Boudu Saved from Drowning

Based on the play Rene Fauchois, Boudu sauve` des eaux (Boudu Saved from Drowning) is the story of a Parisian tramp who is saved by a rich and kind bookseller only to create chaos into the man’s life. Written for the screen and directed by Jean Renoir, the film is a man’s life being changed when he tries to be generous and help another man where it would force him to see some of the fallacies of his kindness. Starring Michel Simon, Charles Granval, Marcelle Hainia, Severine Lerczinska, Jean Gehret, Max Dalban, Jacques Becker, and Jean Daste. Boudu sauve` des eaux is a witty and engaging film from Jean Renoir.

The film follows a tramp whose dog had suddenly ran off as he attempts suicide by drowning himself on a river only to be saved by an upper-middle class bookseller who takes him in. It’s a film that is an exploration into generosity and some of its fallacies where this kind man is trying to be a good person and help someone in need but he’s unaware that the man he saved is kind of an anarchist of sorts who isn’t interested in change. Jean Renoir’s screenplay follows the life of the bookseller Edouard Lestingois (Charles Granval) who is a good man but is having an affair with his housemaid Chloe Anne Marie (Severine Lerczinska) whom he’s fond of as his marriage to Emma (Marcella Hainia) has lost some steam. When he saves this tramp named Boudu (Michel Simon), he just wants to help but Boudu is baffled by this kindness as he’s not comfortable sleeping on a bed nor is used to eating with utensils and have manners. Plus, he become attracted to Chloe as well as Emma where it would create chaos at home.

Renoir’s direction is very straightforward with some aspects of style as it relates to elements of silent cinema such as the early scenes with Boudu and his dog. Shot in and around locations in Paris, the film play into this world of class difference as it’s something Boudu is kind of on the outs with the world of the middle and upper class. One notable scene is where he asks a policeman about finding his dog as that policeman would go find a dog whose owner is an upper class woman. When Boudu is taken in by Lestingois and be given fine suits and other things expected in the middle-upper class world. He is taken aback by it as it’s something he’s not familiar with where Renoir has him framed often in the background whenever Lestingois is talking about him to other people where Renoir’s usage of medium shots and close-ups play into its intimacy.

The direction also feature some wide shots for the scenes set in Paris where it does feel like a world that is dominated by people of the upper and middle class instead of the poor or the working-class as Renoir doesn’t shine a lot on that spectrum of the world. The direction has Renoir use some unique camera movements which includes a scene near the end as it relates to the new world that Boudu is in where everyone is having a good time but Boudu feels bored by it. Even as it he showcases scenes of Boudu being rambunctious and flirtatious towards Chloe and Emma to express his own free spirit as his presence would change some of the things around Lestingois and the people around him. Especially in the way they see the world and cope with the flaws of their own lifestyle as well as the idea of generosity which also prove to have its flaws. Overall, Renoir creates a compelling yet delightful film about a tramp who is saved by a rich bookseller and taken into a world of etiquette and prestige.

Cinematographers Marcel Lucien and Georges Asselin do brilliant work with the film’s black-and-white photography as it help play into the beauty of the daytime exteriors as well as the low-key scenes set at night. Editors Marguerite Houlle and Suzanne de Troye do excellent work with the editing as it is very straightforward with some rhythmic cuts to play into some of the film’s humor. The set design by Jean Castanier and Hugues Laurent is fantastic for the look of the book store that Lestingois lives and works at as well as some of the exteriors in the park that Boudu would often go to.

The sound work of Igor Kalinowski is terrific for its approach to natural sound as well in some of the moments that play inside Lestingois’ home. The film’s wonderful music soundtrack features opening and closing themes by Leo Daniderff that is mainly some light-hearted orchestral pieces with soundtrack contributions from Johann Strauss and original pieces by flautist J. Boulze who appears in the film as well as orpheon music by Edouard Dumoulin.

The film’s superb cast feature some notable small roles from Jacques Becker as a park bench poet, Jean Gehret and Max Dalban as a couple of Lestingois’ friends, and Jean Daste as a student trying to buy a book from Lestingois. Severine Lerczinska is brilliant as Chloe Anne Marie as a housemaid/clerk who is a mistress of Lestingois as she is fascinated and repulsed by Boudu as she reluctantly gives in to his charms. Marcelle Hainia is excellent as Emma Lestingois as a bored housewife who is the most reluctant to have Boudu in her home as she would be seduced by his charms. Charles Granval is amazing as Edouard Lestingois as this bookseller who is a man that does good as he tries to do what is right only to have his life be disrupted by this tramp and deal with the implications of bringing him to his home. Finally, there’s Michel Simon in a phenomenal performance as Priape Boudu as this tramp that is despondent over losing his dog as he copes for companionship where he’s later taken in by a bookseller as he struggles to look and feel clean as well as the expectations of upper-middle class society as he brings a lot of humor and liveliness to her performance.

Boudu sauve` des eaux is an incredible film from Jean Renoir that features a tremendous performance from Michel Simon. Along with a great supporting cast, a captivating premise, and some very funny moments. The film is definitely one of Renoir’s richest and most entertaining films in his illustrious career. In the end, Boudu sauve` des eaux is a sensational film from Jean Renoir.

