancholic.
However, many experience dangerous effects.
Directly, by becoming aggressive
or indirectly, by having erratic social behaviour.
In addition, along with the brain,
the cerebellum, responsible for balance, is affected.
This is why intoxicated people behave so uniquely.
This litre of red, slipping from his hands,
our compatriots feel
is essential to do their jobs and live a healthy life.
This litre of wine, in every hand and on every table,
contains an average of 100cm³ of ethyl alcohol,
which is clearly a toxic substance.
Drinking
a certain quantity
unique to each of us,
of an alcoholic drink
produces drunkenness.
But it is vital to remember that small amounts, consumed every day
before or after a meal
lead to the most severe long-term health effects.
- So what? - Well, I'll tell you.
From time to time, all right. But several drinks a day for years, no.
Or it's gastritis
and cirrhosis of the liver.
Or being sectioned due to an acute episode: delirium tremens
or mental decline.
So let's not mince our words,
alcoholism can lead to madness.
Don't go thinking we just enjoy being dramatic.
Cases of cirrhosis have quadrupled between 1947 and 1950,
and tripled between 1950 and 1956.
Since then, the cases are only just beginning to decrease.
One statistic clearly shows the link between alcoholism and mental illness:
if alcohol didn't exist,
41% of male psychiatric patients would disappear.
Deaths from delirium tremens went from 481 in 1946,
to 4595 in 1955.
SPAIN
ENGLAND
ITALY
What we've just seen leads us to understand, does it not,
that we drink a lot of alcohol in France.
The image you see here confirms it eloquently.
That's interesting, but we all know people who've lived long lives
despite drinking every day, without even mentioning spirits.
Here, listen to this:
my grandfather was a vintner, he drank at least 5 L of wine a day,
an eau-de-vie in the morning, and his marc after every meal.
None of that stopped him living to the age of 72.
And he died because he caught a cold.
Well, he didn't suffer then.
It was a beautiful death that ended a beautiful life.
Tell me about your father, sir,
this record-breaking grandfather's son.
Did he live as long?
He died younger, but in an accident.
What about your own children. Do they have the same excellent health?
Unfortunately, no. My wife has a very weak constitution.
Unless their grandfather wasted his health capital and reduced theirs.
And, as you defend wine and other alcohols, what about this?
What's he doing? He's crazy!
No. He wasn't crazy, but drunk.
The next day's results:
for one,
for the other,
for the innocent victim's car.
The person responsible got away scot-free.
but the state he was in can be proven, and he'll be found guilty.
Since 1 January 1956, police, judicial or administrative agents can,
if they think the party presumed responsible is intoxicated,
order a range of clinical examinations, notably including
a standardised measurement of BAC,
allowing exact comparisons to be made,
and clear data to be compiled across France.
This is how, in Beauvais, between May 1955 to January 1956,
BAC was systematically checked in 97 road accident victims.
40, that is to say less than half,
had a blood-alcohol content of less than 1 g/L.
57 had more than 1 g/L,
23 had between 2 and 3 g/L.
This can only result in noticeable drunkenness.
Also, in Morlaix, from 1954 to 1957,
79.3% of victims had a BAC exceeding 1 g/L.
55.2%, that is to say more than half,
had a BAC exceeding 2 g/L.
Don't get us wrong,
a man indulging a little too much from time to time isn't a problem.
We wouldn't necessarily call him a "drinker".
Perhaps he only drank excessively during joyous family parties,
or while having lunch with his friends.
However, what we can, and we must reproach,
for his and everyone else's sake,
is getting behind the wheel in this state.
This is the moment to make a key point about road safety:
a lower alcohol level, falsely suggesting sobriety
is still very dangerous.
This is because, unaware of his intoxication,
the driver remains assured, and his false confidence
makes him flout the rules.
He takes greater and greater risks, one of which is almost invariably fatal.
Too often, this leads, for example,
to injury or death for innocent victims.
That's not all.
Among the accidents caused by alcohol,
have you considered this?
Your mate's out of it.
I know, it's terrifying.
- Is he drunk? - No, I had lunch with him.
He only drank a bit, but he's never really sober.
Oh, it happened!
Stop!
The doc's coming. That was bound to happen.
That's not fair, he never got drunk.
Okay, but he still drank a lot every day,
20 years of it shows.
We warned him. Every physical it got a bit worse.
Today, a guy like him wouldn’t pass the recruitment physical.
It's terrible though.
Well, back to work.
The outcome: the man is crippled.
A skilled labourer, who is now practically useless at his workplace.
Aside from accidents,
think of how daily alcohol consumption can turn men anti-social.
Some of them all-too-often becoming domestic abusers.
Look, there's your husband!
You wouldn't think it.
You never would, but he's had a drink, like each and every day.
You'd never know.
No, it's the worst. I hope it never happens to you, darling.
Not hanging your things up?
Don't tell me where to put my things.
- Are we sitting down to eat or what? - Yes, we waited for you.
Of course! You're going to say you're not ready because I was late.
Pass me your plate.
And Jacques? Where's Jacques? Hanging about with those ruffians again?
No, he's here, finishing his homework.
Well, what's he waiting for then?
Jacques! Jacques!
- What are you doing? - Finishing my problem, dad.
At this hour you should be finished.
If not, too bad for you.
- Sit down. - But dad the master said...
I don't care about your master!
He can do what he wants at his school. But I'm the master here.
Try getting that into your heads once and for all, both of you.
Ah, of course, there's no salt in this soup.
Yes, you see.
Once you learn to cook it'll be hotter than it was today.
That's it, take the piss out of me.
You think your dad's arthritis in his arms is funny?
That won't stop me
from giving you the hiding you deserve.
Save the waterworks,
or you'll be next.
I'm tired of having to deal with a mug like yours, understand?
Also, don't forget the stupid bets, too often made by the young.
That's 6.
So, slowing down a little are we, champion?
Alain always honours his bets, and he wins them too.
Come on Alain!
1, 2, 3, go.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Yes, he's dead.
Dead by alcohol overdose
at just 20 years of age.
Now, take the example of sportsmen.
Each Tour de France,
the value of alcohol
is touted by banners and other adverts.
But, at the end,
what does the winner drink: water.
As for this weightlifter,
do you think alcohol helps him beat the world record?
Consider these curious athletes,
circus performers.
They must push themselves
to the limit,
every day, over the course of many years,
and delayed reactions can be fatal.
So the customary alcoholic drink
is off the table, their lives are at stake.
Their lives truly are at stake,
but wouldn't your life be as well,
if you developed a drinking habit?
So it was for "your health",
that we put together the images that made up this film.
Subtitles: Michael Craig