stolen kisses (1968)

after the relatively out of character piece fahrenheit 451 and the film that would later go on to inspire quentin tarantino's kill bill series the bride wore black, francois truffaut returned to the antoine doinel series in 1968 with stolen kisses.

we pick up with antoine freshy discharged (dishonorably) from the army, and on the lookout for his sweetheart (although not colette from the previous antoine and colette). through a series of events antoine ends up working for a private detective agency, fall for the boss's wife and finally end up working as a tv repairman. its all very scattershot but works incredibly well on screen.

i found the use of the private detective agency of particular interest, seeing as truffaut was so keen on the hollywood cinema that was largely dominated by such figures. it was a nice tribute i thought, and didnt seem to falter as parody too much, which is one of my complaints with his shoot the pianist. the use of tv repair man as an occupation seemed to me to be a sly nod to the television industry too, courtesy of the cinema world. as a result this film seemed to fit in with the whole ethos of the new wave much stronger than the earlier films in the series. the nod to laurel and hardy is blatent too, another example of the sort of thing i would expect of the nouvelle vague.

the film is perhaps the best shot work of truffaut's career, with the lingering camerawork an obvious inspiration to the aesthetics of modern american independent cinema and the like. the scene of the letter tubes is outstanding, genuinely one of the all time great scenes.

antoine and colette (1962)

this follow up to the 400 blows is a wonderful tale of young love. antoine and colette is the second in director francois truffaut's antoine doinel series of five films. while this film is only a short it still manages to fit plenty of story into its brief running time.

we learn in the opening minutes that antoine was captured after the escape attempt that brought with it the close of the previous film in the series the 400 blows, and that in the years since antoine has somehow made it through the reform system and is now living the life he aspired to as a boy and is fending for himself.

thematically the film insnt particularly disimiliar to its predecessor, with antoine dealing with the familiar tomes of rejection and the seemingly impossible pursuit, for him at least, of attaining some kind of stability in his life (with regards to relationships at least). his plight with the young colette, a girl he meets at a concert hall is one of the strongest realisations of what it feels to be a young man in love that i have ever seen. the hope and the rejection are born out of genuinely universal themes, that we can all relate to. the comparison between that of antoine's attempts at stealing a kiss from colette and the journey that a skiier makes down a treacherous hill is a particularly wonderful moment, and the final scene of antoine sat (emotionally) alone with colette's parents captures a scenario that is all too uncomfortable, even as a viewer.

the 400 blows (1959)

i took in a repeat viewing of truffaut's masterpiece this afternoon in aid of the poll being conducted over at empireonline, in which a group of fifty must choose the ten films that they deem to be the greatest of all time, before the results are colated and put into a hopefully definitive "best ever" type list. as a rule, im making an effort to rewatch each of the 20 or so films that have made my shortlist, before deciding upon my final ten.

"the 400 blows" was one of the films that shaped the way in which i look at and appreciate the "art" of cinema. while topically it wasnt literally relevant to the 16 year old boy that was watching it, visually it felt incredibly fresh, especially compared to the hollywood and mainstream cinema that i had only been exposed to at the point in which i saw "the 400 blows" for the first time. alongside jean-luc godard's "a bout de souffle" my interest in film was formed. i was sold on the notion that film as art was a viable concept.

having spent time in paris since last seeing the film i can suddenly appreciate just why the film and the city are so closely associated. obviously the very fact that the film is set in the city dictates that a close association comes fitted as standard, there is a deeper connection. the opening credits, still an all time favourite, captures the love/hate relationship that the city has with the concept of the tourist, or the outsider. while attractions like the eiffel tower may not have been intended as the "attraction" that i have just deemed it, that is exactly what it is, and i feel that, based upon personal experiences, the opening credits of the film are almost claiming back the tower to the city. throughout the remainder of the film areas regularly associated with tourists (the champs elysees, the basilica, etc) are shown in a light expected more of bresson than the 'nouvelle vague'.

despite having seen the film inumerable times ''the 400 blows" remains as watchable as ever. the charm of the character of antoine doinel remains as affable as ever, with jean-pierre léaud playing the character that would become his most popular for the first time.