Related: (Down and Out in Beverly Hills)

Jean Renoir Films: (Backbiters) - (La Fille de l’eau) - (Charleston Parade) - (Une vie sans joie) - (Marquitta) - (The Sad Sack) - (The Tournament) - (The Little Match Girl) - (Le Bled) - (On purge bebe) - (Isn’t Life a Bitch?) - (Night at the Crossroads) - (Chotard & Company) - (Madame Bovary (1933 film)) - (Toni) - Partie de campagne - (Life Belongs to Us) - (The Lower Depths (1936 film)) - (The Crime of Monsieur Lange) - Grand Illusion - (La Marseillaise) - La bete humaine - Rules of the Game - (Swamp Water) - (This Land is Mine) - (Salute to France) - (The Southerner) - (The Diary of a Chambermaid (1945 film)) - (The Woman on the Beach) - The River (1951 film) - (The Golden Coach) - (French Cancan) - (Elena and Her Men) - (The Doctor’s Horrible Experiment) - (Picnic on the Grass) - (The Elusive Corporal) - (The Little Theater of Jean Renoir)

© thevoid99 2017

The Green Room

Based on a trio of short stories by Henry James in The Altar of the Dead, The Beast in the Jungle, and The Way It Came, La chambre verte (The Green Room) is the story of a man’s obsession with the dead as he strives to build a memorial for them. Directed and starring Francois Truffaut and screenplay by Truffaut and Jean Grualt, the film is an exploration into the world of death as it is set a decade after the first World War. Also starring Nathalie Baye, Jean Daste, and Patrick Maleon. La chambre verte is a mesmerizing film from Francois Truffaut.

The film is a simple story of a journalist whose obsession with death has him wanting to pay tribute to the friends including his old flame he had lost over the years as he gets the help from an auction house secretary. It’s a film where Julien Davenne (Francois Truffaut) tries to deal with the people he had lost as he was a World War I veteran as he also hold a torch for his wife Julie in a room where he places her belongings and such. Upon meeting Cecilia (Nathalie Baye) at an auction house where he bought a ring for his late wife, he would ask her to aid him in watching over a chapel that he would restore as he would make it a memorial for his old friends and his flame. The film’s screenplay takes the work of Henry James into something where a man is often around death from an opening scene at a funeral to the life that Julien lives in as it’s very quiet. Some of the film’s dialogue plays into the idea of death and Julien’s obsession with it where Cecilia is also dealing with loss as she would help him.

Truffaut’s direction also has an air of simplicity in his direction as it opens with this very rich montage of images of World War I with Julien looking on in a dissolve. Much of it is presented has Truffaut going for something intimate where there’s very little wide shots so that he can express Julien’s own determination to honor the dead. Much of it involve Truffaut going for simple camera movements and some compositions where it plays into the growing relationship between Julien and Cecilia where they unknowingly both visit the same cemetery where the latter has been going there because of someone she knew had just passed. While the film has a third act where it does play into a bit of convention, it does play into something that explores the idea of death as well as Julien’s obsession as he loses his own grip on life itself. Overall, Truffaut creates a very engaging and compelling film about a man’s obsession with death.

Cinematographer Nestor Almendros does excellent work with the film‘s low yet colorful cinematography from the naturalistic approach to the exterior scenes to some of the gorgeous images in the candlelight chapel scenes and inside the green room. Editor Martine Barreque-Currie does nice work with the editing as it‘s pretty straightforward with the exception of some stylish dissolve montage scenes that play into Julien‘s own obsession with death. Production designer Jean-Pierre Kohut-Svelko does brilliant work with the set design from the renovation of the chapel as well as the look of the cemetery including a tomb for an old friend of Julien.

Costume designers Monique Dury and Christian Gasc do terrific work with the costumes from the clothes that Julien wears where he often wears black while the clothes that Cecilia wear are grey. The sound work of Michel Laurent and Jean-Louis Ughetto is superb for some of the sound effects such as the storm and some of the more low-key moments in the film. The film’s music by Maurice Jaubert is amazing for its enchanting score that plays into the drama with its lush string arrangements and somber pieces for the heavier moments.

The film’s fantastic cast includes notable small roles from Jean Daste as Julien’s boss, Patrick Maleon as the deaf-mute boy Georges who lives with Julien, Jeanne Lorbe as Georges’ caretaker, Monique Dury as the secretary at the newspaper where Julien works at, Jean-Pierre Moulin as the widower whom Julien tries to comfort early in the film, and Laurence Ragon as the picture of Julien’s late wife Julie. Nathalie Baye is incredible as Cecilia as a very kind and charming woman who sort of knows Julien as she helps him with restoring a chapel as she also has some feelings for the dead. Finally, there’s Francois Truffaut in an excellent performance as Julien as this man who is haunted by loss as he wants to pay tribute to his late love as he realizes what he needs to do while losing sight of the world around him.

La chambre verte is a superb film from Francois Truffaut that features an amazing performance from Nathalie Baye. While it is an interesting film in its exploration of death, it is also a film that plays into obsession and how a man starts to lose sight into a world that is already filled with life. In the end, La chambre verte is a rich and glorious film from Francois Truffaut.

Francois Truffaut Films: The 400 Blows - Shoot the Piano Player - Jules & Jim - Antoine & Colette - The Soft Skin - Fahrenheit 451 - The Bride Wore Black - Stolen Kisses - Mississippi Mermaid - The Wild Child - Bed and Board - Two English Girls - Such a Gorgeous Kid Like Me - Day for Night - The Story of Adele H. - Small Change - The Man Who Loved Women - Love on the Run - The Last Metro - The Woman Next Door - Confidentially Yours

The Auteur #40: Francois Truffaut (Pt. 1) - (Pt. 2)

© thevoid99 2014

The Man Who Loved Women (1977 film)

Directed by Francois Truffaut and written by Truffaut, Michel Fermaud, and Suzanne Schiffman, L’Homme qui aimait les femmes (The Man Who Loved Women) is the story of a man who had many lovers in his life as they would all reflect on what he brought to their world. Told in a reflective narrative style, the film is an exploration into a man who meant something to the women he loved no matter how complicated his love life is. Starring Charles Denner, Brigitte Fossey, Nelly Borgeaud, Genevieve Fontanel, and Leslie Caron. L’Homme qui aimait les femmes is a very touching and witty film from Francois Truffaut.

