La contraception moderne (1974)
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Générique principal
Contenus
Thèmes médicaux
Sujet
Information on current contraceptive methods at the time of the film (1970)
This film is the abridged version of La contraception moderne (version complète).
Genre dominant
Résumé
Contraceptive methods are described in the film using animated diagrams and real-life shots reproducing medical consultations, classroom lessons and training sessions. The insertion of IUDs and the use of oral contraceptives are particularly explained in detail.
Contexte
This film was produced and shown in the wake of the invention and marketing of the first brand name oestrogen-progestogen contraceptives (pills) and the Neuwirth Law of 19 December 1967 which decriminalised contraception. The widespread use of contraceptives along with the medical check-ups they entail were the topic of intense protests and significant controversy over the safety and the legitimacy of using contraceptive devices.
With respect to the painting in the opening scene of the film entitled Le Musée Spitzner by Paul Delvaux, Spitzner’s museum refers to a collection essentially made up of anatomical wax models collected by the self-employed anatomist Pierre Spitzner (1813-1894). In 1856, he founded his Grand musée anatomique et ethnologique [Great Anatomical and Ethnological Museum] initially based in Paris at the pavillon de la Ruche (now Place de la République). Spitzner had worked amidst anatomy technicians. Although he was not a doctor, he had people call him as such to boost his scientific credibility.
Spitzner’s museum was part of a significant movement of similar creations in the second half of the 19th century when funfairs were developing. The educational aim of these new types of museums was not as clear-cut as that of traditional museums. Their objective was to turn a profit; it was therefore necessary to reach and attract the general public, which explains the spectacular nature of certain pieces. These collections subsequently took on an educational role after undergoing a moralistic transformation, which the collections on “social hygiene” illustrate.
Towards 1885, Spitzner became a showman after a fire destroyed the pavillon de la Ruche. He travelled across Europe from fair to fair before permanently settling in Brussels at the Midi Fair. His museum, carried on by his wife after his death, experienced enormous and particularly long-lived success compared to other funfair museums that were in decline in the first half of the 20th century.
Faded from memory in the 50s, the collection was rediscovered at the end of the 70s and exhibited once again in Belgium in 1979 and in Paris in 1980. It was purchased by the pharmaceutical laboratory Roussel-Uclaf-Rohr in the 80s, restored, given to the Société française d’anatomie normale et pathologique [French Society of Normal and Pathological Anatomy] in 1997 and then to the University of Montpellier in 2011.
The Belgian surrealist painter Paul Delvaux (1897-1914) had an “amazing revelation” when he visited the “museum” in 1932:
"It was a hut embellished with red velour curtains and on each side there was a painting dating back to around 1880, I believe. One side depicted a hysterical woman in a trance before an audience of scholars and students. This painting was impressive because it was realistic. And in the middle, in the entrance of the museum, there was a woman acting as cahier. Then, on one side, there was a skeleton of a man and a skeleton of a monkey. On the other side, there was another representation of Siamese brothers. Inside, there was a rather dramatic and terrible series of anatomical wax models depicting the tragedies and horrors of syphilis: its deformations. And all this was in the middle of that artificial joy of a fair. This left long-lasting, deep marks on my life […]. The discovery of Spitzner’s museum turned my conception of painting upside down. I thus discovered that a tragedy could be expressed in painting while remaining artistic”. (Delvaux in Palouzié and Ducourau 28-29)
Éléments structurants du film
- Images de reportage : Oui.
- Images en plateau : Non.
- Images d'archives : Oui.
- Séquences d'animation : Oui.
- Cartons : Non.
- Animateur : Non.
- Voix off : Oui.
- Interview : Non.
- Musique et bruitages : Oui.
- Images communes avec d'autres films : Non.
Comment le film dirige-t-il le regard du spectateur ?
Through the advice he gives to his patients, the on-screen doctor also informs colleagues who are watching the film. Training therefore takes place with the help of different patients who appear in the film.
Animated diagrams illustrate a rather mechanical functioning of the body, in particular with respect to hormones, in order to explain how the various devices available work.
The language used alternates between everyday language, which is assertively expressed in the sequences with teenagers and patients, and extremely precise and technical medical terms, which accompany the animated informative sequences.
Comment la santé et la médecine sont-elles présentées ?
In the film, medicine is represented by the doctor, a shrewd man concerned with educating his patients yet somewhat robotic in his expression. Through their expertise, informed by both science and practice, medical professionals possess the knowledge required to care for and support the health of individuals.
Diffusion et réception
Où le film est-il projeté ?
