Les Films d'Alain Resnais

LES FILMS D’ALAIN RESNAIS

Nouvelle Vague French director Alain Resnias’ films are renowned for their imaginative beauty, poetry and cinematography.  Starting off as a cinematographer, Resnais eventually delved into films and made his mark with HIROSHIMA MON AMOUR, NIGHT AND FOG and LAST NIGHT AT MARIENBAD – all three to screened by the Cinematheque these few weeks. 

My favourite Resnais films are JE T’AIME, JE T’AIME (the first French film I have seen as a pre-teen) and SMOKING/NO SMOKING, a 4 hour minor classic based on an English play.  Hopefully, these two films will get a screening in the near future.

Thos unfamiliar with Resnais will be in for a treat.  But be forewarned that his films are at times difficult to comprehend.  His films often share the common theme of memory (lost or nostalgic) and if not, has that as an important influence on the film’s subject.

For a complete listing of films, show times, ticket pricing and venue, check the Cinematheque website at:

http://www.cinemathequeontario.ca

Capsule Reviews:-

L’ ANNEE DERNIERE A MARIENBAD
(France/Italy 1961) ****

The first French film I had seen was JE T’AIME, JE T’AIME in which the protagonist was locked in a time machine with his memories circling round and round lost in time.  In a way, LAST YEAR AT MARIENBAD is a film of a similar structure – dreamlike, mesmerizing where things that happened maybe just did not happen.  A man meets a woman who he could have met the year before.  They had planned to run away before and they converse till the husband or who could be the husband appears.  The film takes place in the interior and grounds of a chateau in Marienbad, where the baroque structures are just as much alive as the lifeless human beings.  MARIENBAD is extremely taxing to view, even on my second viewing.  One cannot deny the beauty, poetry and ecstatics of this strange (take one scene in the grounds where the human cast shadows and the hedges do not) and wonderful film requires patience and attention.  Fortunately, it pays off.

(Screening: Friday July 25th, 7 pm and Thursday, July 31st 9 pm)

MURIEL OU LE TEMPS D’UN RETOUR
(Fr/It 1963) ****

This rich and first coloured entry from Resnais shows the Master at one of his best!  MURIEL, a story about regrets centres on a middle-aged woman, Helen (Delphine Seyrig), living in Boulogne with her son Bernard (Jean-Baptist Thierree), who invites or rather summons her old lover, Alphonse (Jean-Pierre Kerrien) from Paris.  He arrives with a young girl supposedly his niece, Francoise (Nita Klein).  As the two ex-lovers discuss the past, it is revealed that Helen, an antique dealer, cannot let go of hers, just as her flat is filled with antiques from the past.  Bernard, who served in the Algerian War has similar problems.  Resnais’ film is layered with so much going on with each frame.  Better still, with the background of the characters so efficiently laid out, the viewer is drawn into the problems faced by each.  The film has a dreamy look and stresses the importance of time – from the dialogue of its characters to the sense of urgency portrayed through the incidents.  While it really does not matter whether Helen and Alphonse hook up again at the end, Resnais’ examination of the trials of his characters is the film’s true pleasure.  Resnais also keeps the secret of why the film is called MURIEL till the very end.  Resnais’ film of memories is ironically one that will remain in the minds of cineastes forever.

(Screening: July 28th Monday 7 pm)