The film is a reflective story about a man who loved so many women as he tries to deal with everything he had done as he writes a book about the many relationships he has as well as his own faults as a man. All of which has the main narrative exploring the life of Bertrand Morane (Charles Denner) whose obsession with women’s legs and sleeping with them has him reflecting on his failures to find stability as he learned that a friend of his is already with someone else. The action would force him to deal with his own love-life and his own relationship with his mother as Bertrand would eventually write about the many loves of his life as it would attract the attention of a young publisher in Genevieve (Brigitte Fossey) who would fall for him. The film’s script takes it time to play into Bertrand’s self-discovery as well as the women in his life such as the lingerie shop manager Helene (Genevieve Fontanel), a doctor’s wife in Delphine (Nelly Borgeaud), and an old flame in Vera (Leslie Caron) which would force him to think about his own past and sins.

Francois Truffaut’s direction is quite simplistic at times in terms of his compositions but there’s also elements of style that is prevalent throughout the film. Notably the shots of women’s legs as it’s something that Bertrand is often obsessed about as there is something about their legs that is quite fascinating. The film is shot partially in Paris and Montpellier where the latter serves as the home where Bertrand lives in as he is often awaken by a caller whom he was eager to meet. Yet, there’s a sensitivity to Truffaut’s approach to telling the story where he plays into the many contradictions that Bertrand lives in as he is a man with a lot of great flaws as Truffaut doesn’t portray him as anything but a man. Truffaut’s camera involves a lot of simple close-ups and medium shots as well as moments where Bertand’s obsessions would get the best of him though the film does open on a very grim note as it plays to what Genevieve was discovering about Bertrand. Overall, Truffaut creates a very engaging yet compelling film about a man’s love for women.

Cinematographer Nestor Almendros does excellent work with the film‘s cinematography with its naturalistic approach to lighting in some of the nighttime scenes as well as some low-key yet evocative look to some of the daytime exterior scenes and some black-and-white shots for flashbacks into Bertrand‘s child hood. Editor Martine Barraque-Currie does fantastic work with the editing as it plays to a sense of style with its approach to dissolves and jump-cuts as the latter add to the sense of drama that Bertrand is going through. Production designer Jean-Pierre Kohut-Svelko does terrific work with set pieces from the lingerie store that Helene runs to the apartment that Bertrand lives in.

Costume designer Monique Dury does nice work with the clothes from the suits that Bertrand wears to the different dresses the women wear. The sound work of Michel Laurent is superb for some of the sound effects such as the aerodynamics lab he works at and other moments where the sound drowns out some of the dialogue. The film’s music by Maurice Jaubert does amazing work in creating an upbeat orchestral score for some of the funnier moments along with more low-key somber moments for the dramatic scenes.

The film’s cast includes some notable small roles from Nathalie Baye as a woman Bertrand asks over a pair of legs he saw early in the film, Anna Perrier as a beautiful babysitter, Jean Daste as a doctor, and Valerie Bonnier as a former lover whom Bertrand helps out. Leslie Caron is wonderful in her brief role as the old flame Vera whom Bertrand would meet late in the film as their meeting would force Bertrand to think about his own flaws. Genevieve Fontanel is terrific as the lingerie store manager Helene who is a friend of Bertrand as she reveals her own preferences in companionship that would force Bertrand to deal with his own flaws. Nelly Borgeaud is fantastic as Delphine as a married woman who would fall for Bertrand only to cause trouble as she would do things that would force him to break away from that relationship.

Brigitte Fossey is brilliant as Genevieve as this book publisher who is intrigued by Bertrand’s story as she would help him get it out as she would also fall for him to understand everything that he’s all about. Finally, there’s Charles Denner is a remarkable performance as Bertrand Morane as this man who has this ability to fall in love with women and be with them as he deals with his own faults and the contradictions he makes in his life as it’s one that is funny but also quite sensitive as it’s really a performance to watch.

L’Homme qui aimait les femmes is a phenomenal film from Francois Truffaut that features an incredible performance from Charles Denner. Not only is it one of Truffaut’s most captivating films on the way men view women but also one that is very sensitive in the way men view themselves at times which makes it one of Truffaut’s more accessible films. Overall, L’Homme qui aimait les femmes is an extraordinarily rich film from Francois Truffaut.

Francois Truffaut Films: The 400 Blows - Shoot the Piano Player - Jules & Jim - Antoine & Colette - The Soft Skin - Fahrenheit 451 - The Bride Wore Black - Stolen Kisses - Mississippi Mermaid - The Wild Child - Bed and Board - Two English Girls - Such a Gorgeous Kid Like Me - Day for Night - The Story of Adele H. - Small Change - The Green Room - Love on the Run - The Last Metro - The Woman Next Door - Confidentially Yours

The Auteur #40: Francois Truffaut (Pt. 1) - (Pt. 2)

© thevoid99 2014

L'Atalante

Directed by Jean Vigo and written by Vigo and Albert Riera from a story by Jean Guinee, L’Atalante is the story of a river barge captain and his new wife as they live their new life together on the river barge with his first mate and a cabin boy The film is about a couple trying to start a new life only to deal with complications in the world of marriage. Starring Jean Daste, Dita Parlo, Michel Simon, and Louis Lefebvre. L’Atalante is a ravishing and rapturous film from Jean Vigo.

