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Author Topic: Next Marathon: French Masters (Bresson + Rohmer) (Merged)  (Read 6293 times)

sdedalus

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Next Marathon: French Masters (Bresson + Rohmer) (Merged)
« on: March 13, 2007, 07:25:36 PM »
I see Adamandsam have gone French for the next marathon:

Next Marathon: French Masters (Bresson + Rohmer)

A Man Escaped ('57)
Pickpocket ('59)
Girl at the Monceau Bakery/Suzanne's Career ('63)
La Collectionneuse ('67)
Mouchette ('67)
My Night at Maud's ('70)

The Rohmer's are from the Criterion box released last year, but why oh why those Bressons?

No Diary Of A Country Priest?
Especially: no Au Hasard Balthasar?!?  Gasp!

I know it's hard to choose among Bresson's 14 films, but Balthasar is generally (not just by me) considered his greatest and one of the best films of all time.

And for Rohmer, why not Chloe In The Afternoon?  As the new Chris Rock/Louis CK movie (I Think I Love My Wife) is a remake of it, you'd think now would be a great time to watch it.  It's in the box too and the remake costars Gina Torres (from Firefly!)

Anyway, this still looks like a great marathon, and I'll be sure to be playing along.
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sdedalus

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Re: Next Marathon: French Masters (Bresson + Rohmer)
« Reply #1 on: March 13, 2007, 07:30:20 PM »
Oh, and the next next marathon should still be New Asian Cinema.
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Adam

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After Silent Films...
« Reply #2 on: March 13, 2007, 11:37:20 PM »
Bresson + Rohmer. Lineup on Marathons page.
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saltine

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Re: After Silent Films...
« Reply #3 on: March 13, 2007, 11:46:25 PM »
I feel really stupid for asking, but can I have the first names?  I'm just not familiar enough to know which bio in imdb applies.
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Adam

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Re: After Silent Films...
« Reply #4 on: March 13, 2007, 11:51:20 PM »
Robert and Eric, respectively.

I don't think Sam has seen any. I've seen A Man Escaped.
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sdedalus

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Re: After Silent Films...
« Reply #5 on: March 14, 2007, 12:53:06 AM »
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Re: Next Marathon: French Masters (Bresson + Rohmer) (Merged)
« Reply #6 on: March 14, 2007, 08:03:07 AM »
I see Adamandsam have gone French for the next marathon:

Next Marathon: French Masters (Bresson + Rohmer)

A Man Escaped ('57)
Pickpocket ('59)
Girl at the Monceau Bakery/Suzanne's Career ('63)
La Collectionneuse ('67)
Mouchette ('67)
My Night at Maud's ('70)

The Rohmer's are from the Criterion box released last year, but why oh why those Bressons?

No Diary Of A Country Priest?
Especially: no Au Hasard Balthasar?!?  Gasp!

I know it's hard to choose among Bresson's 14 films, but Balthasar is generally (not just by me) considered his greatest and one of the best films of all time.

And for Rohmer, why not Chloe In The Afternoon?  As the new Chris Rock/Louis CK movie (I Think I Love My Wife) is a remake of it, you'd think now would be a great time to watch it.  It's in the box too and the remake costars Gina Torres (from Firefly!)

Anyway, this still looks like a great marathon, and I'll be sure to be playing along.
Great points. We're open to altering the Marathon. I want to see all the Bresson films. But I've always thought of Pickpocket and Man Escaped as two of his required films... and Dylan Kidd had the lead performance in Mouchette in his top 5 female performances. We went with the Rohmer's because they are the first 4 in his Six Morality Tales... I liked putting them in a context. But again, we'll consider any suggestions.
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Dracula

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Re: Next Marathon: French Masters (Bresson + Rohmer) (Merged)
« Reply #7 on: March 14, 2007, 08:06:36 AM »
Chloe In The Afternoon (AKA Love in the Afternoon) seems appropriate.  That Chris Rock movie has me curious about it.
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Badgerfan

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Re: Next Marathon: French Masters (Bresson + Rohmer) (Merged)
« Reply #8 on: March 14, 2007, 10:57:12 AM »
I agree with your points on the Bresson films chosen...although you could make a case that Pickpocket and A Man Escaped are quite similar in terms of technique and story telling...hard to argue to take either out, though.  Mouchette is heart breaking and the lead performance IS completely captivating...

Worth considering, though: 
Lancelot du Lac - beautiful and sparse retelling of a familiar legend...very good
L'Argent - interesting look at money and it's toll on humanity

Both are in color and, worth watching (among much else) for Bresson's treatment of his themes near the end of his career


sdedalus

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Re: Next Marathon: French Masters (Bresson + Rohmer) (Merged)
« Reply #9 on: March 14, 2007, 03:10:58 PM »
You could make a compelling argument for a whole lot of Bresson films, even though he only made 14 of them (and nine of them received votes in the last Sight And Sound poll).  I'd choose only one of Pickpocket or A Man Escaped, because they are relatively similar.  And I can't imagine watching three Bresson films and not having one of them be Au Hasard Balthazar or Diary Of A Country Priest.  Those films, and the religious/transcendental interpretations of them, are so central to Bresson's reputation as a director (FYI: Paul Schrader doesn't know what the hell he's talking about).  Balthazar's the better film, and it's the kind of film most people wouldn't watch outside of a marathon-type environment (a biopic of a donkey??  WTF?)

I just watched The Trial Of Joan Of Arc a couple days ago, and I liked it a lot.  Lancelot Du Lac is coming from netflix today and I'm really looking forward to watching it.

Anyway, my suggestion:

Pickpocket
Au Hasard Balthazar
Mouchette


The Sound And Sound votes:

A Man Escaped                2 Critics, 2 Directors (Olivier Assayas and Errol Morris)

Au Hasard Balthazar        10 Critics (incl. Manohla Dargis, Donald Richie, Gavin Smith, Any Taubin and Adrian Martin), 2 Directors (Michael Haneke and Aki Kaurismaki)

Diary Of A Country Priest  1 Critic

Four Nights Of A Dreamer  1 Director

L'Argent                            3 Critics (incl. Kent Jones), 2 Directors (incl. Olivier Assayas)

Lancelot Du Lac                 2 Directors (Michael Haneke and Catherine Breillat)

Les Dames Du Bois De Boulogne  2 Critics

Mouchette                         1 Director (Jim Jarmusch)

Pickpocket                         2 Critics, 5 Directors (incl. Paul Schrader, Richard Linklater, and Theo Angelopoulos)


So this has Balthazar, Pickpocket and L'Argent as the most acclaimed.  Though one Jarmusch is worth at least three Hanekes.
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