the final shot fo the film still manages to be staggering in its existence. one of my oldest memories of the film is just how haunting i found this final shot to be, and can confirm that this is still the case. a beautiful shot that leaves the viewer with more questions than ones it answers throughout rest of the running time of the film. this is cinema, this is film, this is art.

mouchette (1967)

robert bresson's final black and white feature, "mouchette" tells the story of the eponymous 12 year old girl of the title, and in particular, her rape and suicide. ninety minutes of joy it may not sound, but "mouchette" is a surprisingly uplifting film.

there are many parallels between "mouchette'' with bresson's earlier film "au hasard balthazar". the plight of the young girl is very similiar to that of balthazar the donkey, with both being the centrepoints of each's respective story. obviously both are heavily put upon by their surroundings. the protagonist doesnt speak until 35 mins into the film. the lack of dialogue suggests more about mouchette's relationship with the world around her than any explanation could. again this is similiar to the silent balthazar, although the fact that mouchette's silence is through choice as opposed to by nature says a lot. the accompanying sound is sparse and diagetic for the most part. this is most effective at the end of the film, wherein the by now familiar sound of mouchette's shoes and the splash of impact upon the pond tell the whole end of the film. incidentally, the incidental music is amazing. this isnt unusual for bresson at all, the little dialogue and heavily visual look combine to create the usual pace for a breson film.

one of my favourite examples of the subtlety within bresson's work is during the scene at the fairground. at one point the barmaid from the village pub, embroiled in the midst of a three way love affair, can be seen riding a fairground ride with one of her suitors. within this short scene that contains no dialogue and is actually confined to the limited scenario of a fairground ride the actual truth towards her feelings are revealed by the simple movement of her arm. its a beautiful scenario, and telling of bresson's style completely. add into this the preceeding scene involving mouchette's naive flirtation on the bumper cars and you have a great telling of bresson's spectrum, with the joy and the immediately following heartache.

there is a comparison to be made between the juvenile delinquency on display in ''mouchette'', with that of the actions of antoine doinel in "the 400 blows". the stylistic overtones and political allegory of truffaut's work is much more apparent, but perhaps that is telling of what seperates the work of bresson with that of the french new wave. interestingly, jean-luc godard cut the trailer for "mouchette". the piece he created was perhaps an insight to what might have been, had bresson embraced the movement.

finally, its worth pointing out that "mouchette" contains what is possibly the most distressing scene that bresson ever shot. the pre-title sequence involving the poaching of a bird is genuinely disturbing.

the dreamers (2003)

bernardo bertolucci's love letter to the cinema of the "nouvelle vague" is a film i have avoided for quite some time. i was under the impression that it was rather embarassing in its adoration, and while i wasnt proven right, i dont feel as tho i was entirely wrong.

first things first; im a huge fan of the period of cinema that bertolucci is aspiring towards with "the dreamers". alas i feel as though he has pandered his view somewhat, and although the film is incredibly enjoyable, it falls short of being addressed as a serious piece of cinema. the main fault lies in the script. the wording seems aspirational as opposed to authentic, and the characters lack genuine characteristics, and are at once incredibly shallow. performance wise eva green steals the show. her engenue provokes michael pitt's rather tepid performance to no end, while louis garrel seemes nothing if not peripheral, and wasted.

while it wasnt entirely successful i did really enjoy it. the geek in me really enjoyed the numerous film references, and i feel like it is definately a worthwhile experience, even if it did feel very much like a student film as opposed to the films it was a celebration of.

i've loved you so long (2008)

many have referred to sean penn winning the academy award for best actor as an "upset". many referred to the exclusion of ''the dark knight'' from this years big awards as an "upset". i myself deemed the lack of a nomination for bruce springsteen and his eponymously titled theme to "the wrestler" as an ''upset". alas, ladies and gentlemen, i introduce to you the biggest academy award "upset" of 2009; philippe claudel's "i've loved you so long". now im not simply suggesting that "i've loved you so long deserved a shot at "best foreign picture", i think it should have been in the running for "best actress", "best adapted screenplay", "best director" and "best picture" too. its just a magnificent film, absolutely beautiful and tender, yet raw and unreliable in mood at the same time. iv never been a fan of kristen scott thomas, in fact im not sure if i have actually ever seen her in anything, but she just owns the role in this film, moreso than either sean penn, katie winslet or mickey rourke in their respective roles.

this film is outstanding and perhaps the greatest oscar snub in recent history.

oss 117 : cairo nest of spies (2008)

this gallic pseudo-satire of the james bond genre proved to be a great experience. the film combined all out spoof with drama and action to create a film that i enjoyed thoroughly.

strangely, the oss 117 series predates the bond series by some years, hence the tag of pseudo-satire. jean dujardin, a former french talent show contestant, proves formidible in the title role, with bérénice bejo great as the archetypal bond girl. the quality of the film is impressive, its high concept and a blockbuster in the visual sense of the word. knowing nods to the production techniques of the time that the film is set (1960's), with the use of back projection and limited camerawork prevailant. in turn the film reminds of the early bond films, albeit with a great deal of modern political allusions and references. the film is incredibly funny too, with the scene involving the prayer leader a particular standout. comparisons to inspector cluseau and the pink panther films will no doubt attach themselves to this, but personally i have never been a fan of those films.

not only is "oss 117 : cairo nest of spies" a great satire, but its a great film too, and much more interesting than the actual films that its spoofing.

JCVD (2009)

i mentioned in my previous post on bolt 3D that disney's "the aristocats" was the first film i saw at the cinema. well, funnily enough jcvd marks a landmark of sorts in my viewing history too. the first film i ever went to see alone, without the aid of parentage was "street fighter", the film based on the video game, and starring jcvd himself; jean claude van damme. at the time it was the greatest film in the world, i remember the monday morning at school after the saturday viewing, the playing fields of st georges seemed alive....


hindsight of course, is a great thing. the fact that "street fighter" could be seen as a high point in his career surely suggests the dire quality of the sort of film van damme made afterwards. but jcvd, adored in france and beloved of the art house circuit aims to change that, and it suceeds incredibly well. im not sure if it will give van damme's career the kick start it needs (i have a feeling it wont), but as a piece of film its genuinely great fun, with heart to boot. a lot has been made of the fact that this film exhibits to the world the fact that jean claude van damme can act, which i think is a moot point, but less has been made of the humour. obviously the fact that the film exists suggests an amount of good nature on its stars behalf, but im talking about the more subtle attempts in the project, the humour that is actually on the screen. ''jcvd'' is very, very funny. the "roundhouse-kick" conversation is a highlight, as is the banter between the store clerks that meet van damme at the start of the picture, and its the sort of huour that isnt crass or cheap or easy or lazy, it has heart. all of which leads to the way in which we as the viewer sympathise with van damme. he doesnt plea for our empathy, in fact at times he actually seems to discourage it. he knows hes done wrong and that seems to be the station hes happiest in, emphasised by a downbeat ending that is happier than any we could have actually imagined without going too overboard.

the basic premise of the film plays out like a post-post-modern take on sidney lumet's "dog day afternoon", with our anti-hero caught up in a bank robbery for which he has been mistaken for the purpetrator. through the course of this situation it is revealed how van damme came into being into there, which is a metaphor for his entire career, easily laid out over the course of 90 minutes. a great monologue to the camera, beautiful sypia-based photography and a great supporting cast add up to create a very entertaining and interesting film.

as a sidenote, i would just like to quickly point out the hideous nature of the dvd artwork, which seemingly goes against everything that the film is criticising. there arent even any explosions in the film! oh well...

lancelot du lac (1974)

lancelot du lac (translated to mean "lancelot of the lake'') represents new territory for robert bresson. the film is borderline fantastically, or at least it bases itself in the realm of fantasy, as a vivid retelling of the legend of king arthur. what is especially interesting about this concept is that it is a distictively french take on a distictly british tale.

