mardi 16 août 2011

French Films I've been Watching part 1


One of the first question I am generally asked when people find out that I speak French is "How did you learn it?" I usually reply with "At school," but being aware of the deplorable state in which this nation's second language education exists I generally feel compelled to add, "and through books, movies and music." That way I figure my interlocutor will realize that while my French is not totally perfect, I do have some semblance of fluency. When I was first learning the language, I would check out whatever French movies I could find from our local library, which means that I have seen some very bizarre and some very good films. I must recommend to any language learner to immerse yourself as much as possible and films are a great way to do that since you also get some culture mixed in :). Anyway, I figured I would update you all on what I have been watching as I desperately try to regain all the French I have lost over the years before I head out to France.

Pick Number one: La Veuve de Saint Pierre (The Widow of St. Pierre)

I have to admit that I have a bit of a girl crush on Juliette Binoche. Not only does she have inhumanly gorgeous skin, but she also seem to just be a pretty cool person in general.
But I digress. I actually really enjoyed this movie. At first it seems like a simple story of a man who kills someone while piss ass drunk and who is then taken under the wing of the wife of the head of the guard; it ends up having a lot more layers than that. The films deals with love on many levels from motherly to deeply physically passionate, human nature and whether we are bound to fate or free to make our own choices (the film does have a more fatalistic tone to it though). Though a period piece, it is shot with modern techniques and the cinematography is sumptuous. Great acting (Emir Kusturica who is Serbian film director and for whom this was the first acting role was perfectly cast), great costumes, great scenery, and a thought provoking story all make this movie quite enjoyable.

Pick Number 2: Les Amants (The Lovers)




This 1959 film caused a huge stir and even a supreme court case within the confines of prudish 1950's society. Viewed through today's lens, it's pretty tame but I could definitely imagine the shock of 1950's viewers. Les Amants is the story of a bored housewife who goes through two affairs. One with a polo player and one with an Archaeologist (high five, girlfriend!). When I saw that bit about the Archaeologist in the Netflix description, I had to watch this ;). The film builds until it reaches it's climax (pun intended) in which the main character (Jeanne Moreau) finds fulfillment through love and sexual liberation with the Archaeologist of course. The highlight of the film consists of a very dreamy and classically beautiful outdoor love scene filled with billowy white dresses, streams, fields, moonlight and all those things sentimental and beautiful. It's actually almost shockingly sentimental. This all leads into a very risqué (for the time) sex scene in which Moreau's orgasm leaves little to the imagination. I do love how she wears her pearls throughout the film whether in bed or out of it.

*SPOILER BELOW*

In the end, she decides to leave her husband and child for an uncertain but liberated life with her new lover. I guess some cinemas, Germany notably, edited out the child from the film for the sake of public decency and many American theatre owners were brought to trial for showing it. It made a lot of headway as far as censorship and what exactly is considered depraved behavior by the common public. It's funny because I know if I had watched this movie when I was younger and less cynical, I would have totally adored it. I still appreciate it's beauty but it's almost too sentimental for me now... That is kind of a sad thing to say, but hey life does that to you sometimes.

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