Tag Archives: french mainstream cinema

The film that announced the arrival of Chantal Akerman into the world of auteur cinema.

The 1975 Franco-Belgian film “Jeanne Dielman”, or “Jeanne Dielman, 23 Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles” to be precise, saw a young lady of twenty five with little formal qualification in film introduce a totally new vocabulary into cinema. Chantal Anne … Continue reading

Posted in Belgium, Chantal Akerman | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Reflections on Jacques Rivette’s “La Belle Noiseuse” [1991 France]

Jacques Rivette is one of the very few nouvelle vague directors who is impossible to pigeon-hole – he has consistently experimented with cinema using different genres, techniques, and narratives, embodying the true spirit of French New Wave itself. At first … Continue reading

Posted in Emmanuelle Béart, France, Jacques Rivette | Tagged , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Aurore Broutin in Dumont’s “Hors Satan” [2011 France]

Bruno Dumont’s reflections on the esoteric continues with another beautifully crafted film, “Hors Satan” [DVD Eng. Title: Out Satan]. Storyline: A village loner, almost a vagabond, lives and sleeps in the marshes. The ranger wants him out of the land, … Continue reading

Posted in Bruno Dumont, France | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Isabelle Huppert & co in Godard’s “Sauve qui Peut (la vie)” [1980 France]

After spending the best part of the 1970’s ‘in research’ as he puts it, Jean-Luc Godard returns to cinema emphatically with “Sauve qui Peut (la vie)” [Eng. Title: Slow Motion], an extraordinary dish nevertheless served with recognisable ingredients used in … Continue reading

Posted in France, Isabelle Huppert, Jean-Luc Godard | Tagged , , , , , | 8 Comments

Teresa Madruga in “Dans la Ville Blanche” [1983 France, Portugal]

Some people talk of European cinema as if it is some kind of a monolith, or a method of film-making in itself. While it certainly isn’t, there is something in the cinema made here that is unique to the region, … Continue reading

Posted in Alain Tanner, France | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment