Magnet of Doom

Based on the novel by Georges Simenon, L’Aine des Ferchaux (An Honorable Young Man aka Magnet of Doom) is the story of a young boxer who is hired by a banker to travel with him to New York to collect money as they later go on the run from authorities and other forces. Written for the screen and directed by Jean-Pierre Melville, the film plays into a man trying to find work only to get himself into a much bigger scheme that becomes far more troublesome. Starring Jean-Paul Belmondo, Charles Vanel, Michele Mercier, and Stefania Sandrelli. L’Aine des Ferchaux is a riveting and provocative film from Jean-Pierre Melville.

Following a disappointing end to a once-promising career as a boxer, a man tries to find a job where he is hired by a mysterious banker to travel with him to New York City from Paris to collect money he has in the hopes he can evade family and others while ruling his criminal empire from afar. It’s a film that play into a man that is desperate to have a job where he is asked to accompany a banker with a criminal past to get money that he owes to other partners including family. Jean-Pierre Melville’s screenplay has a unique structure where its first act is set in Paris where the boxer Michel Maudet (Jean-Paul Belmondo) has lost a fight and is now trying to find work where he would sell used clothes and such to get money for himself and his girlfriend. Answering an ad on the paper, Maudet would meet Dieudonne Ferchaux (Charles Vanel) who is dealing with a bank that is failing and people wanting their money back as he knows that he has money in New York City and Caracas, Venezuela.

The second act partially takes place in New York City where Maudet and Ferchaux learn that the latter’s account in the U.S. is on hold due to his criminal background as FBI agents are hoping to extradite him back to France who are also after him. This would lead into a road trip through America towards the South as the two men would encounter their surroundings as well as get to know more about each other which play into their different personalities as Ferchaux just wants to hide while Maudet wants to see America. The film’s third act is set in Louisiana where the two go into hiding at a home which add to the growing tension of different needs and wants between the two as well as Ferchaux trying to protect all he had left.

Melville’s direction does bear elements of style yet much of his direction is straightforward in terms of the compositions he creates. Shot mainly in Paris and studios in Paris with many of the exterior locations in America are shot on those actual locations. Melville would use wide shots to get a look at the locations as well as a few scenes inside a room yet much of it has him shot scenes in a medium shot or in a close-up to observe the relationship between Maudet and Ferchaux. Notably in their first meeting at the latter’s mansion that includes the finest things a rich man can have including beautiful women as it establishes the world that Ferchaux lives in as it’s spacious and having all of these great antiques in a room. Melville’s direction captures so much detail as it play into a world that Maudet wants to be in but knows he has to make some sacrifices to be part of the world. When the film moves to America, it does become a somewhat different film in tone yet Melville does maintain this air of uncertainty in a low-key approach as it play into the dramatic suspense.

Melville’s direction does have a looseness in its approach to capturing the beauty of the American locations that include national parks and such as well as New Orleans where much of the film’s third act takes place. The film’s second act has Melville play into what is at stake where Maudet is aware that trouble is brewing where he is willing to listen to what these FBI agents want but also is sort of protective of Ferchaux. Still, Ferchaux becomes unruly and demanding as Maudet wants to have some freedom of his own where Melville showcases parts of New Orleans as well as a bar/restaurant that he goes to own by a man named Jeff (Todd Martin) who speaks French as he and an associate in Suska (E.F. Medard) have some interest towards Ferchaux that would play into this climax where Maudet either has to be there for Ferchaux or go out on his own. Overall, Melville crafts an evocative and gripping film about a former boxer accompanying a corrupt banker to America to collect money and hide from authorities.

Cinematographer Henri Dacae does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography as it has some vibrant colors for some of the film’s interiors including low-key lights for the house Maudet and Ferchaux lived in Louisiana as well the colorful exteriors for some of the locations in America. Editors Monique Bonnot and Claire Durand do excellent work with the editing as it is straightforward with some rhythmic cuts to play into the drama and some of the film’s suspense. Production designer Daniel Gueret does fantastic work with the look of the interiors of Ferchaux’s home as well as the house in Louisiana in its decayed state and the bar owned by Jeff.

The sound work of Jean Gaudlet and Victor Revelli is superb for its natural approach to sound in the way music is presented in a jukebox or the atmosphere of a certain location. The film’s music by Georges Delerue is incredible for its mixture of whimsical score pieces that play into the world of America as well as somber orchestral piano pieces that play into the sense of the unknown while its music soundtrack a mixture of rock n’ roll and Frank Sinatra which Maudet prefers.

The film’s terrific cast feature some notable small roles and appearances from Todd Martin as a bar/restaurant owner named Jeff who converses with Maudet occasionally to find out about Ferchaux, E.F. Medard as Jeff’s friend Suska, Andres Certes as Ferchaux’s brother Emile who wants his brother to pay him back, Michele Mercier as a French dancer named Lou that Maudet meets in New Orleans, Malvina Silberberg as Maudet’s Parisian girlfriend Lina whom he doesn’t reveal anything to her about his job, and Stefania Sandrelli in a wonderful appearance as an American hitchhiker named Angie that Maudet spends some time with on the road.