In the professional circuit via special screenings in cinemas
Communications et événements associés au film
Brochures announcing the special screenings
Public
Doctors (general practitioners, gynaecologists)
Audience
Descriptif libre
Issues Raised by Contraception
The film opens with a painting entitled Le musée de Spitzner, which was painted in 1943 by Paul Delvaux. This information, however, is not specified in the film. The painting is not a realistic depiction of the museum, as the artistic could have seen it in 1932, but rather a dream-like collage of different elements and feelings in line with the principles of surrealism. André Brouillet’s painting, Une leçon clinique à la Salpétrière, which was in the entrance of the museum, is evoked in Delvaux’s painting by the position of the woman standing with her arms extended behind her and the presence of well-dressed men, some of whom are looking at her. The contrast between their impeccable attire and the woman’s bare chest along with her resigned or even grievous expression (reminiscent of certain paintings portraying the martyrdom of saints) calls to mind accusations that the Spitzner museum encouraged voyeurism. This was especially true in 1881 when Jules Chéret’s poster announcing the opening of the museum depicted, in the bottom section, a male character revealing a naked woman before an assembly of men in frock coats. Finally, the fact that the woman in the painting is partially undressed brings to mind a particular piece from the Spitzner museum depicting a caesarean: a woman (in wax) is wearing a long white dress or nightgown that is solely open at her abdomen so that the caesarean can be performed. It is interesting to note that the face of this mannequin, like that of the other female characters in the museum, is not neutral but has a look of fear or even horror.
None of these references are mentioned in the film but it is not hard to imagine a parallel between the woman partially unclothed in the painting and the gynaecologist’s patients in the film, especially the one who has an IUD inserted. Was this painting also chosen to reflect the director’s thoughts regarding his film’s audience (men in suits) and potential voyeurism? Finally, the woman’s facial expression in the painting foreshadows in a way the worried faces of the patients seen in the film.
Music from a large jazz ensemble plays. The artistic reference and choice of music ensure that the film does not have a strictly scientific feel.
Opening credits in yellow italics: “Doctor Henri Rozenbaum / Animations: Yves Le Tallec – Nicole Armagnac / Images: René Gosset – Claude Rochefort / Film editing: Albert Luzuy / Film directing: Eric Duvivier”. At the end of the opening credits, the camera zooms in on the profile of the painted woman whose eyes are closed. Matching cut to a real-life close-up of a young girl before zooming out to show a classroom filled with adolescents in which a man, filmed over the shoulder, assumes the role of the teacher. Questions pour in from the students: at which age can you take the pill without parental consent? Do you think women should keep their virginity for their husbands?, etc. (1’21)
The Invention of Modern Contraception
Soft jazz music plays accompanied by close-ups of newspaper advertisements: “appareils” [devices], “usage intime” [intimate use], etc. Male commentary: “Condoms, temperature curves, periodic abstinence, etc. These methods do not require medical assistance but are either restrictive or randomly effective”. Transition to a brief history of oral contraceptives. The development of the oral contraceptive by Pincus (American endocrinologist). Taken from another film (uncited), a sequence of explanations provided by Gregory Pincus himself speaking English is shown. According to the commentary, the method quickly caught on in the West. (2’04)
Pills: Use and Precautions
Sequence of animated diagrams to explain the physiological effect of the pill. Three distinct methods of oral contraception — the combined method, the sequential method and the progestogen-only method — are presented using sequences of animated diagrams showing their physiological mode of action. The explanation uses specialised terms (synthetic progestogen, pituitary stimulation, pre-ovulatory LH surge, endometrial hyperplasia, etc.) and thus appears to be intended for a professional audience. It is interesting to note that certain diagrams illustrate the commentary with particular imagery: at (2’55), the notion of “barriers” (modification of the endometrium and the cervical mucus) is illustrated with the appearance of two different types of locks on the uterus! The effectiveness of the three methods is compared and the failure rate is visually represented by prams.
