Montreal -- in Historical and Administrative Perspectives

The Battle of Quebec 1756-1763

Historical Perspectives Two solitudes and St. Laurence Blvd.

the Quebec separatist movement

Cultural Activities

The Canvas of Time

Three major

buildings: Churches, skyscrapers and triplexes or duplexes with steep stairways.

Montreal’s City map and cityscapes

Images of Montreal Images Montreal (an exhibition)A blog

La Place Ville-Marie: old & newSherbrooke: stairways

-- Outdoor café-- churches

Two solitudes and St. Laurence Blvd.

Two Solitudes by Hugh MacLennan 1945 (e.g. Views from the Typewriter) The French live in the east, the English, in

the west, and the Portuguese, Italians, Greeks, Chinese, and Blacks in between.

(ref. Between the Solitudes—beginning, 3:58~,6:00 Bill 178)

Catholic church: major influence in politics until Quiet Revolution in 1960’s.

the Quebec separatist movement

(Duplessis orphans)

1960： Quiet Revolution– the end of the political domination of Catholic church.

接管許多教育及社會政策，結束天主教會掌控局面。 1967 ： Charles de Gaulle: “Vivre le Quebec libre!” Separatist Movement 法國總統戴高樂在蒙特婁演說，高呼「魁北克自由萬歲」，成為魁省獨派人士的精神口號。 World Expo 67 in Montreal 1968 ： the Parti québécois; 魁北克黨成立，以爭取魁北克脫離加拿大而獨立為職志。 1970 ： October Crisis 爆發「十月危機」，「魁北克解放陣線」 (FLQ) 策動一連串恐怖事件，出身魁北克的杜魯道 (Trudeau) 總理派軍鎮壓，數百名同情民族主義人士被捕。

• ○一八四 年：60% Francophone pl, but English was the official language

• 1969 --Two official languages

e.g. Black Sheep: Denys Arcand 7)

Two referendums 1980 ： referendum 59% Non; 勒維克提出「主權聯繫」計畫，主張魁北克為獨立國家， 但仍與加拿大維持密切關係，魁北克針對此計畫舉行公投 (referendum) ，反對者以 59% 得票率獲勝。 Themes of loss of passion and masculinity. 1995: 50.58% "No", 49.42% "Yes" （ e.g. Referendum/Take 2 8)

Montreal: Distinct CulturesOutgoing and friendly: summer of festivals(fêtes), outdoor café.

“Montreal is a city that loves the summertime, yet also makes the most of winter. It is a city whose people enjoy participating in community events, are not afraid to try something new, and have a deep attachment to their Quebecois cultural heritage” (Sobol 85)

Really open?

Montreal: Distinct Culturesfilm and theatre tradition:

1. long theatrical tradition and experimentation (at least 10 major theatres now); e.g. cirque du soleil, Robert Lepage 9 - 11

2. documentary (direct cinema or cinéma verité) or docudrama.

3. Eat, party and talk a lot. “le gang” (e.g. Jesus of Montreal, The Decline of the American Empire)

“THE CANVAS OF TIME”

History = changes of the meanings of J. Viger and his portraits, the historical periods, and the canvas itself.

~ from Montreal vu par (1991) made for the 350 anniversary of Montreal.

“The Canvas of Time” 1832, Jacque Viger the first mayor. The years covered in the film: 1850, 1880, 1889, 1912,

1940, 1967, 1992 Why is Viger important? What does he symbolize? Why are these moments significant to Montreal? How is Viger looked at in different periods?

“The Canvas of Time”: Montreal’s History and Historic Images1) What historical periods are covered? 2) Pay attention to usage of the stage, and,

as its backdrop, the painting, documentaries, historic photos, fire, firework as well as real humans. What do they mean?

3) Painting: A cherished portrait, can come alive, watch the census-taker, paint the sister, being thrown out, the painter’s “canvas” (while Viger appears as an actor in the studio.)