the film opens, rather unusually for bresson, with an action scene. its decidely bresson in the choice of angles used to portray the flow of the action, as well as in the pace of the editing. its a rather odd way to open the picture, as it is soon followed by an opening scroll explaining the story up to this point. this opening scroll contains the first of many witty asides presumably aimed at the british origins of the story at hand, with the overuse of the word ''heroic'' et al. post-scroll we cut to a new scenario, one of which is perhaps most familiar with bresson's previous work. a peasent family are disturbed by a lost knight of the realm, in a scene which echoes ''au hasard balthazar''.

bresson's usual use (some would say overuse) of religious iconography is especially prevailant in "lancelot du lac". presumably the premise of the film (the war occurs as it is said to be "gods will") is intended to be a comment on the notion that all wars are a product of religion. alongside this the film deals with ancient superstitions throughout, and much in the same way that paranoia rises in his other films ("a man escaped" and "pickpocket" especially), the woe caused by the superstitions rises. in terms of the different types of faith explored in the film, there are parallels between those of guinevere and lancelot's love for each other and that of jeanne in "pickpocket". the same could be said of balthazar in "au hasard balthazar also.

the scenes of conflict, be they in the sense of practice, the tournament or indeed genuine battle, carry the heavy characteristics with which you would usually expect of bresson. tight panning close ups, fastened to a particular item (joust stick, boot spur) are prevailent throughout, with the emphasis on feet throughout the entire tournament especially noticeable. in fact, throughout this entire sequence we never see above the protagonists waist. its a similiar technique to that of the way in which the pickpocketing sequence from the eponymous film were shot. we, as the viewer are left contemplating the result of the scenario for far longer than we would usually expect to be. as a result this adds an extra layer of tension to the situation. as well as this, bresson uses basic techniques such as laying an upcoming scenes soundtrack over the preceeding ones visuals to great dramatic effect. the scene early on in the picture, wherein lancelot and guinevere are first discovered together by the other knights, uses this technique wonderfully.

pickpocket (1959)

robert bresson's unconventional love story treads over familiar bresson territory in getting to its revelatory climax. while i say revelatory, the climax to the film is outlined in its opening declaration, at least hinting at the conclusion we are going to arrive at. this opening is incredibly bold, which is something i found to be against type for a bresson picture. reassuringly we are soon back in the usual bresson areas of subtle, slow paced but assured filmmaking. the film follows michel, a small time hoodlum seemingly unwilling to conform to the expected ideals of society. instead he chooses to steal, in a manner he deems to be more worthy than common theft.

like his previous "a man escaped" the narrative (and in turn narration) follows the lead character completely. we never see anything beyond his standpoint, nor are we privy to anything around him that he isnt (see his final arrest for a great example). the irony that michel is at his happiest when behind bars, at least internally upon realisation of jeanne's love for him, obviously stands against the entire plot of "a man escaped". the fact that this is yet another film that revolves around jail from bresson serves only to fuel the reasoning behind his obsession. there are obvious metaphorical connotations of jail (freedom perhaps being the most obvious, and hardly a metaphor), but i must admit to being very curious as to why these institutions are so prevailant throughout his work.

the "crimes" commited throughout the film are exhibited in a very unique manner, and one that is highly reminiscent of bresson's other work. at times they appear in a kind of 'real-time-slow motion', showing the high level of detail in each "job", abeit in a poetic and almost beautiful moment. the scene in the train station wherein many a con are carried out is almost comparable to the way in which a dance may be shot and cut. the fluidity is magnificent. similiarly the way in which the first and final 'jobs' are shot in real-time from a restricted point of view heighten the tension to a high level.

the relationship between michel and the head police officer is a rather fascinating one. their relationship is one of the key thematic points throughout the picture, and certain connotations being turned upside down convey to the audience a confusing yet comfortable notion. for example as i have already mentioned 'michel', the lowly criminal and stereotypical bad guy is the protagonist of the film, thanks to the dawn of the anti-hero, yet traditionally the hero in this type of story would be that of the police officer. instead he is seen to be a dated and negative concept. when michel waxes lyrical with the chief of police about a highly controversial subject; the concept of the super-man, the audience is structurally led to believe that michel is right, with the policeman's view being that of an irrelevent and corrupt institution. with fascism rife throughout europe at the time, and especially as it was a major part of the nazi-manifesto, the very idea of a protagonist ably supporting the legitimacy ofsomething like the super-man notion is revolutionary in itself, even moreso when his message is projected upon the viewer (and successfully to boot). likewise the exploration of stealing as a legitimate enterprise, although ultimately villified is at times teased with (see the scene wherein michel deposits his legitimate wage into his pocket, in an identical manner to the way in which he places the money he has stolen in there).