Charles Vanel is marvelous as Dieudonne Ferchaux as a corrupt banker with a criminal past that is eager to retrieve money he had saved up to escape from people whom he owes money to hoping to get out of America and go to South America where he later deals with illness and the growing indifference from Maudet. Finally, there’s Jean-Paul Belmondo in a remarkable performance as Michel Maudet as a former paratrooper/boxer whose career in the latter ended disappointingly as he takes a job to accompany Ferchaux unaware of the dangers and demands he has to endure where he tries to find his own freedom as well as realize the importance of the money that Ferchaux is trying to hold on to.

L’Aine des Ferchaux is an incredible film from Jean-Pierre Melville that features great performances from Jean-Paul Belmondo and Charles Vanel. Along with its locations, unusual story, George Delerue’s rapturous score, and gorgeous visuals, the film is a compelling story of a man traveling to America to accompany a man to retrieve money only to be watched by authorities wanting that man and his money. In the end, L’Aine des Ferchaux is a sensational film from Jean-Pierre Melville.

Jean-Pierre Melville: 24 Hours in the Life of a Clown – Le silence de la mer - Les enfants terribles - (Quand tu liras cette letter) - Bob le flambeur - (Two Men in Manhattan) – (Leon Morin, Priest) – (Le Doulos) – Les deuxieme souffle - Le Samourai - Army of Shadows – Le cercle rouge - (Un flic)

© thevoid99 2019

Charlotte et son Jules

Written, directed, and co-edited by Jean-Luc Godard, Charlotte et son Jules (Charlotte and Her Boyfriend) is a thirteen-minute short film about a man who gets a visit from his ex-girlfriend as he deals with her appearance. Largely set inside a Parisian apartment, the film explores the many ups and downs of love as the couple is portrayed by Jean-Paul Belmondo as Jules and Anne Collette as Charlotte. It begins with Charlotte arriving into the apartment as her date (Gerard Blain) waits outside in his car where Jules rants about everything she’s done to him.

With Godard dubbing the voice of Jules (due to budget limitations and Belmondo unavailable for post-production), the film has Godard maintain a sense of intimacy with his usage of close-ups and medium shots in the film’s direction with Jules ranting while Charlotte remains mostly silent as she mocks him in a pantomime style. Shot in black-and-white by cinematographer Michel Latouche with stylish cutting by Godard and Cecile Decugis, the film has a playful feel with some sound work by Jacques Maumont and a whimsical musical score by Pierre Monsigny. The performances of Belmondo and Collette are splendid with Belmondo displaying some humility with Collette being very funny in her near-silent performance.

Charlotte et son Jules is an extraordinary short film from Jean-Luc Godard. Not only does the film contain elements that would become prominent in his work in feature films but it’s also a film that manages to play into the ideas of love in all of its fallacies and joyful moments. In the end, Charlotte et son Jules is a sensational film from Jean-Luc Godard.

Jean-Luc Godard Films: All the Boys Are Called Patrick - Breathless - The Little Soldier - A Woman is a Woman - Vivre Sa Vie - The Carabineers - Contempt - Band of Outsiders - A Married Woman - Alphaville - Pierrot Le Fou - Masculin Feminin - Made in U.S.A. - Two or Three Things I Know About Her - La Chinoise - Weekend - One Plus One (Sympathy for the Devil) - (Joy of Learning) - (British Sounds) - Tout va Bien - (Letter to Jane) - (One A.M.) - (Number Two) - (Here and Elsewhere) - (Every Man for Himself) - (Passion) - (First Name: Carmen) - Hail, Mary - (Soft and Hard) - (Detective) - (King Lear (1987 film)) - (Keep Your Right Up) - (Nouvelle Vague) - (Allemagne 90 neuf zero) - (JLG/JLG - Self-Portrait in December) - For Ever Mozart - (Historie(s) de Cinema) - (In Praise of Love) - (Notre musique) - (Film Socialisme) - (Adieu au Language) - (The Image Book)

© thevoid99 2016

Pierrot le Fou

Based on the novel Obsession by Lionel White, Pierrot le Fou (Pierrot the Madman) is the story of a married bourgeoisie who goes on a road trip with his babysitter/former lover as they’re being chased by OAS agents. Written for the screen and directed by Jean-Luc Godard, the film is a genre-bender that blends the road movies with commentary on politics and consumerism as it’s told in a humorist fashion. Starring Jean-Paul Belmondo and Anna Karina. Pierrot le Fou is a whimsical yet exhilarating film from Jean-Luc Godard.