The film is a simple story about a newlywed couple who spend their life on a river barge ship as the groom is the captain as he is joined by his first mate and a cabin boy. Yet, it’s a story that explores a newlywed dealing with marriage as the captain Jean (Jean Daste) tries to balance his role as captain and husband where it doesn’t become easy as his bride Juliette (Dita Parlo) has no clue in being the wife of a river barge captain. Though she would eventually get used to it and gain the friendship of the first mate Pere Jules (Michel Simon), Jean becomes jealous of men who pursue Juliette as she wants to see Paris and have fun.

The film’s screenplay by Jean Vigo and Albert Riera play into a newlywed couple’s life as the first act is about Jules and the cabin boy (Louis Lefebvre) trying to get used to Juliette being around while the second act is about Jean’s frustrations with marriage. Then comes this third act where it isn’t about the decision that Jean makes but its impact on the ship itself as Jules and the cabin boy become concerned for Jean and Juliette.

Vigo’s direction is truly exhilarating for the way he explores the world of a newlywed marriage where Jean and Juliette spend their honeymoon in a river barge ship going around the rivers of France where they would stop in Paris. Much of the compositions in its close-ups and medium shots are quite simple yet they have a wealth of imaginative images such as Juliette watching Jules do a puppet show that would arouse some jealousy for Jean. The ship itself is a character in the film as it is quite cramped and such where Jules’ cabin is a place that delights Juliette as opposed to the less-adventurous world of Jean.

Vigo’s approach to reflective shots in the mirror are dazzling as it this dream-like sequence that has this air of eroticism without the need of gratuitous sexual content. There’s also some sequences such as Jean’s swimming underwater as it plays into Vigo’s idea of love and a man lost in the decision he has made forcing the one person who was reluctant to let marriage be around his work to take action. Overall, Vigo creates a very sensational and enchanting film about a newlywed couple living in a river barge ship.

Cinematographers Boris Kaufman, Louis Berger, and Jean-Paul Alphen do excellent work with the film‘s black-and-white cinematography from the way many of the nighttime exterior and interior scenes look as well as the look of the rivers in the daytime scenes . Editor Louis Chavance does fantastic work with the film‘s stylish editing with its odd rhythmic cuts and some stylish dissolves for the erotic dream sequence. Art director Francis Jourdain does brilliant work with the look of the ship known as L‘Atalante as it is one that is full of personality despite the cramped interiors. The sound work of Lucien Baujard and Marcel Royne is terrific for the way some of the accordion music and other recordings are heard on location as well as the quietness of the rivers. The film’s music by Maurice Jaubert is amazing for its whimsical score as it is often accompanied by accordions to play into some of its humor and drama.

The film’s cast includes some notable small roles from Gilles Margaritis as a charming peddler that Jean dislikes, Maurice Gilles as the river barge company chief, Charles Goldblatt as a thief that Juliette encounters, Raphael Diligent as a scrap dealer Jules knows, and Louis Lefebvre as the young cabin boy who is often bossed around by Jules though he is always helpful. Michel Simon is great as the old first mate Pere Jules who is reluctant about having Juliette on board on the ship only to become a friend as he also deals with Jean’s frustrations. Jean Daste is superb as the barge ship captain Jean who tries to deal with his role as captain and husband as well as his jealousy only to lose sight of what he has. Finally, there’s Dita Parlo in a radiant performance as Juliette as she is this beautiful bride trying to understand her new world while wanting to go to Paris as it’s a really a dazzling performance that adds a lot of elegance to the film.

The 2-disc Region 1 DVD/1-disc Region A Blu Ray of The Complete Jean Vigo set from the Criterion Collection presents the film in 1:33:1 full-frame theatrical aspect ratio in a new high-definition digital transfer with Dolby Digital Mono in French with English subtitles. The first disc of the DVD features a feature-length audio commentary track by Vigo biographer Michael Temple. Temple’s commentary not only talks about the film and its innovations but also the production where it would contribute to Vigo’s declining health. Temple also revealed the many different versions of the film as the version that is presented on TV and in home video is a sixth version that was supervised by Vigo’s daughter Luce and Bernard Eisenchitz based that is a revision of a 1990 restoration that tried to present a completed version of the film.

Temple’s commentary also talks about the performances and how much the film was very different from the original script written by Jean Guinee as Vigo wanted to infuse ideas that subverted the original script’s intentions. Notably in incorporating some documentary ideas into the film while allowing his actors to improvise and flesh out the characters more as the script didn’t do much for them. Temple would also reveal that the actors not only praised Vigo but also reveal the sense of humor he had as he was ill during the production because of the cold winter during the shoot. Though he was able to be involved for the film’s rough cut, he wasn’t directly involved in the final cut due to his illness though editor Louis Chavance was able to make the film through Vigo’s instructions despite the re-cuts it would have through Gaumont studio. Temple also revealed how it would be re-discovered in the coming years as it was praised by the people of the French New Wave that would give the film a second life as it’s a very informative and enjoyable commentary from Temple.

The second disc of the DVD features many special features relating to the film and Vigo himself. The first is a one-hour and thirty-eight minute 1964 French TV episode of Cineastes de notre temps about Jean Vigo. Directed by Jacques Rozier, the episode discusses a lot about Vigo’s childhood as well as the production of Zero de Conduite and L’Atalante with interviews from many of Vigo’s friends and collaborators as well as actors Michel Simon, Dita Parlo, and Jean Daste. There’s also discussions about Vigo’s father and how being known as the son of renowned anarchist made him a pariah during his teens until he was finally accepted into a school which would become the basis for Zero de Conduite. The actors talked about Vigo’s sense of freedom in the way he allowed his actors to do so much more as it had this sense of anarchy as this documentary is definitely a must-see for those new to Jean Vigo.