the use of editing as a tool within which to invisibly move time forward is utilised greatly in "pickpocket". so much so that months and years pass by, with only the use of the basic narrative structure and key events passing by for explanation (see the birth of jeanne's baby).

its an interesting coincidence that "pickpocket" was released in the same year as jean-luc godard's "a bout de souffle", if not for more than the simple fact that both lead characters are named 'michel'. both films deal with the architypical anti-hero, yet while godard's film encouraged possibly the most important film movement of the 20th century, bresson's film maintained the still and restricted style expected of his work, although that is not a comment inspired by negativity. in fact i would like to point out just how surprised i have been by how much i have enjoyed bresson's work so much, especially considering just how much i love the work of the 'nouvelle vague'. the fact that bresson's incredibly unique style survived throughout the upheaval of french cinema is a testament to just how unique and important his style was.

a man escaped (1956)

my third bresson, and in the shape of his most lauded work; his masterpiece if you will. "a man escaped; or: the wind bloweth where it listeth" to give it its full title tells the story of fontaine, a fighter for the resistance in frnace during the second world war. arrested and sentenced to death, fontaine hatches a plan to escape. his plan is meticulously detailed, from using spoons as a carving tool, to converting shirts into rope.

the film is told completely from the point of view of the protagonist, even going as far to not translate what the german soldiers are saying to him (presumably to immerse us in his experience further, considering it is unlikely that he would have spoken the language himself). every piece of on screen action is seen from his perspective, lending great dramatic weight. as such the narration is incredibly detailed, with our protagonist pointing out ach and every detail. the narration is synched really well with the on screen action, with it at times seeming as though we are listening in on fontaine's trail of thought. francois leterrier, as the eponymous man of the title is incredible in the role,lending a subtlety to a very complex character.

as with bresson's previous work "a man escaped" carries a heavy religious subtext, although not as overtly positive as the one exued within "au hasard balthazar". through his uncertainties with religion we are shown a side of fontaine that is unique to this alone. the normally arogant or cocksure man seems silenced in a way.

the sound of the film is largely dependant on that of the sound of the environment. at times mozart's "mass in c minor" accompanies integral parts of the story, and is especially strong at the end of the film. the triumph of the music adds layers to the achievement of fontaine. having followed his plan in painstaking detail, we, as the viewer can relate to the music in a triumphant manner too, having followed the plan in intimate quarters.

l'argent (1983)

adapted from a leo tolstoy story, roberty bresson's final film tells the story of yvon, a young man who, through a series of random events revolving around a forged 500 franc note, sees his life fall apart. this is a tale of greed; of money and consequence.

as this is only my second bresson i decided to take in one of his later works. what is most immediate, and perhaps most surprising about the later film, is just how similiar in style it is to "au hazard balthazar". bresson's unique style remained the same over the course of fifty years, without ever proving stale or under-developed. one of the most prevailing visual motives is the use of lines in his work, be it in the buildings and the streets, or the inner locations of each respective scene. contrasting lines are used to signify a shift in location, time and circumstance, proving a very strong technique when it comes to expressing such shifts. bresson's work has incredibly assured pacing, for example in the scene in which the prisoners are dining and yvon attacks; the movement of the assault is shown in a very literal and theatrical manner, the emphasis on movement through editing and camera placement is wonderful. the similiarity in style to bresson's earlier work here again is astounding.

