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dynester
Reviews
Un barrage contre le Pacifique (2008)
Duras' films
I wonder about the person who claimed that the films Duras made are not interesting. Her short subjects, made in the 1970s, are exquisite and her collaboration with Resnais on Hiroshima mon amour created the most penetrating anti-war movie I've ever seen. Her films are, admittedly, hard to come by, but well worth it. Working with actors like Jeanne Moreau and a very young Gerard Depardieu, she reaches deep into the psyche at a slow, relentless pace. The films require - and reward - patience.
Word Is Out (1977)
Subtle, beautifully crafted portrait
Far from a "clunker," "Word Is Out" is a beautifully edited collective portrait of a moment in gay and lesbian history in the US. The film captures the optimism of the late 1970s after the early headiness of the g/l movement and before the horrors of HIV/AIDS. Most documentaries focus on a small number of subjects, but "Word" manages to weave together the stories of 26 men and women of different ages and backgrounds, primarily from the SF Bay Area and the Northeast, but with some reference to the Southwest and the South. The effect is to demonstrate that no single narrative of g/l life is adequate.
Displaying humor, tact and candor, the film is a "must see" for younger g/l/b/t people for whom 1977 is ancient history. Rumor has it that the film will be released on DVD with updates on most of the participants this fall.