Soft jazz music returns. Knee shot of the doctor on the phone. Commentary: “Any doctor knows that clinical tolerance of a pill is judged based on, among other things, the number of telephone calls received following the prescription”. The doctor responds on-screen to various calls made by patients who describe their problems off-screen. Is it necessary to continue taking the pill following menstruation? What should be done for persistent bleeding? if menstruation does not occur after stopping the pill? if the pill causes nausea? On one occasion, it is a man who asks the question. The doctor’s very informative answers are based on a medical understanding of the female body and are illustrated using animated diagrams. At (8’31), there is a sequence showing a barrage of images while a voice-over explains that menopause is not influenced by an intake of hormones. The images are very positive and include close-ups of smartly dressed women, cars, airplanes and a happy couple on a motorcycle. Despite the fact that the images slightly distract the viewer from the voice-over, they are perhaps intended to reinforce its positive message and make the viewer associate modern contraception with an active, glamorous lifestyle. Newspaper clippings (Le Monde) on social issues related to the pill. Overview of the debate on its trade and free access. “Hostility is sparked for various reasons, non-medical for the most part. No product has ever been studied in such length in order to determine its potential side effects”. (9’15)
The Diaphragm
Information on how it works, the different sizes, how it is placed (demonstrated with a mould of the female genital track) and its failure rate are presented. (9’54)
IUD: Insertion and Precautions
How an IUD works is explained using animated diagrams. Various IUDs of different shapes are presented while at the same time their mode of action is said to be complex and not entirely understood. The failure rate is represented by prams using an animated diagram. The commentary specifies that “the size of the device also plays a role”. The explanations pertaining to the second and third generation IUDs make it clear that research is ongoing in this field. Even though it is still little understood, the explanation with respect to the role copper plays in third generation IUDs is rather long and answers questions viewers might be asking themselves (comparison of the rate of expulsion of different models, cupremia, etc.). Black transition followed by a sequence reproducing a consultation during which a doctor explains to a woman, filmed from over the shoulder at first, how an IUD works. The insertion is not painful and it is 99% effective. Reverse angle shot of the woman when the doctor invites her to enter the adjacent room for insertion. Commentary: “Inserting an IUD is a harmless and virtually painless procedure”. The commentary names the various instruments gathered on the table and shown using a close-up. Close-up of the patient’s vulva at the time of insertion showing the procedure (the use of the speculum, the tenaculum, the uterine sound and the insertion of the IUD deep into the uterine cavity) without any break in filming. The precise commentary provides an extremely detailed lesson in inserting an IUD. An insertion filmed using an image intensifier is then shown. (17.45)
The doctor’s voice-over informs the patient that she must feel for the IUD’s string and encourages her to take “the tablets” prescribed if she feels any pain. Employing the same technique used to present the pill, the doctor, once again on the phone, responds to various questions and concerns expressed by IUD users. The film thus presents all of the answers that a doctor should give to potential questions asked by patients or colleagues. Commentary: “Telephone calls most often reflect patients’ ignorance about this method as opposed to poor clinical tolerance”. (21:14) Sequence of images that are in fact close-ups of a collage which is shown in its entirety at the end of the sequence. The images portray young women riding horses, waterskiing, skiing, snorkelling and enjoying time with friends. The selection of such positive images is perhaps a subtle attempt to promote IUDs. Short sequence of a woman in a hair salon expressing concern over uterine perforation. The camera cuts to a close-up of the same woman with a look of worry before zooming out to show her consulting the previous doctor in the presence of people in white coats (students?). The doctor focuses his attention more on the students than the patient when insisting on the precautions that should be taken to avoid uterine perforation. The doctor then answers students’ questions relating to the risk of salpingitis and ectopic pregnancy. During this sequence, the camera changes angles and zoom to focus on the different people participating in the discussion. Sequence showing two women having tea and consulting a newspaper. The woman facing the camera worries that an IUD could cause cancer. Camera cuts to a close-up of her profile and then zooms out to show her consulting the same doctor who addresses her concerns. (23’30)
Conclusion: The Need to Educate in Early Adulthood
Return to the classroom from the first sequence of the film. The viewer recognises by the sound of his voice that it is the doctor who was answering questions in the previous sequence. He affirms that there is not one method of contraception that is better than another but that it is important to be aware of the advantages and disadvantages of each one. By having the doctor speak with the same tone and precision, the film conveys the idea that adolescents, boys and girls, have access to the same quality of information at school as the older patients seen in the majority of the film. The film simultaneously contributes to training doctors to prescribe new methods of contraception authorised by law and calls for this information to be shared with a larger audience, especially in schools.
Romantic music to finish, with soothing accents.
Collection: Eric Duvivier code 418.
Notes complémentaires
Références et documents externes
Palouzié, Hélène and Ducourau, Caroline, "De la collection Fontana à la collection Spitzner, l’aventure des cires anatomiques de Paris à Montpellier", In Situ. Revue des patrimoines, 31/2017, pp. 28-29.
Contributeurs
- Auteurs de la fiche : Joël Danet, Alexis Zimmer, Élisabeth Fuchs, Sherry Stanbury
- 2 Traducteurs_vers_anglais : Sherry Stanbury