Tragic Irony In Betty Blue | The Great Acting Blog

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An analysis of the literal action of the protagonist, Zorg, reveals to us the tragic irony in Betty Blue. 

 

In Jean-Jaques Beineix’s Betty Blue, Zorg [played by Jean-Hugues Anglade], is a laidback handyman employed to take care of a bunch beach huts. He is unambitious; although he has written a novel, he keeps it hidden away in some boxes. He lives in the moment, likes getting drunk on Tequila Rapido and he is amiable; making friends easily. Above all, Zorg avoids conflict and strife, he is an appeaser – he wants peace.

His life is transformed however, when he starts a full-on affair with Béatrice Dalle’s Betty. She is fiery, passionate and erratic. She wants more for Zorg and becomes the driving force behind getting his book published. Further, she despises the way those in positions of power treat him without respect.

As the film unfolds, we see that the meaning of peace for Zorg changes from maintaining his seaside idyll to making Betty happy. The irony of Zorg’s action however, is that as Betty’s behaviour becomes evermore extreme, he is forced to become evermore violent in his attempts to maintain the peace. When Betty finally breaks down into insanity, the irony of Zorg’s action becomes tragic in nature.

 

A look at what Zorg literally does during important flashpoints illustrates the point…..

Betty complains about the way Zorg’s boss-landlord treats him  >>>  Zorg says it’s fine because at least they have a nice shack “to screw in”

Betty chucks a bucket of paint over Zorg’s bosses car  >>>  Zorg tries to appease his boss and wipe the paint off.

Later, after a bust-up with the boss, Betty pushes him off their balcony and onto a mound of sand >>> Zorg’s first reaction is to call after the boss; “you’re not hurt are you?”.

While they work in a pizzeria, Betty stabs a difficult customer with a  fork  >>>  Zorg offers to pay their bill and tries to calm Betty down.

When a publisher is rude about Zorg’s novel, Betty slashes his cheek with a comb  >>>  Zorg smoothes things over with the police,  then goes to the publisher’s apartment, threatening to do violence unless the charges against Betty are dropped.

When Betty slides into a depressed funk  >>>  Zorg commits armed robbery, hoping the cash will snap her out of it.

When Betty steals a child at the fairground  >>>  Zorg finds her and ensures she escapes from the pursuing police.

And finally, when Betty is admitted to a psychiatric hospital after putting out her own eye, she becomes seemingly lobotomised after electroshock treatment  >>>  Sat beside her hospital bed, Zorg tells her;  “no-one can ever separate us, no-one, ever” before he ends her life by suffocating her with a pillow, thus creating a state of peace.

 

It is in this final action that the tragic irony of Betty Blue is revealed to us.  It is doubtful whether the laidback Zorg we see at the start of the film would’ve done such a thing. Yet, it is that same amiable nature [his desire for peace] that has lead him to this point.  He only becomes capable of killing because of Betty’s influence on him throughout the film. So the Zorg who wants to avoid stress and the Betty-influenced Zorg, combine in this moment to commit murder.  Zorg cannot tolerate the pain brought by Betty’s condition, but he also now possesses the capacity to do this final act of violence.

The final image of the film sees Zorg sat at home with a pencil and paper, not writing but ‘thinking’. He seems to have arrived at the peace he was after, but his journey there has been one of tragic irony.

 

RELATED READING
Actor As Artist: Beatrice Dalle
Analysing A Script – Understanding The Literal Action Of The Character 
Literal Action Script Analysis

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