The meaning of dance in “The Hairdresser's Husband” - One man’s days of love and The Way We Were

dance with loss

Sometimes Antoine dances. This has been happening since he was a child, and as he says, it seems to be his own way of doing things. Dance in your own way - this means ``dancing according to your heart.''

So, in what situations do people enjoy dancing? As the idiom ``makes your heart flutter'' suggests, most of the time you are feeling excited. Of course, there is also dance as a sport and dance as an art. However, the origin of all of this is dance as a form of emotional expression.

However, the emotions expressed through the body vary widely. It's not necessarily joy. Sometimes there are dances that express sadness. While there are dances for celebration, there are also dances to express mourning.

In the play, Antoine experiences two major losses. The first is from a female barber whom he admired as a child, and the second is from his beloved Mathilde. I think one could say that he is a man who has been possessed by a certain kind of delusion since his first loss. Antoine's impulse to become a "The Hairdresser's Husband" was left without a foundation due to this loss. As a result, this "impulse" transformed into an "obsession." It was fortunate that he met Mathilde, but who knows what would have happened if she hadn't?

"The Hairdresser's Husband" (c) Photofest / Getty Images

When you think about this, the way you see this movie changes dramatically. When Antoine grows up and dances from time to time, it may be a dance of "joy" for the happy times he spends with Mathilde, but at the same time, it may also be a dance of "memorial" for the woman he once adored. Is this a cynical view? Didn't he just want to be the "The Hairdresser's Husband"?

Antoine dances in the final scene as well. Dancing in the barber shop in front of a single guest. Azir is for him, but his beloved Mathilde is no longer there. Then Antoine suddenly stops dancing. I wonder if the dance at this time is one of joy or of mourning. I can't help but feel that suddenly giving up is like giving up feelings of joy and, at the same time, giving up mourning. In other words, regarding the latter, he does not accept the death of his wife, Mathilde.

Thus the film comes to an end, but Antoine will probably continue to dance from time to time, and then suddenly stop. He will travel between the asylum of the "barbershop" and the asylum of his mind, spending his days filled with love and The Way We Were. Perhaps the reason I could not forget this movie is because Antoine was constantly dancing in my mind.

Text: Yushu Orita

Writer. Born in 1990. The main areas of coverage include movies, theater, actors, literature, fashion, and bars. In addition to contributing to numerous movie theater pamphlets, he also serves as MC on the movie talk show ``Katsuben Cinema Club.'' My favorite directors are Yasuzo Masumura and Douglas Sirk.

Watch now

View work information

(c) Photofest / Getty Images