Donalda's older brother, Bidou Laloge, quits his job as a docker in Montréal, and applies to obtain a settlement lot in Sainte-Adèle, supported by the Québec State Secretary of Colonization, Father Labelle, and by Sainte-Adèle's new mayor, Alexis Labranche. His projects are however halted by land agent Séraphin Poudrier, who denies Bidou the settlement lot he wants. Although Séraphin justifies his refusal by the fact that the lot targeted by Bidou is improper for cultivation, those who listened to the 1940s CBC radio show know this is a bogus reason. Séraphin is simply afraid that Bidou, who intends to live with his father, might rip him entirely off his meager savings, thus disabling Donalda to get her fair share of inheritance when the father dies.
"La terre de Bidou" (Bidou's Lot) was made in 1963 and broadcasted as TWO episodes of the famed CBC TV drama "Les belles histoires des pays d'en haut" (Beautiful Highcountry Tales). Entirely shot on 16mm, it features the fine writing skills of Claude Henri Grignon. Unfortunately, the subject matter of the plot line reveals a bit meager to fill in 50 minutes of drama --and consequently, there are many redundant, overly and unnecesssary wordy sequences. However, this episode is still well worth watching, would it only be to witness the incredible acting performance of Jean Pierre Masson as Séraphin Poudrier, who also gets the best lines and most credible characterization, in this episode.
At the heart of the great script by Grignon, lies the opposition between the parochial, collectively-oriented values of a needy and obedient Roman Catholic nation (pictured as the townsfolks of Sainte-Adèle), and the ideology of Puritanism (pictured as the character named Séraphin Poudrier), which allows for a part of individualistic wealth. As such, Grignon's work is strong metaphorical stuff. Under cover of a mild historical vignette, it reveals to be a witty and multilayered comment on the tensions that divide contemporary Quebec. This is unexpendable viewing for anyone who wishes to have a clear grasp on the social components of North America's next country to soon emerge, namely Québec.
This 16mm medium length is, for the time being, only available on a lousy DVD made from VIDEOTAPES of the original film stock. You can count on the blockheads at the so-called "canadian broadcasting corporation" to make a straight-to-digital 720px transfer of this fine show sometime in the 31st century -- instead of the actual crummy optical-to-digital transfer. In the meantime, visit jaaaacques' channel frequently for more great subtitled episodes of "Les belles histoires".