Money and the French

[letrangere]

Do wish I knew how to create "links" as I'm sure many of you would have enjoyed an article in last Saturday's New York Times. Entitled "Breaking France's final film taboo: movies about money", opening para read:-

"If sex is the great taboo in American life and movies, money is the subject that can shock a Frenchman. In a country where fortunes are more often inherited than made, and where most people work to live rather than the other way around, money is viewed primarily as a necessary evil. Talking about your finances, even among friends and family, is considered indiscreet, tactless, vulgar and vaguely American."

I would question the possibly unnecessary inclusion of the word "vaguely" but felt the rest was spot on.

By the way, the films referenced included "Le Cout de la Vie" (Philippe le Guay), Tonie Marshall's "France Boutique" and Valeria Bruni Tedeschi's "Il est plus facile pour un chameau".

Are you out there Amelie?

Margaret

[Alexis]

Not around here. Money is a very interesting conversation for us all. People like to know what you have paid for things so they can tell someone else and discuss it! Not a lot of secrets about pay etc as most people work in the factories where everyone knows the salary or they are farmers.

This does not include my FIL who is clam like. He is going to take it all with him - in a big lorry!

[Pucette<P><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>Pucette<FONT><P><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt">"Qui ne connaît pas la campagne lhiver, ne connaît pas la campagne et ne connaît pas]

what about that lovely film about 1968, someone must remember the title, Michel Piccoli was the widow as a bourgeois family fought over the inheritance; he was left nothing, the maid got a mink coat...

[Liz]

>Do wish I knew how to
>create "links" as I'm sure
>many of you would have
>enjoyed an article in last
>Saturday's New York Times. Entitled
>"Breaking France's final film taboo:
>movies about money", opening para
>read:-
>
>
To create a link simply go to the page you want to pass on. Highlight the address bar. Copy (CTRL C). Then paste (CTRL V) to your posting. http://www.nytimes.com/ I'm afraid I couldn't be bothered to register to allow me to search for the full link but I hope you get the general idea. You can also simply type in the link in the text of your post, not forgetting to include the http:// part of the address. You can check that you've got the right format by previewing your post before you send it.

On the original question I must agree with the other posters, I don't find the locals particularly coy about money and we have always said we would never want to live in a village because I am sure one's finances and purchases would be the subject of gossip.

Liz (29)