The 18-minute conversation from 1968 between filmmakers Francois Truffaut and Eric Rohmer on the film L’Atalante is a video presentation made for a TV broadcast of the film where Rohmer asked Truffaut about the film and what it means to him. Truffaut talks about the film and its influence in modern cinema as he believes that Jean Vigo was way ahead of his time in what he was able to present. Especially as Vigo did much of his work outside of studio sets and into locations where he would often make things up as he went along as it’s a truly fascinating segment from two of France’s great filmmakers.

The forty-minute Les voyages des L’Atalante documentary from film historian/restorer Bernard Eisenchitz. Eisenchitz showcases footage that was cut from the film as well as rushes and alternate versions through many cuts of the film. Some of which involved butchered cuts due to the film’s initial poor reception from theater owners in its original 1934 premiere. It would take many years for lost scenes to be restored where a 1990 restoration would create what was considered to be the definitive version of the completed film until 11 years later. Eisenchitz reveals a lot about what was presented in its initial and re-cut version to what would be presented in its various restoration versions.

The twenty-minute 2001 interview with filmmaker Otar Iosseliani on Jean Vigo. The French-Georgian filmmaker talks about Vigo’s influence as well as L’Atalante and how much of an impact it was for him and for cinema itself. Especially as he saw it in film school in the Soviet Union where it was considered a major impact for the new and emerging filmmakers at the time where Iosseliani discusses some of the little things about the film that he loved as he had seen it many times in its different variations. A forty-five second animated tribute film from Michel Gondry is a wonderfully animated short that features references to many of Vigo’s films as it is told with some whimsy by Gondry.

The DVD set also includes a booklet that features four essays relating to Vigo and his films. The first of which is by filmmaker Michael Almereyda that is named after Vigo. Almereyda’s essay talks about Vigo and his impact in cinema as someone who wasn’t just ahead of his time but was someone who managed to retain a sense of youthfulness in his work without the need of becoming old and tired. Almereyda also talks about his films and Vigo’s brief life as the many issues he had ranging from his poor health and the dark shadow his anarchist father had cast upon him. Yet, Vigo would manage to plant many seeds that would create the many ideas of what would become the French New Wave. The second essay entitled A Propos de Jean and Boris by Robert Polito is about A propos de Nice and the collaboration between Jean Vigo and his longtime collaborator in cinematographer Boris Kaufman as it plays into not just their desire to break the rules of conventional cinema. It's an essay that showcases what their collaboration did and how it fitted with this growing wave of avant-garde films that were emerging at the time though A propos de Nice was something different and far more accessible than what Vigo's peers were doing at the time.

The third essay entitled Rude Freedom by video maker B. Kite is about Zero de Conduite where Kite discusses many of Vigo’s aesthetics and how Vigo’s thirst for anarchy would be such an inspiration for many films in the years to come. Kite also discusses about the film’s characters and some of the ambiguities of the film as it relates to these two ideas of ludis and paidia where the film definitely plays into the idea of the latter. The fourth and final essay entitled Canal Music by writer Luc Sante talks about L’Atalante and its impact in French Cinema in the years after it was released. Sante discusses many of what happened in the film and how it took an original story from another writer and made it into something more. The booklet is a great accompaniment to a glorious set of films for one of cinema’s great filmmakers.

L’Atalante is a magnificent film from Jean Vigo. Armed with a great cast, a whimsical score, and dazzling images, it is truly one of the finest achievements in cinema. Though it would be the only feature film that Vigo would make, it is truly unlike anything that is out there as it has this great mix of fantasy and realism. In the end, L’Atalante is an outstanding film from Jean Vigo.

Jean Vigo Films: A propos de Nice - Taris - Zero de conduite - The Auteurs #34: Jean Vigo

© thevoid99 2014

Zero de conduite

Written, edited, and directed by Jean Vigo, Zero de conduite (Zero for Conduct) is a forty-four minute short film about a group of boarding school kids rebelling against the authority in their school as a commemoration day is approaching. It’s a film that explores the world of kids dealing with authority as a young kid becomes part of a small group of misfits who would rebel against their masters. Starring Jean Daste. Zero de conduite is a dazzling film from Jean Vigo.

The film is a look into a group of kids who would make plans to upstage their headmaster and other authority figures at a French boarding school. Among these kids is a young boy named Tabard (Gerard de Bedarieux) who is new to the school as he befriends the small group of misfit kids as the only authority figure the boys like is the new teacher/schoolmaster Huguet (Jean Daste) as he is young and likes to Charles Chaplin impressions. The film’s screenplay that features dialogue by Charles Goldblatt has a realness to the way kids deal with authority though the authority figures aren’t entirely bad. It’s a very simple film that explores kids dealing with school and detention as they want to fight back against oppression.

Jean Vigo’s direction is very lively as well as entrancing in the way he presents life at a boarding school. Some of the film is shot in the room where the kids sleep as well as in the classroom. Vigo’s compositions play into that sense of repression but maintain something that has this sense of anarchy in the presentation. Notably in scenes where the kids create some trouble as Vigo’s editing with its use of slow-motion cutting, dissolves, and early ideas of jump-cuts would add to the sense of style and energy of the film. Vigo is able to create something naturalistic in the performances of his young actors with Gerard de Bedarieux being the standout while Jean Daste is excellent as the schoolmaster Huguet as well as Delphin as the miniature headmaster. Overall, Vigo creates a very sensational and enthralling film about rebellion at a board school.