The film plays into a man who is married to a bourgeoisie woman as he had just been fired from his job working for TV as he copes with his dreary life until he meets the new babysitter who used to be a former lover as the two go on the road through France. It’s a film that revolves around a man named Ferdinand “Pierrot” Griffon (Jean-Paul Belmondo) who faces a crisis in his life as he’s bored and unhappy in everything until he sees that his former lover Marianne Renoir (Anna Karina) is the new babysitter. Upon returning home early from a party and driving her home, their love is renewed where he learns that Marianne is part of a rebellious faction as she is being chased by OAS agents. Pierrot would join her as they would hide and do all sorts of things until Marianne becomes bored herself where she would rejoin the faction with Pierrot following her.

Jean-Luc Godard’s screenplay does start off with a very simple plot but once it has Pierrot and Marianne away from the world of crime and at the South of France near the Mediterranean. The film becomes a mish-mash of genres where the two are trying to survive without money and weapons while they ponder their own life and what to do next. The film does raise some existential questions while Pierrot and Marianne would do things to survive where they would entertain American tourists for money or do all sorts of things. By the time the film goes into its third act where Marianne is forced to go back to being part of this rebellious regime. The relationship between her and Pierrot starts to falter where the latter questions everything that is going on and wonders if Marianne truly loves him.

Godard’s direction is definitely vibrant not just for its look and setting but also in the energy that he brings into the story. Not only for some of the intimacy he creates as well as finding ways to breaking the fourth wall at times. It also plays up this sense of whimsy where there’s few moments where the two characters would sing and dance or do something outrageous in their criminal exploits or something else. While Godard would use a lot of unique wide shots for many of the scenes set in the South of France, it his usage of long takes for much of the action to play out that is really interesting where it has a naturalistic tone to what is happening. Godard’s usage of close-ups and medium shots would play into some of the film’s whimsical tone as well as some of the dramatic elements in the third act where there are these eerie moments of violence. It plays into not just some of the political sensibilities of what is happening during the 1960s but also some of its fallacies where Pierrot is trying to get Marianne to not give in towards violence and just embrace the idea of love. Overall, Godard creates a thrilling yet entertaining film about two lovers going on an adventure in the South of France.

Cinematographer Raoul Coutard does brilliant work with the film‘s very colorful cinematography as it plays up many of the lush and naturalistic qualities in many of the locations along with some inspired usage of lights for some of the film‘s interior scenes. Editor Francoise Collin does amazing work with the editing with its playful usage of jump-cuts and other stylish cuts to play into the film‘s humoristic approach as well as some of its dramatic and intense moments. Production designer Pierre Guffroy does nice work with some of the set design for the scenes in the car at night as well as some of the interior of the places the characters go to. The sound work of Antoine Bonfanti and Rene Levert is terrific for the way sound is captured in many of the film‘s different locations as well as some sound effects to play for some of its humor and drama. The film’s music by Antoine Duhamel is fantastic for its sumptuous score that ranges from playful to somber themes with its string arrangements to play into many of the film’s emotional moments.

The film’s excellent cast includes appearances from Jean-Pierre Leaud as a man at a movie theater, filmmaker Samuel Fuller as himself at a party Pierrot goes to early in the film, Roger Dutoit and Hans Meyers as a couple of gangsters chasing Pierrot and Marianne, Laszlo Szabo as a political exile, Jimmy Kabouri as a dwarf working with Marianne in the faction, Graziella Galvani as Pierrot’s wife, and Dirk Sanders as Marianne’s fellow rebel associate Fred who is part of this rebellious regime that wants to cause trouble.

Finally, there’s the incredible performances from Anna Karina and Jean-Paul Belmondo in their respective roles as Marianne and Pierrot. Karina brings this energy to her performance as Marianne that is so full of whimsy but also an air of danger that is mixed in with an innocence as she often carries a little doggie toy with her. Belmondo is a bit more reserved as Pierrot as he often demands to be called Ferdinand while manages to bring in some comical moments into his performance. Karina and Belmondo together are fun to watch as they both bring in the best in each other as this film represents the two at their best.

Pierrot le Fou is a spectacular film from Jean-Luc Godard that features great performances from Jean-Paul Belmondo and Anna Karina. The film isn’t just one of Godard’s more wild and complex films but also one of his most entertaining. Especially as it refuses to define itself as anything which only adds the exuberant tone of the film. In the end, Pierrot le Fou is a phenomenal film from Jean-Luc Godard.

