Based on the novelette Jacques le fataliste by Denis Diderot, Les dames du Bois de Boulogne (The Ladies of the Bois du Boulogne) is the story of a society lady who tries to create a scandalous affair between her former lover and a prostitute. Directed by Robert Bresson and screenplay by Bresson and Jean Cocteau, the film is a revenge story of sorts that has a woman trying to trick her lover by unknowingly get into an affair with a prostitute to destroy his social status. Starring Paul Bernard, Maria Casares, Elina Labourdette, Lucienne Bogaert, and Jean Marchant. Les dames du Bois de Boulogne is a rich yet riveting film from Robert Bresson.
A socialite is spurned by her lover as their relationship starts to cool prompting her to ruin him by setting him up with another woman unaware that she’s a prostitute. It’s a film with a simple premise as it play into a woman scheming her former lover by ensuring that he becomes ruined in his prospects to find a relationship that could fulfill him. The film’s screenplay by Robert Bresson and Jean Cocteau with the latter providing the dialogue doesn’t just explore the ideas of revenge but also those who become involved in this scheme who cope with the implications of hurting someone in this act of revenge. Helene (Maria Casares) is a woman that expects to have everyone fall in line with her while also having the freedom to spend time with other men. For Jean (Paul Bernard), he is devoted to her but admits that their love for each other isn’t what it used to be.
Feeling hurt, Helene wants to get back at Jean though remaining his friend yet she notices the cabaret dancer Agnes (Elina Labourdette) who works to support herself and her mother Madame D. (Lucienne Bogaret) as the latter knows Helene. Agnes had aspired to be a ballerina but struggles until Helene offers her and her mother a job where Agnes has to seduce Jean where Helene would pay off their debts. Agnes agrees to do the job as she isn’t impressed by Jean at first yet finds his determination to woo her fascinating where the two begin something much deeper where Agnes decides to not go with Helene’s plans only to deal with the financial implications of what will happen to her.
Bresson’s direction doesn’t emphasize a lot on any kind of style rather than some long shots to play into the drama. Still, Bresson would create some intoxicating compositions in some of the locations in and around Paris that play into the world of high society with the waterfall of Bois de Boulogne as its centerpiece is where all four main characters meet in one entire scene. It is presented in a wide and medium shot as much of the scenes of the characters interacting is used mainly in the latter setting to play into the drama as well as this growing romance between Jean and Agnes. Bresson would keep the drama low-key while playing into this air of intrigue and suspense in how Helene is trying to create chaos with Jean unaware of what is happening to him though he never thought he did anything wrong to Helene. Bresson wouldn’t use a lot of close-ups in order to play into the emotion of the characters as it adds to the intrigue which would climax with a key event for everyone involved. Overall, Bresson crafts a rapturous yet haunting film about a woman scheming to ruin her ex-lover’s life with the help of a prostitute.
Cinematographer Philippe Agostini does excellent work with the film’s black-and-white photography as its usage of lighting for many of the interior scenes as well as for the scenes set at night. Editor Jean Feyte does terrific work with the editing as it has a few rhythmic cuts for some of the drama as much of it is straightforward with the exception of transitional fade-outs. Production designer Max Douy, plus set decorators James Allan and Robert Clavel, does amazing work with the interiors of Helene’s posh apartment as well the small apartment that Agnes and her mother live in. The sound work of Robert Ivonnet and Rene Louge is superb for its natural approach to sound in making sure objects sound sparse without embellishing it. The film’s music by Jean-Jacques Grunenwald is wonderful for its orchestral score that is mainly driven by lush strings that play into the romance and drama.
The film’s fantastic cast include a couple of notable small roles from Yvette Etievant as Helene’s chambermaid and Jean Machant as Helene’s date in the film’s opening scene in Jacques. Lucienne Bogaert is excellent as Madame D. as Agnes’ mother who has a history with Helene as she takes Helene’s offer as a way to cover her debts only to become troubled by Agnes’ emotional state. Paul Bernard is brilliant as Jean as Helene’s former lover who feels like he hasn’t done enough to please Helene where he meets Agnes and falls for her though ponders what does she do unaware of being played.