Cinematographer Boris Kaufman does brilliant work with the film‘s black-and-white photography where there‘s some grainy images but also some that are rich in some of its exteriors. The sound work of Royne-Bocquel is superb for the atmosphere its created as way as how certain objects are captured through sound. The film’s music by Maurice Jaubert is amazing for its playful score that includes some upbeat orchestral pieces and some cadence-based pieces for some of the moments of the film.

The Region 1 2-disc DVD/Region A 1-disc Blu Ray from the Criterion Collection set known as The Complete Jean Vigo presents the film in its 1:19:1 aspect ratio which was a format for newsreels as it is shown with a new high-definition digital transfer and a remastered Dolby Digital Mono sound in French with English subtitles. The film features a commentary track by Vigo biographer Michael Temple who talks about the film which is Vigo’s most autobiographical. Temple also discusses Vigo’s father who was a famous anarchist that was rumored to be killed by the government as the film represented Vigo’s anarchist politics. Temple also talks about the production and why it got banned in its initial release as it’s a very engaging commentary piece from the biographer.

The DVD set also includes a 44-page booklet that features essays on Vigo and his work as Brooklyn video-maker and writer B. Kite writes an essay on Zero de conduite entitled Rude Freedom. Kite’s essay talks about the film and its importance to Vigo’s career as well as French cinema. Particularly as he talks about the film’s story and the portrayal of his characters that is so different from what is usually portrayed in films. It’s a very insightful essay from the writer.

Zero de conduite is a remarkable film from Jean Vigo. Though it’s only 44-minutes, it’s a film that manages to make all of its running-time and images worth it. Especially for its sense of anarchy that young audiences can relate to. In the end, Zero de conduite is a sensational film from Jean Vigo.

Jean Vigo Films: A propos de Nice - Taris - L’Atalante - The Auteurs #34: Jean Vigo

© thevoid99 2014

Mon oncle d'Amerique

Directed by Alain Resnais and written by Jean Gruault that is based on the writings of Henri Laborit, Mon oncle d’Amerique (My American Uncle) is the story of Laborit’s exploration into the lives of three different people as they all become studies of Laborit’s social experiment. One has a man leaving his family farm for a more corporate lifestyle while a woman becomes an actress and has an affair with an upper-class writer. Starring Gerard Depardieu, Nicole Garcia, Roger Pierre, and Henri Laborit as himself. Mon oncle d’Amerique is an intriguing yet stylish drama from Alain Resnais.

For Henri Laborit’s study of behavior and its impact, he takes on three different subjects for this experiment. The first is a man named Rene (Gerard Depardieu) who lived his life as a farm boy and was raised to live a life of hard work and such. When he leaves the world of farming with his girlfriend Therese (Marie Dubois), he later becomes an accountant for a small textile firm to become a success and has a family. Then when a merger is happening as a man named Veestrate (Gerard Darrieu) is observing the firm, Rene finds himself being threatened with new changes in his life.

The second subject is a woman named Janine who leaves a life being raised by Communist parents to become an actress. After succeeding, she meets the third subject in a political minister named Jean (Roger Pierre). The two have an affair as Jean is trying to create a book based on his own childhood experiences with his grandfather. When Jean leaves his family to be with Janine, Jean’s health starts to get troubles until Janine meets with Jean’s wife Arlette (Nelly Borgeaud) with some news. When Janine ends the affair, she doesn’t see Jean for two years as they see each other at the island Jean had spent his childhood at. Yet, things become complicated as Janine has a new job where she has a meeting with Rene about his new job that would eventually make some big changes for the three subjects.

The film is essentially a multi-layered study about three people making decisions that would change their lives as Henri Laborit studies them and see how humans behave through the situations they’re in. Throughout the film, the narrative shuffles into three or four different storylines with Laborit serving as a narrator to all that is happening along with voice-over narrations from the subject themselves about their own backgrounds. Eventually, the narratives would mesh into two as Janine is the only that interacts with the other two subjects in the film.

Jean Grualt’s screenplay allows the different narratives to cross-cut with one another in order to emphasize Laborit’s study and to compare the three different backgrounds of these individuals. Rene is from a farm as he starts off in a life of hard work and having a religious background while dealing with the fact that his father and uncle have a hard time dealing with the progressing times. When Rene takes on a corporate life where he lives comfortably, that life is threatened by different ideas of change of his own as he finds himself given offers that he couldn’t refuse but remains unsure about his duties. Then there’s Janine and Jean, two people from very different backgrounds who get together for large portion of the film’s second act. Janine comes from a working class family that supports Communism while Jean is from a rich family whose grandfather takes him to an island to study nature.

The film’s title refers to a story that Jean read as a kid thinking that an American uncle has left treasure somewhere in the island he often goes to. Yet, it’s all about the idea of memory as it’s one thing in his childhood Jean clings to as he shares it with Janine late in the film. Their relationship is based on their interest towards each other as Janine would later feel guilty over the fact that Jean leaves his family. It all goes back to Laborit’s decision over the way he studies human behavior and the decisions they make as it comes down to this third act where Janine would briefly meet Rene. By this time, Janine’s life has changed in the two years she had left Jean where the meetings she would make would have an impact on the other subjects she encounters. The script is definitely complex for this study but also doesn’t become boring for the way it’s presented.