Jean-Luc Godard Films: All the Boys Are Called Patrick - Charlotte et son Jules - Breathless - The Little Soldier - A Woman is a Woman - Vivre sa Vie - The Carabineers - Contempt - Band of Outsiders - A Married Woman - Alphaville - Masculin Feminin - Made in U.S.A. - Two or Three Things I Know About Her - La Chinoise - Weekend - One Plus One (Sympathy for the Devil) - (Joy of Learning) - (British Sounds) - Tout va Bien - (Letter to Jane) - (One A.M.) - (Number Two) - (Here and Elsewhere) - (Every Man for Himself) - (Passion) - (First Name: Carmen) - Hail, Mary - (Soft and Hard) - (Detective) - (King Lear (1987 film)) - (Keep Your Right Up) - (Nouvelle Vague) - (Allemagne 90 neuf zero) - (JLG/JLG - Self-Portrait in December) - For Ever Mozart - (Historie(s) de Cinema) - (In Praise of Love) - (Notre musique) - (Film Socialisme) - (Adieu au Language) - (The Image Book)

© thevoid99 2015

A Woman is a Woman

Written and directed by Jean-Luc Godard from an idea by Genevieve Cluny, Un femme est une femme (A Woman is a Woman) is the story of a cabaret dancer who is torn between her unwilling lover and his best friend in her attempts to have a child. The film is take on the American musical comedy genre with an ode to Italian neorealist cinema as it blurs the lines between reality and fantasy. Starring Anna Karina, Jean-Claude Brialy, and Jean-Paul Belmondo. Un femme est une femme is a majestic and witty film from Jean-Luc Godard.

The film revolves around a young cabaret dancer who wants to have a child but her boyfriend is reluctant as she turns to his best friend for advice. While it’s a film with a simple story, it plays into a young woman’s desire to get a new lease on her life as she believes having a child will be the first big step into adulthood. Unfortunately, her lover Emile (Jean-Claude Brialy) isn’t keen on having a child as he wants to spend time doing his work and hanging out with his friend Alfred (Jean-Paul Belmondo). It adds a lot of anguish to Angela (Anna Karina) who escapes through her love of books and musicals as Jean-Luc Godard’s screenplay play up this blur of neorealist ideals with this air of fantasy in scenes where Angela imitates musicals as well as what was happening in French cinema at the time. The script doesn’t have much of a structure as it relies more on Angela’s desire and the journey she would take to have a baby.

Godard’s direction is definitely stylish in terms of not just the sense of energy of the film but also in how he maintains a certain intimacy in some of the film. Most notably in some scenes that involve some anamorphic lenses for some of the camera pans that goes on in the apartment that Angela and Emile live in. Yet, much of the direction involve some unique close-ups and medium shots that subvert ideas of reality and fiction such as a moment where Angela and Alfred imitate certain choreography and movements that are typical of musicals. At the same time, Godard keeps thing simple in his compositions while being playful with some of the set-ups he create in the cabaret halls and streets of Paris where it has this sense of energy that goes on. Even to the point where it would play into the conflict in Angela over what is going through to define herself as a woman. Overall, Godard creates a whimsical yet engaging film about a woman’s desire to become a mother.

Cinematographer Raoul Coutard does brilliant work with the film‘s colorful cinematography with its Cinemascope film stock to capture the lushness of the colors while maintaining some realism in scenes set in the streets of Paris while playing with light for some of its interior scenes. Editor Agnes Guillemot does amazing work with the editing in creating some unique jump-cuts as well as some stylish rhythmic cuts for the musical moments as well as some of its dramatic moments. Production designer Bernard Evein does nice work with the set design from the look of the cabaret hall that Angela works at to the look of the apartment she and Emile live in. The sound work of Guy Villette is terrific with the sound to maintain something that is simple as well as play into the bits of chaos that occurs in the film. The film’s music by Michel Legrand is excellent for its score that is playful with its orchestral pieces along with some piano pieces from Charles Aznavour which plays as a film reference and such.

The film’s wonderful cast includes some notable appearances from Marie Dubois and Nicole Paquin as friends of Angela, Ernest Menzer as a bar owner, and Jeanne Moreau in a cameo as a woman at the bar. Jean-Paul Belmondo is fantastic as Alfred as Emile’s friend who has feelings for Angela but keeps it a secret so he wouldn’t hurt Emile while aware of how bad Emile is towards Angela. Jean-Claude Brialy is superb as Emile as Angela’s boyfriend who is aghast at the prospect of parenthood as he tries to reason with Angela as well as be immature in the way he handles things. Finally, there’s Anna Karina in an incredible performance as Angela as this cabaret dancer that is eager to become an adult as she copes with Emile’s treatment of her as well as the desire to become a mother as it’s one of Karina’s most lively performances.

Une femme est une femme is a remarkable film from Jean-Luc Godard. Featuring great performances from Anna Karina, Jean-Paul Belmondo, and Jean-Claude Brialy as well as colorful visuals and a lively score. The film isn’t just one of Godard’s finest films as well as one of his most entertaining. In the end, Une femme est une femme is a sensational film from Jean-Luc Godard.