Elina Labourdette is amazing as Agnes as a cabaret dancer/prostitute dealing with her financial strife as she takes Helene’s offer to seduce and woo Jean only to get to fall for him as she begins to have second thoughts about the job she’s being asked to do. Finally, there’s Maria Casares in an incredible performance as Helene as a socialite who feels spurned by her former lover as she seeks revenge while playing a game of manipulation on both Jean and Agnes that would cause a lot of trouble with Helene coming out on top.
Les dames du Bois de Boulogne is a phenomenal film from Robert Bresson. Featuring a great cast, a riveting story of revenge and manipulation, gorgeous visuals, and a sumptuous film score. It’s a compelling yet rich film that play into the awful deeds that some will do to hurt others as it’s one of Bresson’s early gems. In the end, Les dames du Bois de Boulogne is a sensational film from Robert Bresson.
Robert Bresson Films: (Les affairs publique) – (Les Anges du peche) – Diary of a Country Priest - A Man Escaped - Pickpocket - The Trial of Joan of Arc - Au Hasard Balthazar - Mouchette - (A Gentle Woman) – (Four Nights of a Dreamer) – (Lancelot du Lac) – (The Devil Probably) – L'Argent
© thevoid99 2018
Directed by Jean-Pierre Melville and written and narrated by Jean Cocteau that is based on his novel, Les enfants terribles (The Terrible Children) is the story of a strange relationship between two siblings who live by themselves until they bring outsiders to their home. The film is an exploration into the world of siblings and the close bond they have as well as what happens when jealousy and aspects of the outside world come to them. Starring Nicole Stephane, Edouard Dermithe, Renee Cosima, and Jacques Bernard. Le enfants terribles is an odd yet ravishing film from Jean-Pierre Melville.
The film is a simple story about the strange relationship between siblings who are very close yet the people who are around them notice something is odd with their relationship. It’s a film that really plays into not just how close these two siblings are but also in the fact that it’s a relationship where it’s the older sister Elisabeth (Nicole Stephane) is the dominant as she tries to take care of her brother Paul (Edouard Dermithe) who had been injured from a snowball fight due to a hit in the chest from a boy he has feelings for. The film’s script by Jean Cocteau doesn’t just explore Elisabeth’s need to care for her younger brother but also in trying to deal with his own naiveté towards the world with the help of one of his friends in Gerard (Jacques Bernard).
While it doesn’t feature much of a traditional structure as it is very loose in its storytelling. The script is more about the behaviors of Elisabeth and Paul with the latter being quite controlling as she also has to be maternal and lead her own life. When she gets a job as a model where she meets a young woman named Agathe (Renee Cosima), things get more complicated as does the relationship between the siblings. Especially as Agathe looks a lot like the boy Paul had a crush on where Elisabeth does try to move on but certain events force her to live with Paul, Gerard, and Agathe where she tries to stir things to cause all sorts of trouble for her own gain.
Jean-Pierre Melville’s direction is very entrancing for the way he captures the relationship between two siblings who are full of fire and personality. While there is a lot of intimacy that goes on inside their bedrooms and apartments where Melville uses a lot of medium shots and close-ups. It plays into how close Elisabeth and Paul are as siblings but also in the fact that they’re also quite different with the latter being dramatic as well as be very fragile due to the illness he would endure for much of his life. Melville’s usage of low and high camera angles would come into play into some of the places and rooms the characters are in as it adds a lot to some of the drama as well as where Gerard and Agathe would fit in as they’re observers who cope with being in an environment that is lavish but also quite chaotic and, at times, toxic. Melville also provides some of the voiceover narration from Cocteau as it relates to the characters and their situations along with elements of surreal fantasy and events that would shape them.
Notably in the second half where Elisabeth would marry an American but the marriage wouldn’t last because of circumstances beyond anyone’s control where much of the third act takes place in this mansion where it is very surreal. Especially with some of the strange imagery that Melville would put in as it relates more to Cocteau’s visual style with its statues and elements of fantasy. Particularly in a scene towards the end where Melville would infuse Cocteau’s own idea of imagery into something that is dazzling but also foreboding into the chaotic relationship between Elisabeth and Paul. Overall, Melville creates a riveting and provocative film about a strange relationship between siblings.
Cinematographer Henri Dacae does brilliant work with the film‘s black-and-white photography to play the look of not just Paris and the French Riviera but also in some intricate lighting for some of the interiors such as the rooms in the homes they‘re in and the way the light sets a mood for the scenes. Editor Monique Bonnot does excellent work with the editing with its stylish usage of transition wipes, a few trick cuts for some of the surreal moments, and other rhythmic cuts to play into the drama. Production designers Jean-Pierre Melville and Emile Mathys do nice work with the look of Elisabeth and Paul’s room in the home they lived with their mother as well as the lavish home they would later live along with the design of Paul’s room.