bresson's incredibly traditional method of storytelling is shown particularly well in the scene set in the church mass. when attempting to show the reason as to why the mass is so popular, rather than using an obvious cinematic convention, bresson instead chooses to simply show the reason (mass is an easy opportunity in which to trade) using his familiar brand of literal visuals. its a hypocritical method of filmmaking in a way, as its very simple in one way, but complex in another. theres no explanation verbally, something which may jar when compared to modern cinematic technique. this concept is introduced using very basic (in style at least) classic film techniques. its very literal.

the nature of the cut makes the film feel like a much longer, much more epic story. theres very little narrative "baggage", with every scene serving to move the story forward. characterisation rarely stems beyond that of which is necessary, hence the streamlined running time of eighty minutes.

the use of sound in "au hasard balthazar" was incredibly prevailant. again in l'argent, the diagetic sound is impressive, the post-trial sound of shuffling feet overwhelming the previously overbearing traffic being particularly memorable. this compares well to the sounds of schubert in "au hasard balthazar". the verwhelming sounds throughout the first half of "l'argent is that of the sound of the parisian roads and the cars that are using them. the sound of the roads are left behind when the scene is moved to the prison, only to be reintroduced the moment that yvon opens the door to return to the outside world. the sound of the road is replaced with complete silence in the prison, with only the sound of the heavy prison doors locking breaking the calm.

the encounter with the woman towards the end of the film could be seen as yvon's encountering of faith, which is the one thing above all else that he is lacking, having had it removed from his personality throughout the course of the film. there are definite parallels between the woman and balthasar the donkey, both seemingly existing to serve those around her. yvon's slaughter of the woman's family could be seen as his reaction to the concept of faith, showing that he has finally gone beyond all areas of return. he is scarred beyond respite and his final arrest is the conclussion of the fate that yvon set himself earlier on in the film, in the scene where, describing to his cellmate prior to lucien's removal from the prison yvon has accepted that he and lucien will encounter each other again.

fanfan la tulipe (1952)

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i must confess that christian-jaque's "fanfan la tulipe" represents an area of french cinema thus far negleted and therefore unknown to myself. gerard philipe, an actor previously unheard of by myself, but somewhat a legend akin to james dean in his native france, leads an enjoyable cast through a fun enough swashbuckling adventure set during the seven years war. the film displays a wit and sense of irony that i, rather patronisingly i must admit, thought would have been lost on the era of the films production, alas i found it to be a surprisingly entertaining 90 minutes. gerard philipe is understandibly lauded in his homeland, judging by his performance in "fanfan la tulipe" it is due to his charismatic and whimisical nature, and proves very watchable. the film is reminiscent of kubrick's "barry lyndon" in many respects, in tone and literal story, and i wouldnt be surprised to find that jaque's film did indeed inspire kubrick's work.

au hasard balthazar (1966)

"au hasard balthazar" is my first robert bresson. a filmmaker known for the quality of his pictures over the quantity of them (only 14 films were made over a period of 40 years or so) bresson has in the past slipped under my radar in the past due to the conflicting nature of his work and the french new wave. as im going to be exploring his work in more detail over the next 12 months (due to my MA's reading list) i decided it was about time i dipped my toe into the water, picking up a selection of his work over the whole period of his career.

the concept alone of the tale of a donkey who is passed from owner to owner, some kind, some mean, draws comparisons with the life of christ, with the story being a strong analogy for that of his life, death and resurection. jean-luc godard's famous claim that au hasard balthazar is "the world in an hour and a half", certainly ring true, although im not sure that he would be as supportive of the religious overtones (a theory proven true later on in bresson's life, when he confirmed the analogy as being his intention).

the film is beautifully shot, in bresson's trademark workmanlike style. there is very little camerawork in the sweeping sense, in fact there is very little movement at all, but this is appropriate for the tale at hand. as is the score, which borrows from schubert.

pierrot le fou (1965)

for me, jean-luc godard's "pierrot le fou" not only represents the best example of the french new wave (despite some purists attaining that its not actually an example of the nouvelle vague at all...) but is, in my opinion the greatest film ever made.