Jean-Luc Godard Films: All the Boys are Called Patrick - Charlotte et son Jules - Breathless - The Little Soldier - Vivre Sa Vie - The Carabineers - Contempt - Bande a Part - A Married Woman - Alphaville - Pierrot Le Fou - Masculin Feminin - Made in U.S.A. - Two or Three Things I Know About Her - La Chinoise - Weekend - One Plus One (Sympathy for the Devil) - (Joy of Learning) - (British Sounds) - Tout va Bien - (Letter to Jane) - (One A.M.) - (Number Two) - (Here and Elsewhere) - (Every Man for Himself) - (Passion) - (First Name: Carmen) - Hail, Mary - (Soft and Hard) - (Detective) - (King Lear (1987 film)) - (Keep Your Right Up) - (Nouvelle Vague) - (Allemagne 90 neuf zero) - (JLG/JLG - Self-Portrait in December) - For Ever Mozart - (Historie(s) de Cinema) - (In Praise of Love) - (Notre musique) - (Film Socialisme) - (Adieu au Language) - (The Image Book)

© thevoid99 2015

Two Women (1960 film)

Based on the novel by Albert Moravia, La ciociara (Two Women) is the story of a woman trying to protect her daughter from the horrors of war during World War II. Directed by Vittorio De Sica and screenplay by De Sica and Cesare Zavattini, the film explores war from the perspective of a woman and her young daughter as it is a story of motherhood as well as a coming of age story for her daughter. Starring Sophia Loren, Jean-Paul Belmondo, Eleonora Brown, and Carlo Ninchi. La ciociara is an astonishing yet terrifying film from Vittorio De Sica.

Set in World War II during the rule of Benito Mussolini, the film explores a woman and her 12-year old daughter trying to hide from the horrors of war by traveling from Rome to the Northern Italian mountains. It’s a film that showcases what women go through in war as they endure many of its horrors where a widow tries to shield her daughter from these moments where the two become part of a group of refugees seeking shelters in the mountains where they befriend a former professor with Communist ideals. During this time in the mountains, Cesira (Sophia Loren) deals with the struggles to protect her daughter Rosetta (Eleonora Brown) from the horrors of war as planes often fly by. Hunger also becomes a key factor into their struggle as they get help from Michele (Jean-Paul Belmondo) who is an intellect with Communist ideals as he becomes this father figure for Rosetta.

The film’s screenplay does have this unique structure where the first act is set in Rome as well as Cesira and Rosetta walking towards the mountains when their train is forced to be stopped. The second act is set in the mountains and in nearby villages while the third is about Cesira and Rosetta trying to return to Rome when the Americans arrive to liberate Italy. It all plays to Cesira and Rosetta in their encounter with war as they would meet different soldiers in their journey as well as watch an old man gunned down by a plane. There’s also moments in the story where Cesira is intrigued by Michele despite the fact that he’s younger than her as it does lead to elements of romance. Yet, it’s a cautious one as Michele knows what is at stake where even though the Allies would win. The war isn’t over as the Germans become the new enemy and there’s an uncertainty into whether they could trust the Allies.

Vittorio De Sica’s direction is very mesmerizing for not just the way he explores the horrors of war but also in the dramatic moments in how Cesira tries to do what is right for her daughter and to protect her. The direction showcases some very chilling images that displays what kind of woman Cesira is where she has good intentions but does things that aren’t very noble. Still, she is determined to protect her daughter as De Sica would create some intoxicating close-ups to play into her struggle as well as some medium and wide shots to showcase the world they’re in as well as the horrors of war. There’s also some very dark scenes that includes an encounter with Moroccan soldiers that is one of the film’s most unforgettable and disturbing moments. Though De Sica knows what he does, he knows what not to show as it is about the dramatic impact and terror that happens. It all plays into what women go through in war and how it can affect them in the most horrific way. Overall, De Sica crafts a very harrowing yet powerful film about a woman protecting her daughter from the horrors of war.

Cinematographer Gabor Pogany does excellent work with the film‘s black-and-white photography to capture the gorgeous landscape of the Italian mountains as well as some intriguing interior lighting schemes to play into the sense of dread that occurs during the time of war. Editor Adriana Novelli does amazing work with the editing to create some unique rhythms to play into the drama as well as that sense of suspense for any scene involving planes. Production designer Gastone Medin and set decorator/costume designer Elio Costanzi do brilliant work with the set pieces from the look of the shack where Cesira and Rosetta would live in while Costanzi‘s costumes have this air of realism to play into a world that is very chaotic. Special sound effects by Philippe Arthuys does nice work with the sound work to play into that sense of terror that occurs in war. The film’s music by Armando Trovajoli is fantastic for its somber orchestral piece to play into the drama as it showcases the sense of despair that Cesira would go through.

The film’s wonderful cast includes some notable small performances from Raf Vallone as a family friend of Cesira, Franco Balducci as a German soldier hiding in a haystack, Antonella Della Porta as a troubled mother Cesira and Michele encounter, and Carlo Ninchi as Michele’s father who tries to keep things peaceful despite his own political differences with his son. Eleonora Brown is amazing as Rosetta as an innocent, religious young girl who deals with her surroundings as well as the terror of war that would have a major impact on her. Jean-Paul Belmondo is excellent as Michele as an intellect who helps Cesira in getting food and supplies while expressing his own disdain towards Mussolini and the idea of war. Finally, there’s Sophia Loren in an incredible performance as Cesira as this woman determined to protect her daughter at any cost as she would use her sex appeal to get what she wants but also is a woman that understands right from wrong as it’s really one of Loren’s finest performances.

