French Cinema - an appreciation

Thanks - I still have hundreds of DVDs yet to watch - renting is not on the cards - but good idea.

 

Thanks for all the input. Any thoughts on the French style? For example, I mentioned the use of music in the first post - does anyone else feel the same way? Any other factors that differentiates the French movement from the American?

 

It's hard to generalise. There are French films with symphonic scores, rock soundtracks, or no music at all, used with varying degrees of competency. Something like Taxi or Les Rivières pourpres doesn't differ much from a Hollywood action movie in terms of music or anything else. But sticking to the stuff that plays in art houses, you can draw some broad differences. French films are less likely to slot neatly into a genre. They often favour long takes more than American films, thanks to the continuing influence of Bazin. You'll see more conversations about intellectual topics and more films that deal with romantic relationships without turning into conventional comedies. On average their dramas are probably more "realistic" than in the U.S., but there's also a strain of flamboyant romanticism in Beineix, Garrel, or even a mainstream guy like Besson that would probably embarrass an American director.

 

Thanks Matthew - some good points. Unfortunately, French cinema has started copying the rest of the world in that in the last 3 years, or so, they also have adopted the shaky camera/staccato editing style that I hate so much. At least they are only recently guilty of this heinous crime against art (my opinion folks - feel free to disagree).

I still feel that the French do atmosphere the best. American and British films lost that ability back in the 70's - seemingly preferring to concentrate on other aspects.

 

I saw a great one recently, 'The Beat My Heart Skipped'. Really good film, the dude who plays the lead, Romain Duris, has that classic J.P Belmondo gallic charisma.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0411270/:righton:

 

Mon oncle.

I think it is one of the most beautifully filmed movies ever made.

I hate to admit it but I wouldn't have seen such great French films (on DVD) if I wasn't living in China.

 

Incredible selection of French films on DVD available in Shanghai when I was working there a few years ago. Only trouble was lots of them didn't have english subtitles, only chinese!

 

There are quite a few films on my wish list which are only available from France (eg Amazon, France) - none of which have English subtitles. What a nonsensical lack of foresight. One of the main marketing ploys when DVD was first issued was the ability to have multiple language options. How can they be so obtuse as to offer none? Do they think that French films are only watched by French speakers? For Cliff's sake, I have some films that offer 30-odd languages on subtitles!

 

I just saw a clip of that - it looks like my sort of thing - I just ordered it from Amazon (very cheap).

 

I may return to this thread as I love the French new wave, but I wanted to mention a few more recent French films that I really enjoyed watching at the cinema:

Time Out (2001) - a man tries to hide his unemployment from his friends and family, pretending to work for the U.N. at one point.

Red Lights (2004) - moody and tense drama about an argumentative married couple who encounter grave problems while on the way to pick up their kids from holiday.

The Intruder (2004) - directed by Claire Denis (Beau travail), the story is told with minimal dialogue, and is about an older man who dreams of violence and tries to find a son he fathered in Tahiti. Like most of her work, captivating but difficult to describe.

L'Enfant (2005) - a young man sells the baby he has fathered with another teenager...I think this is a Belgium film, but possibly a French production.

Caché (aka Hidden) (2005) - another film about deception - very well done, though the ending may leave you feeling deceived (many people compare it to the ending of The Passenger) although I've heard the DVD commentary clears some things up.

 

I caught Goddard's "Contempt on TCM a couple of weeks ago. I've never seen a Goddard film before and really wanted to see German Film Master Fritz Lang act (he's in it playing himself for those who have not seen the film) I was entranced by the seer beauty of the film, the wonderful interaction between a writer and his fiancee who's love disintegrates while he is adapting a screen version of the Odyssey for Fritz Lang. It was one of those Life Changing films.

I liked Trouffout's "Day For Night As Well" I have been Meaning to see Alphaville but Netflix had a problem with delivering it to me (they said that they had it and was shipping it to me but then they placed it back in my que. Maybe next time.

 

Anyone see Persepolis? Technically, it's a french language film, though it has an English dubbed soundtrack with both Chiara Mastrioanni and Catherine Deneuve doing the lead character and her mother in both French and English versions (real life mother and daughter). It's a cartoon, so you barely notice, and it's easily switched to French if you wish. Sean Penn, Gena Rowlands and Iggy Pop are also in the English version. Excellent film! Mostly black and white animation.

 

There should be a law against that!

 

Usually, I agree, but this being a cartoon, it works. That and those italian movies that had American actors talking English in the leads other than that, I agree, and would prefer undubbed foreign language films. I watched this movie both ways too.

 

Don't think Louis Malle's Ascenseur pour l'echafaud was mentioned yet, great movie, but I might be a little biased because of the fantastic soundtrack.

 

Oh - I thought that was in my original post - I obviously omitted it - it was a recent purchase. I have yet to watch that one - but big fan of Malle.

Edit: It was there - under it's alternate name "Lift to the Scaffold" - that's the trouble with translation - we never seem to get it nailed!

 

Overlooked it, sorry.

 

I just remember one of my favorites films from the 90s. Indochine, beautifully shot on location in Vietnam. The story gets kind of "soapy" but it's so great to look at, and lots of memorable scenes that stick with you.

 

Ditto here, I own Hiroshima mon amour criterion edition, it's an excellent movie, I'm surprised it's not on your list, highly recommended!!!!

 

Love French cinema. My favorites would include anything by Renoir, Clement, Melville, Godard, Truffaut and the French films of Kieslowski.

 

I love "Shoot the Piano Player"; it and "Breathless" and "Contempt" are probably my favorites of French cinema. I was intrigued by "Last Year at Marienbad," which looks great on the Criterion Blu-ray. I was somewhat less enthralled by "Hiroshima Mon Amour."

I thought "Contempt" was showing on 35mm somewhere in Philly later this month, but now I can't find it online. Having only seen it on the Criterion DVD, I would love to see it in a 35mm projection -- what a beautiful film!

Among more recent Frenchies, Jean-Pierre Jeunet's "Very Long Engagement" was my favorite film the year it came out, 2004, I believe. Although, now that I check, I see imdb.com has it listed as from Belgium. Close, I guess.

 

For more contemporary French cinema, you must check out Jacques Audiard, quite unanimously recognized as the best director of his generation.
Out of his five films so far, my favorite is Read My Lips. Highly recommended.

 

David Hockney was on R4 this morning saying all Frances great painters experience went into the Movies
Including the Impressionists
Certainly different from Hollywood.