''pierrot le fou'' is a film about regret, even down to the final scene. the story of an ad-man who one day, out of work and disillusioned with the route his life has taken decides to flee with his children's babysitter, a girl with whom he has a past. in turn it is discovered that the girl, marianne, has a couple of unresolved issues revolving around algerian gangsters, and so begins a journey to the south of france. the synopsis just outlined does very little to describe the film, as plot is, in a similiar manner to that of ''a bout de souffle'', almost irrelevent. the film is more concerned with the emotions of the semi-eponymous character (who actually goes by the name of ferdinand, yet marianne insists on calling him 'pierrot'), and his journey into decay, as outlined fairly explicitly in the early party conversation scene with samuel fuller.

half way through the picture, marianne tells a story concerning a man that decided to escape death (as in "death" the being. ala bengt ekerot in ''the seventh seal", as opposed to the actual act) by leaving paris and then heading to the south of france, only to hit a truck after driving all night. this analogy rings true for ferdinand, our hero, and could be seen as a nod to the audience, whom by this point in the movement, would have grown accustomed to the distinctive wit and wryness of the sort of humour expressed.

its worth pointing out just how important anna karina, and indeed her relationship with godard was on the final state of the film. in the years since its release, ''pierrot le fou'' has been regarded as one of the all time great examples of a piece of work created through heartbreak. anna karina and jean-luc godard's marriage fell apart during work on "pierrot", with the couple divorced by the time the camera's rolled. this personal situation is evident on the screen, with "pierrot" actually turning into a rather more biographical piece of work than im sure godard originally envisioned. the treatment of marianne as a character, and the way in which she treats ferdinand steadily declines, commenting perhaps on the relationship between godard and karina. and while it may seem like rather a light hearted role when all told, try comparing the diet-femme fetale of marianne with korina's odile in ''bande a part", to see how such similiar characters are handled differently. im under no illusion that the break up of his marriage and the nature of his work following "pierrot" are no doubt linked, i would actually be inclined to say that such a dramatic change in style and tone has never been seen in the arts before or since.

jean-paul belmondo, godard's often used performer returns in "pierrot le fou", in a role that i feel bookends incredibly well with belmondo's work in "a bout de souffle", and in turn, performances that bookend the entire nouvelle vague movement. one could almost view pierrot le fou's 'ferdinand' as the grown up michel poiccard, a loose end that has grown up to be all that he despises.

godard's political tongue changes with "pierrot le fou", and signs of the work that was to follow are becoming. gone are the loving references to american popular culture, as seen in ''a bout de souffle'' with belmondo's 'michel' and his aspirations for bogard, and the almost status symbol-like nature of the coca cola bottles in "bande a part", and in are the sly (and at times blatant) swipes at american culture, be it the satirical verse of the party scene, told in taglines from advertisements, or the attack at the texaco petrol station.

and those are just a few of the reasons as to why "pierrot le fou" is the greatest film ever made.

f for fake (1974)

f for fake truly is an oddity. prior to seeing the film i had often wondered what it actually was. given what i knew about orson welles, and the way his work was heading towards the mid 70's i was expecting a video essay of sorts, something along the lines of jean-luc godard's ''l'histoires du cinema" (1989), and while i wasnt exactly correct in my assumptions, i wasnt exactly wrong either. welles' himself, both in the press for the film and the picture itself, proclaims f for fake to be "a new kind of movie".

the "film" tells the story of elmyr de hory, the famous hungarian art forger, and uses de hory's story as a means to explore the idea of the truth. in doing so the film explores the myth of howard hughes, the author clifford irving (whose questionable autobiographies connect both de hory and hughes) and welles himself, when the famous 'war of the worlds' period is examined.

f for fake is considered to be welles final complete film, despite being released 11 years before his death. the film was recieved terribly in the united states, perhaps due to the ambiguous nature of the film when looked at from the outside, but great appreciation was recieved from europe, which by this point had become welles' spiritual home artistically.

viewed initially as a look at avante-garde and unique editing (an area of exploration for myself at the moment) i found the film to be a great success. thirty years on it may not be as unique as the day it was originally released, but it remains a charming and interesting film, and one that stays in the mind long after the credits have rolled (a cliche exclamation no doubt, but for a film as unique as f for fake i have no qualms in using it).