La ciociara is a tremendously visceral yet evocative film from Vittorio De Sica that features a magnificent performance from Sophia Loren. The film isn’t just a unique yet compelling portrait about what people go through in war but also in some of its horrors and the many questions people ask about these atrocities. In the end, La ciociara is a phenomenal film from Vittorio De Sica.

Vittorio De Sica Films: (Rose scarlatte) - (Maddalena, zero in condotta) - (Teresa Venerdi) - (Un garibaldino al convento) - (The Children Are Watching Us) - (La porta del cielo) - (Shoeshine) - (Heart and Soul (1948 film)) - Bicycle Thieves - Miracle in Milan - Umberto D. - (It Happened in the Park) - (Terminal Station) - (The Gold of Naples) - (The Roof) - (Anna of Brooklyn) - (The Last Judgment) - (Boccaccio ‘70) - (The Condemned of Altona) - (Il Boom) - Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow - Marriage Italian-Style - (Un monde nouveau) - (After the Fox) - (Woman Times Seven) - The Witches (1967 film)- An Evening Like the Others - (A Place for Lovers) - (Sunflowers (1970 film)) - The Garden of the Finzi-Continis - (Lo chiameremo Andrea) - (A Brief Vacation) - (The Voyage)

© thevoid99 2014

Mississippi Mermaid

Based on the novel Waltz Into Darkness by William Irish, La sirene du Mississippi (Mississippi Mermaid) is the story about a tobacco planter who becomes engaged to a woman he never met yet corresponded with during his time at Reunion Island at the Indian Ocean. Written for the screen and directed by Francois Truffaut, the film is an exploration into love and identity where a man wonders if the woman he marries is the one he had been communicating with. Starring Jean-Paul Belmondo and Catherine Deneuve. La sirene du Mississippi is a thrilling yet engaging film from Francois Truffaut.

The film is a simple story set at Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean near Madagascar where a French tobacco plantation owner is set to marry a woman he never met yet only corresponded through letters. Upon meeting her, he is baffled by the fact that she looks nothing like the picture he had been carrying yet is still infatuated with her. When he receives a letter from her sister, his suspicions are raised as he learned that his money has been taken and his bride has disappeared. With the help of a private investigator, Louis Mahe (Jean-Paul Belmondo) travels to France to find the woman who claimed to be Julie Roussel (Catherine Deneuve) where their subsequent meeting would reveal some strange truths and such that would complicate things.

It’s a film that plays like a conventional thriller with lots of twists and turns but there’s an element to the story that makes it far more unique in the fact that it’s also a love story between this man and a woman who pretended to be another woman so she can steal his money. Even as the second act has Louis and Julie, whose real name turned out to be Marion Vergano, go on an adventure of their own while trying to avoid people who could be suspicious of them. Especially when it involves the presence of the private investigator Louis and Julie’s actual sister had hired where it creates lots of complications for Louis and Marion as the third act has the two bickering at each other with very little options of what to do. It all plays to the idea of love and how two people are brought together by dark circumstances only to come together in ways that is unexplained.

Francois Truffaut’s direction is very mesmerizing for not just the way he portrays Reunion Island as a place onto itself where it is very unique. It’s also in the fact that he creates a film that is filled with an array of style yet keeping true to the story. Much of it would feature film stock about the island as well as some offbeat pacing in the way Truffaut approaches the suspense. Especially as he is more concerned about the characters and Marion’s motivation into stealing from Louis where it reveals to be much more complicated than it actually is. Truffaut’s compositions and some of the scenes he creates are definitely lively such as a long shot set inside a car where Marion and Louis try to get some money only to realize that the police are at the hotel they were staying in.

The atmosphere that Truffaut creates at Reunion Island is very serene and exotic while the scenes set in France in cities like Lyon and Nice is far more chaotic considering that it’s a world that Louis hasn’t been to very much which is weird considering that he’s a modern guy that drives a nice car. Especially since he was a man of importance at Reunion Island while being this oddball in France where it’s a place that Marion can handle things. Things become more intense in terms of the suspense and drama in the third act as Truffaut would make things much more simpler into what Louis and Marion have to do but also the sense of internal conflict between the two where they despise each other but also love each other. Overall, Truffaut creates a very fascinating film about a man who marries a woman that steals his money but has also captured his heart.

Cinematographer Denys Clerval does excellent work with the film‘s cinematography from the lush look of the scenes set at Reunion Island to the more vibrant yet colder look of France in its exteriors and interior scenes. Editor Agnes Guillemot does brilliant work with the editing in its emphasis on style from jump-cuts, montages, and such to play with the film‘s pacing as well as its approach to suspense. Production designer Claude Pignot does fantastic work with the look of the home that Louis lived in as well as some of the hotels and homes that he and Marion stayed in during their time in France.