The costumes of Christian Dior are fantastic for the look of the dresses and robes that Elisabeth and Agathe would wear as well as what they would model in their jobs. Sound editors Jacques Gallois and Jacques Carrere do terrific work with the sound in capturing some of the antics that goes on in the city along with the quieter moments inside the homes of the characters. Much of the film’s soundtrack features a lot of compositions by Antonio Vivaldi as well as a piece by Johann Sebastian Bach that features some Vivaldi arrangements as it plays into a lot of the drama that looms throughout the film.
The film’s wonderful cast includes some notable small roles from Maurice Revel as a family doctor, Adeline Aucoc as the family maid Mariette, Roger Gaillard as Gerard’s uncle who invites Elisabeth and Paul to his vacation while helping them out, and Melvyn Martin as the American Michael whom Elisabeth would meet and fall in love with until circumstances end things. Jacques Bernard is excellent as Gerard as a friend of Paul who helps out with the family as he finds himself being caught in the middle of things while trying to being the one to tell them what is going on outside of their home. Renee Cosima is fantastic in a dual role as Elisabeth’s friend Agathe whom Paul would fall for only to deal with the chaos of the family and as Paul’s schoolmate Dargelos as the one who would make Paul ill while being a sense of anarchy for the school they attend.
Edouard Dermithe is superb as Paul as a fragile young man who copes with illness and his sister’s constant meddling as well as wanting his own independence despite his immaturity. Finally, there’s Nicole Stephane in an incredible performance as Elisabeth as the eldest of the two who tries to make sure Paul is well and does what is right but also has her own vices that makes her quite selfish and, at times, obsessive where it is a performance of great command and charm.
Les enfants terribles is a remarkable film from Jean-Pierre Melville and writer Jean Cocteau. With a great cast, a fascinating premise, and some dazzling scenery, the film isn’t just a unique study of sibling relationships but also a look into the world of jealousy and possessiveness with a dash of surrealism and fantasy. In the end, Les enfants terribles is a phenomenal film from Jean-Pierre Melville.
Jean-Pierre Melville Films: 24 Hours in the Life of a Clown - Le silence de la mer - Bob le flambeur - (Quand tu liras cette lettre) - (Two Men in Manhattan) - (Leon Morin, Priest) - (Le Doulos) - Magnet of Doom - Le deuxieme souffle - Le Samourai - Army of Shadows - Le Cercle rouge - (Un flic)
© thevoid99 2016
Based on the fairy tale by Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont, La Belle et la Bete (Beauty & the Beast) is the story of a woman who falls for a man who is cursed as a beast as she maybe the key to make him become human again. Written for the screen and directed by Jean Cocteau, the film is a different interpretation of the story as it plays into the idea of fantasy and romance. Starring Jean Marais, Josette Day, Mila Parely, Nane Germon, Michel Auclair, and Marcel Andre. La Belle et la Bete is a ravishing and exhilarating film from Jean Cocteau.
When a man takes a rose from the garden of a mysterious castle for his daughter, he gets in trouble with a mysterious beast until the man’s daughter asks to stay with the beast to spare her father. That is pretty much the premise of the film as it explores a woman who would find the humanity within this beast as she worries for her ailing father who is overcome with guilt over what happened. Especially as he was supposed to gain a fortune from a cargo that was to end his family’s years of unpaid debts but things go wrong where Belle (Josette Marais) would take her father’s place as prisoner for the Beast (Jean Marais). Yet, her stay at his home would reveal sides of him that are quite human as she becomes fond of him though she was recently asked to marry someone else.
Jean Cocteau’s screenplay doesn’t try to make something that is very faithful but add elements of fantasy and mysticism into the film as it relates to Belle’s time with the Beast. A moment where she is treated fairly while helping the Beast which showcases how generous and graceful she is. Especially as she lives in a family where she is loved by her father (Marcel Andre) but is treated poorly by her spoiled sisters Felicie (Mila Parely) and Adelaide (Nane Germon). She is also being wooed by a friend of her brother Ludovic (Michel Auclair) in the form of Avenant (Jean Marais) who is eager to marry her. All of which plays into a third act where Belle does return to look after her ailing father on the promise that she will return to the Beast as Avenant, Ludovic, and his sisters conspire to kill the Beast and attain his riches unaware of what he really possesses.
