If
you haven't seen "L'Atalante", you can't
justifiably make the claim that you are a
knowledgeable cineaste.
'L'Atalante'
is such a lovely film from director, Jean Vigo,
a man whose career would have been marvelous to
behold had he not died so young. This was his
last film and there are stories that he directed
many of the scenes while deathly ill. This movie
is a genuine masterpiece and is a must-see for
anyone who truly loves the art of film. 'L'Atalante'
is one of the pioneering gems of cinema.
It is a simple story about the first few days of
marriage aboard a barge traveling the canals of
France. Dita Parlo plays Juliette, a haunting
beauty and a dreamer who longs for adventure and
excitement. Her husband, Jean, is a realist who
doesn't mind the rugged life aboard his ship.
She tries to domesticate her husband, showing
him the wonders of laundry and neatness. He is
so used to the bachelor life that he doesn't
even see the need to change the sheets when one
of the many cats on board has kittens in their
bed.
Juliette struggles with her new life and longs
to visit Paris so she can explore and shop and
dance and eat. She wants a more elegant and
romantic life. Barge life gets more complicated
due to the oafish first mate, Jules, who lurches
around in a perpetual stupor and acts
obnoxiously at the drop of a hat, all the while
being rather charming and interesting.
When the barge finally reaches Paris, the couple
plans a trip to shore. But the plan gets waylaid
by Jules who isn't around to guard the boat
during their absence. After a confrontation,
Juliette leaves to explore her Parisian dream
without Jean. And when Jules finally returns,
Jean decides to abandon his wife and sets a
course down the river.
A plot summary doesn't really do the film
justice. Vigo employs gorgeously original camera
angles and a poetic method of storytelling that
makes this film impossible to forget. It has
racy and subtle humor. It deals with sexuality
unlike any other film of the era. It has a
fantasy sequence whose power has rarely been
rivaled, even in today's special effects
bonanza. 'L'Atalante' is way ahead of its time.
Watching this film is like peering through a
time portal to the beginning of modern
filmmaking. 'Citizen Kane' is often cited as the
most influential film ever made... but 'L'Atalante'
was 'Citizen Kane' before 'Citizen Kane'. It is
no wonder that it still appears on many lists of
the greatest of all time.
I find it amazing that the film, shot 70 years
ago, in soft light and occasionally blurred
focus, still manages to evoke truly powerful
emotions and tangible sensations. Vigo's shots
are cold, foggy, cramped, dirty, awkward and
hard. But he slips a few truly sublime poetic
moments in there to lift our hearts. When Jean
regrets his decision to abandon Juliette he
jumps into the river. The underwater sequence is
an ethereal and magical moment in cinema. Their
resulting journeys back to one another is
romantic and altogether truthful. The film
encapsulates the awkward and difficult early
days of marriage and the journey to the days
beyond, where 'real' love starts to grow.
©
Written by TC Candler
Richard
Propes' Comment
See TC's
review? He's right. This film rests comfortably
in my Top 100, and the only thing I find
appalling is that it took me so many years to
finally view it. I will steal a line from
Jacob...this film is about as close to perfect
as a film gets without getting that A+ from me.
Jacob
Hall's Comment
N/A