The gorgeous dresses worn by Julie/Marion are made by Yves Saint-Laurent as they have a sense of style to the way Julie/Marion portray themselves throughout the film. The sound work of Rene Levert is terrific for the calm atmosphere of Reunion Island as well as the sense of chaos for the locations in France. The film’s music by Antoine Duhamel is superb for its orchestral-driven score that has some serene moments but also some eerie moments for the film’s suspense.

The film’s amazing cast includes some notable small performances from Marcel Berbetas as Louis’ friend/business advisor Jardine, Nelly Borgeaud as Julie’s sister Berthe who would arrive to the island and ask for the help of a private detective, and Michel Bouquet as the private detective Comolli who goes on the search to find out what really happened to Julie Roussel and who is the imposter. Finally, there’s the performances of Catherine Deneuve and Jean-Paul Belmondo in their respective roles as Julie Roussel/Marion Vergano and Louis Mahe as both of them are incredible. Deneuve has this entrancing sexuality and ferocity that makes her very unique in playing a woman who steals from a man she marries only to become conflicted. Belmondo is very restrained in his performance as a man who is aloof by what has happened to him but becomes aware of the fact that he still might be played. Deneuve and Belmondo are just remarkable to watch as they are really major highlights of the film.

La sirene du Mississippi is a ravishing film from Francois Truffaut that features top-notch performances from Jean-Paul Belmondo and Catherine Deneuve. While it’s a more genre-based film that most of Truffaut’s more unconventional films, it is still a fascinating piece for the way he approaches suspense as well as the complexities of love. In the end, La sirene du Mississippi is a phenomenal 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 - 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 - 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

A Bout de Souffle

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 5/22/04 w/ Extensive Revisions & Additional Edits.

Written and directed by Jean-Luc Godard (with additional writing from Francois Truffaut), A Bout de Soufflé (Breathless) is the story of a criminal on the run who meets up with his American girlfriend as they fund a trip to go to Italy. The film is Godard's first feature film that would help kick-start the French New Wave that would become of the key movements for 1960s international cinema. Starring Jean-Paul Belmondo and Jean Seberg with a supporting cast that includes Liliane David, Daniel Boulanger, and Jean-Pierre Melville. A Bout de sSouffle is a stylish yet entertaining film from Jean-Luc Godard.

Michel Poiccard aka Laszlo Kovacs (Jean-Paul Belmondo) has just stolen a car as he drives through France on his way to Italy After a cop chases and stop him, Poiccard shoots him and returns to Paris to meet with his Italian friend Minouche (Liliane David) for money. She refuses as he steals from her as he meets his American girlfriend Patricia Franchini (Jean Seberg) selling the New York Herald Tribune in the streets of Paris. They briefly talk as she reveals she has to meet someone later tonight as it would help become a journalist as Poiccard decides to meet with Mr. Tolmatchoff (Richard Balducci) at a hotel for some money. After the meeting, Tolmatchoff is met with a detective (Daniel Boulanger) about Poiccard's whereabouts. Poiccard meets up with Patricia as he steals another car to take Patricia to her meeting with a man named Carl Zombach (Roger Hanin) for an interview with novelist Parvulesco (Jean-Pierre Melville).

After the meeting where Poiccard watches Patricia the entire night who spends the night with Zombach as he goes to her apartment. She returns that morning as she finds Poiccard as they talk about various things including William Faulkner's Wild Palms as she asks Poiccard about the final sentence of the book. After making love, Patricia leaves for her interview with Parvulesco while Poiccard calls Antonion Berrutti (Henri-Jacques Huet). Patricia's interview with Parvulesco proved to be a big moment for her as she got him to ask answer a question of ambition where he replies, "To become immortal, and then die". Poiccard however, is on the run as he steals another car to pick up Patricia as she is being questioned by a detective about Poiccard's whereabouts. With another detective tailing her, she meets with Poiccard as they hide out as he plans to leave for Italy with her tagging along. Yet, Patricia becomes unsure about Poiccard as she is forced to make a drastic decision.

The film is about a small-time criminal who wants to escape to Italy with his American girlfriend by doing small crimes while she is aspiring to be a journalist. Throughout their journey, they delve into ideas of existentialism that is heightened by a book from William Faulkner and the question that Patricia gives to a novelist. Throughout the film, there's moments where the Michel Poiccard character is commenting on his situations and musing about everything from France to being a criminal. What Jean-Luc Godard creates with the story is where everyone is trying to get somewhere as both Patricia and Michel are two people who are in love but leaning towards different directions. Michel wants to escape to Italy but Patricia is just at a point where she is about to reach her own goal as a journalist.