Cocteau’s direction is truly mesmerizing not just in the images that he creates but also in this strange blend of fantasy and mysticism. The scenes in the Beast’s palace features live arms carrying candelabras and faces on fireplace that moves and breathe smoke as it adds to this element of strange fantasy that Cocteau would create in the film. It is a world that is very appealing in comparison to the more dreary world that Belle was in due to the cruelty she receives from her sisters. Cocteau’s direction includes some compositions that are quite intoxicating to watch with his approach to close-ups to capture some of the anguish in the Beast which displays elements of his humanity and his struggle retain those elements.
The elements of mysticism comes into the film’s third act as it relates to a secret pavilion that is in the Beast’s estate but no one has entered it including himself as he’s only seen what it’s in it from above. It plays into the film’s climax where Cocteau does use some unique camera angles to capture some of the action as well as the drama involving Belle and the Beast. Cocteau’s usage of medium shots to capture some of the planning are quite fascinating as it shows who is exactly calling the shots while there are moments where elements of uncertainty into whether anyone is doing the right thing. Its climax also has elements of romance and fantasy where it plays into what Belle wants and how she wants to help the Beast in proving that he has everything to offer to her. Overall, Cocteau creates an imaginative yet captivating film about a woman who falls for a Beast.
Cinematographer Henri Alekan does amazing work with the film‘s black-and-white photography with its exquisite usage of shadows and lighting schemes along with moods to play into the sense of fantasy and mysticism as it‘s a major highlight of the film. Editor Claude Iberia does brilliant work with the editing with its stylish usage of rewinds, slow-motions, dissolves, and other stylish cuts to play into the sense of magic that occurs throughout the film. Art directors Rene Clement and Lucien Carre do fantastic work with the look of the Beast‘s home as well as hallway and other rooms that are magical. Costume designer Marcel Escoffier does excellent work with the costumes from the clothes that the Beast wears to the lavish gowns that Belle wears during her time with the Beast.
The makeup work of Hagop Arakelian is incredible for not just the look of some of the mysterious things in the Beast‘s home but also in the look of the Beast itself. The sound work of Jacques Lebreton and Jacques Carrere is superb for some of the sound effects that occur including some of the sound that plays into some of the mystical elements of the film. The film’s music by Georges Auric is phenomenal for its orchestral score that is filled with lush and bombastic arrangements that play into the drama as well as a few suspenseful moments as it’s another of the film’s major highlights.
The film’s marvelous cast includes a notable small role from Raoul Marco as an usurer who is making sure Belle’s father pays his debt while Michel Auclair is terrific as Belle’s brother Ludovic who would get his family into more trouble by signing a contract as he is also goaded by Avenant into killing the Beast. Mila Parely and Nane Germon are excellent in their respective roles as Felicie and Adelaide as Belle’s cruel and spoiled sisters who treat her like crap as they make her wash their clothes and such. Marcel Andre is brilliant as Belle’s father as a man whose simple act of doing something for his daughter would get him in trouble as he becomes consumed with guilt over what he put his family through.
Josette Day is amazing as Belle as a woman who takes her father’s place as the Beast’s prisoner as she would convey a sense of patience and grace that makes her truly a woman of great beauty and character. Finally, there’s Jean Marais in an incredible performance as the Beast and as Avenant where he displays an air of smugness into the latter which makes him unappealing while displaying a sense of anguish and pure emotion into the former as it is truly a mesmerizing performance for the actor.
La Belle et la Bete is an astonishingly rich and enchanting film from Jean Cocteau. Armed with a great cast and some amazing technical achievements, the film is truly one of a kind in terms of creating something that is pure fantasy with elements of reality that is engaging to watch. Especially as it’s an interpretation of the fairy tale where it maintains something that is accessible for audiences of all ages but also with something to make it standout from other interpretations. In the end, La Belle et la Bete is an outstanding film from Jean Cocteau.
Jean Cocteau Films: (Blood of a Poet) - (L’Aigle a deux tetes) - (Les Parents terribles) - (Orpheus) - (La Villa Santo-Sospir) - (Testament of Orpheus)
© thevoid99 2015