Alain Resnais’ direction is truly mesmerizing for the way he presents the film and cross-cutting through the different narratives in the film. For a lot of the dramatic moments, there is a way Resnais would show scenes in different perspectives from where it’s actually happening or how it’s reflected in Laborit’s study. The scenes with Laborit’s allows him to comment on what is happening as he uses lab rats for example where the actors would later dress up as rats to exemplify his point. Meanwhile, each subject draws upon three iconic actors as inspirations. For Jean, it’s Danielle Darrieux while Janine’s inspiration is Jean Marais, Rene is in Jean Gabin. The footage of the actors Resnais chooses would enhance the feelings and emotions that the three subjects are dealing with.

Throughout the film, the subjects are placed into different tests which would impact the development of the film. For Janine, it’s all about what to do when she’s confronted by Arlette and the decision that she would make. For Jean, it’s about what to do once he sees Janine again and what should he do. For Rene, it’s about taking a prestigious job offer that would threaten the comfort of his life. Resnais maintains a controlled intimacy to these dramatic moments while creating some startling compositions for the way they react to their surroundings. Yet, they would all be confronted by some person who is trying to get them to lose control. While it’s a film that does start off in a very difficult manner due to its cross-cutting approach. The overall film is truly a haunting yet exhilarating portrait of human nature from Alain Resnais.

Cinematographer Sacha Vierny does a superb job with the film‘s cinematography from the colorful look of the scenes where Janine acts on stage to the more naturalistic yet lush look of the film for many of its exterior locations. Editor Albert Jurgensen does a great job with the film’s unconventional editing approach with its rhythmic cuts to cross-cut from one story to another without moving too fast. The editing also works for creating montages to compare and contrast between the behaviors of the lab rats and the main subjects in the conflict they deal with as the editing is a major highlight of the film.

Production designer Jacques Saulnier does an excellent job with the differing set pieces created such as the posh world of Jean and the working world that Rene and Janine delve into as well as the set pieces created for Janine‘s stage career. Costume designer Catherine Leterrier does a fantastic job with the dresses that Janine wears on and off-stage as well as the suits the men wear. The film’s score by Arie Dzierlatka is wonderful for its varied arrangements from somber yet broad orchestral pieces to more low-key pieces for some of the dramatic moments on the film.

The casting for the film is incredible that features appearances from Jean Daste as Rene’s boss, Alexandre Rignault as Jean’s grandfather, Laurence Badie as Veestrate’s wife, Bernard Malaterre and Laurence Roy as Jean’s parents, Veronique Silver and Jean Lescot as Janine’s parents, Genevieve Mnich and Maurice Gauthier as Rene, and Gerard Darrieu as the cold Veestrate. For the roles of the younger versions of the subjects, Ina Bedart and Stephanie Loustau as the younger versions of Janine, Guillaume Boisseau and Damien Bossieau as the young Jean, and as the younger versions of Rene, Ludovic Salis and Francois Calvez as they all give terrific performances.

Marie Dubois is very good as Rene’s supportive though grounded wife Therese as is Nelly Borgeaud as Jean’s more dramatic wife Arlette. Henri Laborit is excellent as himself by being calm and relaxed throughout the entirety of the film. Roger Pierre is brilliant as Jean, a bourgeois minister whose life is shaken by his affair with Janine as well as dealing with the fact that he is trying to finish a book that he’s wanted to do for many years. Gerard Depardieu is great as Rene, a farm boy turned textile firm accountant whose life unravels by changing times and uncertainty over the decisions he’s making. Finally, there’s Nicole Garcia in an amazing performance as Janine. Garcia’s performance is filled with the anguish and radiance of a woman trying to please Jean while fulfilling her own ambitions as it’s a truly mesmerizing performance.

Mon oncle d’Amerique is a phenomenal film from Alain Resnais that features an amazing cast led by Nicole Garcia, Gerard Depardieu, Roger Pierre, and Henri Laborit. While it’s not an easy film to follow and it is very unconventional, it is a very fascinating film about the studying of human behavior and ambition. The film is one of Resnais’ finest films for the way he plays with conventional storytelling and the study of characters through the situations they go through. In the end, Mon oncle d’Amerique is a superb yet provocative film from Alain Resnais.

Alain Resnais Films: Night and Fog - Hiroshima Mon Amour - Last Year at Marienbad - (Muriel) - (The War is Over) - (Je T’aime, je t’aime) - (Stavisky) - (Providence) - (Life is a Bed of Roses) - (Love Unto Death) - (Melo) - (I Want to Go Home) - (Gershwin) - (Smoking/No Smoking) - (Same Old Song) - (Not on the Lips) - (Private Fears in Public Places) - Wild Grass - (You Haven’t Seen Anything Yet) - (Life of Riley)

© thevoid99 2011

The Wild Child

Based on the novel by Dr. Jean Itard, L’Enfant sauvage (The Wild Child) is the true story of a late-18th century doctor trying to help a child who had been raised in the woods. In hopes to civilize him, the doctor tries to figure out how to help a boy that seems lost. Directed and starring Francois Truffaut as Dr. Jean Itard with an adapted script written by Truffaut and Jean Grualt, the film is an examination of a man trying to help a boy who was lost in a world outside of humanity. Also starring Jean-Pierre Cargol, Francoise Seigner, and Jean Deste. L’Enfant sauvage is an extraordinary yet touching film from Francois Truffaut.

A young, naked boy (Jean-Pierre Cargol) is trekking for food around the woods as he has scared a woman gathering food. With hunters and dogs capturing the boy, his odd yet savage behavior has been the talk of the town. The news of the boy has reached Dr. Jean Itard at a Parisian school for deaf-mutes who is eager to learn about the boy. Once the boy arrives to the school, he is treated badly kids and an opportunistic orderly as Dr. Itard asks Professor Philippe Pinel to take the boy in his care. Pinel reluctantly does so as Dr. Itard takes the boy to his home as he and his maid Madame Guerin (Francoise Seigner) care for him.