The lack of a conventional script allows Godard to create a film that is very loose in structure and tone. Shooting in a style that would later be defined as cinema verite, a loose documentary style where everything is shot on location, the film has a look and feel where everything seems real just as it's all happening on screen. Yet, Godard does manage to create some amazing scenery such as Patricia's monologue sequence where she talks about her own plans as the camera moves slowly as she's walk towards it. The mix of a controlled yet more technique driven style of filmmaking mixed in with something that's more loose and improvised works very well in what Godard aims for. There is a great sense of style that really engages the viewer with what is happening. Overall, it is a spectacular debut made only from the vision of Jean-Luc Godard.

Helping with Godard on the cinematography is Raoul Coutard whose hand-held, naturalist black-and-white camera work plays up to the looseness of the film. The cinematography is both rich but also raw in its presentation as it adds to the realistic feel of the film as Coutard's photography is a major highlight of the film. The editing by Cecile Decugis and Lila Herman are very influential, notably for its jump-cut edits. The best example of that is during the car scene where Coutard’s camera is shooting behind Seberg’s head during the sunlight and then cuts to a similar shot without the sunlight and then back to the shot with sunlight. The editing has a rhythmic feel of the film while playing with Coutard’s cinematography and Godard’s direction.

The film’s sound by Jacques Maumont is very fresh for the way it sounds so real without manipulating the audience that everything sounds false, notably the parade scene in the third act of the film. The film’s score by Martial Solal has a very playful, jazzy score that has this melodic riff that will be playing on your head throughout the film. It’s one of the best scores that is ever assembled for its mix of orchestral pieces and the French pop music of the time.

While the film has a small cast of actors in fine performances in the smaller roles from Liliane David, Roger Hanin, Richard Balducci, Henri-Jacques Huet, and Jean-Luc Godard himself in a role of the informer. The film’s supporting cast really shines in two more well known characters, the detective by Daniel Boulanger and Jean-Pierre Melville’s Parvulesco. Boulanger’s performance of the detective is a very straightforward parody of the detectives in the past while he brings an eerie presence to the film while he chases Belmondo’s Michel character. The legendary filmmaker Jean-Pierre Melville is amazing in the role of Parvulesco with his witty intelligence and theories of men and women and how love is a form of eroticism and vice versa in what is easily, one of the most memorable performances of that film.

Then in the leading roles, Jean-Paul Belmondo and Jean Seberg are exquisitely divine in their respective roles while they carry off a fresh, complex chemistry that is witty and ambiguous in their characters, which at times are unlikable but fun to watch. Belmondo is extremely funny and charming in his role of Michel with all of these Bogart references of cigarettes and lip-rubbings while bringing intelligence that can be mean but very relevant in today’s world. The late Jean Seberg is extremely loveable in the role of Patricia where she brings this smile that you so love and she has this individuality and wisdom that is almost pre-feminist while later in the film, she has this conflict in her character that audiences can relate into what is truly an iconic performance.

In the 2001 Winstar Video DVD release with Fox Lorber Films, the DVD overall is a bit disappointing since the film is presented in a full-screen format. Plus, the special features are very minimal with its subtitle controls, scene access, and weblinks relating to Godard and the French New Wave, and the filmographies of Godard, Seberg, and Belmondo. The best feature is a running audio commentary from film critic/Godard historian David Sterritt who talks a lot of the film’s technical achievements and pop culture references along with Godard’s love for cinema and a bit of the French New Wave.

A Bout de Souffle is an extraordinary film by Jean-Luc Godard featuring amazing performances from Jean-Paul Belmondo and Jean Seberg. Audiences who are new to Godard and the French New Wave will no doubt see this film as a great place to start. Particularly as it was a film made a time when cinema was seemingly becoming more extravagant and out of touch with reality as Godard and the French New Wave would bring it back down to Earth. The film is among one of Godard's key films of his prolific yet chaotic career that has him going from narrative-driven films to strange, offbeat experimental features in recent years. In the end, A Bout de Souffle is an exciting yet riveting film from Jean-Luc Godard.

Jean-Luc Godard Films: All the Boys Are Called Patrick - Charlotte et son Jules - The Little Soldier - A Woman Is a Woman - Vivre sa Vie - The Carabineers - Contempt - Band of Outsiders - A Married Woman - Alphaville - Pierrot le Fou - Masculine Feminine - Made in U.S.A. - Two or Three Things I Know About Her - La Chinoise - Weekend - One Plus One (Sympathy for the Devil) - (Joy of Learning) - (British Sounds) - Tout va Bien - (Letter to Jane) - (One A.M.) - (Number Two) - (Here and Elsewhere) - (Every Man for Himself) - (Passion) - (First Name: Carmen) - Hail, Mary - (Soft and Hard) - (Detective) - (King Lear) - (Keep Your Right Up) - (Nouvelle Vague) - (Allemagne 90 neuf zero) -(JLG/JLG - Self-Portrait in December) - For Ever Mozart - (Historie(s) de Cinema) - (In Praise of Love) - (Notre musique) - (Film Socialisme) - (Adieu au Language) - (The Image Book)

© thevoid99 2011