“The Canvas of Time”: Viger in History

Viger as a historical figure The first mayor, worked on its

sanitation system and census. (background: railroad)

Respect Truth: “Nothing is more important than truth.”

Old, knows that he is big-bellied, and that the painter will “beautify” him.

Portrait

backstage image Aging

“The Canvas of Time”: Viger as History

see notes (1) & (2)Portrait: called “the first mayor,” “an object with no spiritual value,” wife’s father (a smuggler), “a nun with mustache,” taken for one’s lover, father to be thrown out, geezer

Viger in Historical MomentsPublic History

1. 1850 -- the making of the portrait

2. 1880 -- the senile servant with the portrait meeting the census-taker

3. 1889 -- the death of the census-taker

4. 1912 -- the immigrant's on strike, not paying the rent, the rich, like hockey, not appreciating Montreal’s history

5. In a tavern: political corruption (of aldermen and their friends—a gang of 23)

Viger’s Meanings1. Viger-senile, fat, clumsy, and

becoming history 2. Remembered by the servant

and the census taker/train3. Adieu Montreal=Viger

Death (of TB) of another government official—keepers of order vs. neighborhood ridden with TB

4. Immigrants’ means of survival; Viger with beard (nun with a beard)

5. Viger –seen as a smuggler

Viger in Historical Moments (2)

Public History6. 1940 -- a woman's getting

the portrait from a Catholic school for her lover, who is going to the war,

7. 1967 -- young couple's throwing out the portrait,

8. 1992 -- the studio.

Viger’s Meanings6. Catholic Education, War and

illicit love Viger’s portrait—no spiritual value; symbol of love

7. Free love and rebellion; a new sense of identity

Viger—my father [missing – quiet revolution,

referendum]8. 1992 – another blank

canvas (history as palimpsest)

Traces of De-Centering and Reconstructions

Views from the center(s) to the margins

Scene 2: the census-taker is more active than the husband, who reads the names mechanically

Nothing is more beautiful than truth

Reconstructions: 1. Scene (1): interior 2. Scene (2): Viger and train in the

background3. Scene (3): ends with Viger and

census-taker in the filmic background

4. Photo of immigrants;5. Newspaper6. Viger painting in the background7. Viger as a character8. Viger as a neon image

Historical Moments: Front Stage and Background

1. History as an object of dialogue

2. History with emotional depth

3. History as archive 4. History revised

Historical Moments: Front Stage and Background (2)

5. History as fiction6. History as

palimpsest ( 羊皮紙 )

“The Canvas of Time”: Themes

What are the implications of "Nothing is more beautiful than truth"?

What is turned to nothingness? -- administrator’s efforts in keeping the

order; -- history for re-creation

Note (1) Luduc: "What interested me was to take the city as a subject, rather than as a setting. ”I quickly realized that, like most Montrealers, I didn't know the history of my city, which can be really fascinating.  … I became interested in Jacque Viger, Montreal's first mayor.  A film is often a number of coincidences.  This one came about with the discovery of Jacque Viger, who seemed to be a fascinating character.  We also wanted to make the viewer smile.  I've mostly made 'serious' films, and I felt as though a change of tone was in order."  (Leduc)

Note (2) Viger (1787 -1858 ): Mayer—the city’s builder and archaeologist

French-Canadian antiquarian and archaeologist, During the war of 1812 he served as captain in the "Voltigeurs" under

de Salaberry. He was elected the first Mayor of Montreal (1833), and strove to

improve its sanitary condition. Although he wrote little, his reputation as an archaeologist was

universal, and the greatest contemporary historians of France and the United States have drawn from his collection of MSS., the fruit of forty years research. He compiled a chronicle under the title of "Sabretache" (28 vols.), wherein he gathered plans, maps, portraits, with valuable notes illustrating many contested historical points.

He was the founder of the "Historical Society of Montreal". Pius IX honoured him with the knighthood of the Order of St. Gregory the Great.