In hopes to create a report on the boy, Dr. Itard, with Madame Guerin’s help, try to civilize the boy as he starts to act less savagely. Dr. Itard attempts to educate the boy, now called Victor, in hopes he can become civilized though progress becomes slower than Dr. Itard had realized. During these lessons, Dr. Itard and Madame Guerin patiently help Victor act human as Dr. Itard uses methods to educate the boy to try and speak or to read. Despite the slowness of Victor’s ability to learn, Dr. Itard realizes that the boy is able to become human.

The film is about a doctor in the late 1798 trying to help a young boy who had been found in the woods and act like a savage. During the course of the film, Dr. Itard narrates the film to explain the progress of Victor as well as reveal his own frustrations and fears. Though there’s not a lot of dialogue in parts of the film to express Victor’s lack of ability to speak properly, it does help engage the audience to understand the behavior of the young boy as well as Dr. Itard.

Francois Truffaut and co-screenwriter Jean Grualt create a script where it’s all about a man trying to study this savage boy in the idea that he can help him. Placed at a time when people who might seem deaf and dumb to be inadequate, the script does give in to the idea of how society would be interested in a child like Victor for selfish reasons. Yet, it’s in Dr. Itard and his willingness to help the boy that makes the story very compelling. While Dr. Itard is a flawed man who has a hard time trying to understand Victor’s behavior as well as the fact that his attempt to be stern comes with consequences. It’s only for Dr. Itard to see what he is trying to do though he admits to his own reluctance in being disciplinary to the boy. The script works since it is study of a man struggling to do what is right for a troubled boy and his idea that anyone can be helped no matter the circumstances.

Truffaut’s direction is superb for the way he allows the film to start off very loosely with little-to-no dialogue to emphasize Victor’s animalistic behavior. While it’s a film set in 1798, the set pieces are sparse in favor of a lot of scenes in that are set in a countryside. It’s all about Truffaut creating an environment where Victor can roam as Dr. Itard observes what is happening. While Truffaut goes for a much more straightforward approach in terms of framing and creating scenes. He also adds a bit of style to the filmmaking such as an iris zoom shot in order for the audience to see Victor progressing into a human being. Yet, Truffaut remains the observer throughout the film as he shoots Victor from afar whenever the boy is alone to ponder what the boy is doing. It’s truly touching in the way Truffaut directs with such a simple presentation as the overall work that he does is magnificent.

In his first collaboration with Truffaut, cinematographer Nestor Almendros does a gorgeous job with the film’s black-and-white photography. Almendros gives the film a majestic look for many of the film’s exterior scenes that involves lots of shots in the forest as well as a wonderful mix of black, white, and gray for the rainy scenes. For scenes that just involves candlelight, Almendros creates a look that is very simple yet entrancing without overstating the scene or underplaying it. Almendros’ photography is a real highlight of the film as the work he put was among one of the reasons why Terrence Malick wanted him for Days of Heaven.

Editor Agnes Guillemot does an excellent job with the editing which is mostly straightforward though fade-outs and iris closures are used as transitions which help the film out quite smoothly. Set decorator Jean Mandaroux does a very good job with the look of Dr. Itard‘s home as well as some of the props created for the film. Costume designer Gitt Magrini does a wonderful job with the costumes to complement the period of 1798 while letting Victor wear something simple. The sound work of Rene Levert and mixer Alex Pront is great for emphasizing a calm environment for the nature scenes as well as playing to the way Dr. Itard is studying Victor‘s hearing. The film’s music is largely dominated by the works of Antonio Vivaldi which is amazing as it plays to the sense of innocence that surrounds the relationship between Dr. Itard and Victor.

The casting is brilliant as it features appearances from filmmaker Claude Miller and his wife Annie as friends of Dr. Itard, Mathieu Schiffman as an opportunistic orderly at the deaf institute, and Jean Daste as Dr. Itard’s mentor Professor Pinel. Francoise Seigner is great as Madame Guerin, Dr. Itard’s maid who acts as a maternal figure for Victor as well as a conscience for Dr. Itard. Francois Truffaut is excellent as Dr. Itard as Truffaut gives a compassionate yet determined performance as man trying to help out this poor boy while realizing how hard it will be. Finally, there’s Jean-Pierre Cargol who is phenomenal as Victor. Though he barely speaks a word in the film, Cargol is just outstanding for the way he is able to create a character whose performance that is entirely physical and using hand gestures to communicate. It’s one of the best performance ever created by a child as well as one of the toughest on film.

L’Enfant sauvage is an incredible film from Francois Truffaut featuring a mesmerizing performance from Jean-Pierre Cargol. The film is definitely one of Truffaut’s finest films of his career for the way he creates a sensitive story about Dr. Jean Itard’s study of this savage boy. The film is also one of Truffaut’s more accessible films as it has a simple approach to storytelling that appeals to a wider audience as it’s something that kids could be able to see. In the end, L’Enfant sauvage is touching yet exhilarating film from Francois Truffaut.

Francois Truffaut Films: The 400 Blows - Shoot the Piano Player - Jules & Jim - Antoine & Colette - The Soft Skin - Fahrenheit 451 - The Bride Wore Black - Stolen Kisses - Mississippi Mermaid - Bed and Board - Two English Girls - Such a Gorgeous Kid Like Me - Day for Night - The Story of Adele H. - Small Change - The Man Who Loved Women - The Green Room - Love on the Run - The Last Metro - The Woman Next Door - Confidentially Yours

(The Auteurs #40: Francois Truffaut (Pt. 1) - (Pt. 2))

© thevoid99 2011