.............. hmmmmmm many have written on this one and personally I see quite a different piece here
late 50s Paris. Moody. EMPTY. No cars about. Hilarious. Nobody seems at any point in all the exegesis you can find here and there to mention The Algerian War of Independence which was at the heart of French society in 1958 ; war in its fourth year out of 8 in total.
The OAS was planning to keep that colony AT ALL costs and many terrorist acts were committed. The threat which is NOT unarticulated in this piece or vague points to some perennial Nazi/Far Right threat of some sort ; what many in 2022 would term the NWO New World Order or Deep State and of course it was a reality then as it is today ... the interests of the very rich undercutting any type of true democracy .... hidden budgets interests spokes in the wheels of almost every aspects of society; once you're in ..... Juan dies then later Gérard were they suicides were they not?
In that respect this film and storyline are extremely prescient; you could make this film in 2022 and update it
The acting here is so-so never bad never rivet(t)ing (sic) the avant-garde score cutting in at times adds to the threat.
I do not really see this film as Nouvelle Vague more Nouvelle Vague-adjacent and for me although many worship him Rivette is never in the league of a Chabrol or God-Hard or for me the master Rohmer
But TOTALLY view this film for any student of the mood of 58 in France; it is simply distilled and bottled in this film ....
late 50s Paris. Moody. EMPTY. No cars about. Hilarious. Nobody seems at any point in all the exegesis you can find here and there to mention The Algerian War of Independence which was at the heart of French society in 1958 ; war in its fourth year out of 8 in total.
The OAS was planning to keep that colony AT ALL costs and many terrorist acts were committed. The threat which is NOT unarticulated in this piece or vague points to some perennial Nazi/Far Right threat of some sort ; what many in 2022 would term the NWO New World Order or Deep State and of course it was a reality then as it is today ... the interests of the very rich undercutting any type of true democracy .... hidden budgets interests spokes in the wheels of almost every aspects of society; once you're in ..... Juan dies then later Gérard were they suicides were they not?
In that respect this film and storyline are extremely prescient; you could make this film in 2022 and update it
The acting here is so-so never bad never rivet(t)ing (sic) the avant-garde score cutting in at times adds to the threat.
I do not really see this film as Nouvelle Vague more Nouvelle Vague-adjacent and for me although many worship him Rivette is never in the league of a Chabrol or God-Hard or for me the master Rohmer
But TOTALLY view this film for any student of the mood of 58 in France; it is simply distilled and bottled in this film ....