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5.0 out of 5 stars
5 stars for Jeanne Dielman, April 6, 2009
This review is from: Chantal Akerman Collection (Hôtel Monterey / Je, tu, il, elle / Jeanne Dielman, 23 Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles / Briefe von zu Haus / Les Rendez-vous d'Anna ) [Region 2] (DVD)
I've only seen `Jeanne Dielman' and `Le Captive' but both films left me with a feeling of profound respect for what I consider to be a very talented film maker. I hope the rest of Ackerman's work displays the same credentials (although I'm not sure about `A Couch in New York'). This box set is very expensive but appears to contain Ackerman's hyper realist films like `Jeanne Dielman' which is, for me, and astounding examination of the mundane everyday activities of an urban woman living in late 1970s Brussels. And it is this "suburban" framework that provides the narrative progression in what appears on the surface to be a filmed succession of boring, repetitive, irritating domestic rituals. Then we have the end of the second day, an interval, then more of the same but with a difference. For Ackerman slowing and patiently starts to construct some subtle changes to Jeanne's routine (e.g. over cooking potatoes, not putting the lid on the pot), which has the cumulative effect of introducing a sense of foreboding, or put another way, an atmosphere tense with Jeanne's repressed emotion. For me Jeanne's emotional detachment from almost everything is symptomatic of a form of brainwashing created by a lifestyle seemingly devoid of fun and happiness. The mother appears as some form of automaton whose sole purpose is to satisfy the needs of others at the expense of the self. Interestingly Jeanne appears to have no need for a meaningful relationship with another person. I don't I think Jeanne's son (her only significant "relationship") can be classified as an empathetic, particularly loving individual. Their conversations are made up of small talk and maternal instructions. He is the geeky teenager, conditioned by his mother's routine and dependent on her financial support. Money that is earned within the confines of Jeanne's bedroom (the towel spread on top of the bed's counterpane sums up Jeanne Dielman's almost objective approach to her existence). An existence that is put to its severest test in the last five minutes of the film: a truly magnificent piece of cinema and an example of Delphine Seyrig's exceptional acting abilities. One of my highlights (and there are many) was watching Jeanne making veal schnitzel which would not have been out of place on a TV cookery show.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Fascinating early works by an under known master, January 10, 2012
This review is from: Chantal Akerman Collection (Hôtel Monterey / Je, tu, il, elle / Jeanne Dielman, 23 Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles / Briefe von zu Haus / Les Rendez-vous d'Anna ) [Region 2] (DVD)
Chantal Akerman is arguably the most important and interesting female director of her era. The range of her work is astounding, from largely experimental 'difficult' works represented by the three shorter films on in this set ('Hotel Monterey', 'News From Home' and 'La Chambre' ), to frothy musical-comedy, to introspective dramas represented here by the great 'Jeanne Dielman', 'Je Tu Il Elle' and 'Les Rendz-vous D'Anna'. Even if you don't respond to these films, you may well like other things she has done. She seems to exist in a constant state of self-reinvention as an artist. I highly recommend the set for anyone interested in her work, or women film-makers, or film-makers with unique, challenging and individual voices.
As for these six early films of hers, my personal thoughts, in chronological order;
Hotel Monterey: (1972) My rating ****1/2. Experimental silent 60 minute 'documentary' set in a cheap NY hotel. No story, just images that cross the sadness of Edward Hopper's paintings with the weirdness of David Lynch (who seems to have been influenced by this). It's like a great photo book come to life. It has a fascinating look (very grainy 16mm, with super rich colors). No question that by nature this feels dull in spots and some images are less powerful or repetitive, but its full of wonderful, disquieting moments, and it has a fascinating, hypnotic almost imperceptible build to a `climax'. If nothing else, the film is worth it for the simple power of the moment when the camera starts to move after 30 minutes of still images.
Je, Tu, Il, Elle (1974 ) ****1/4 Often sad, and sometimes absurdly funny. A three part film with little obvious plot, its a delicate character study of a young, neurotic woman. Part one shows her stuck alone in her room over a period of days, trying to write a letter to a lover, eating sugar, walking around naked - emotionally as well as physically. Part 2 is her journey with a truck driver who picks her up hitchhiking on her way to meet her female lover, and the relationship that develops between them, and part 3 is her arriving at her lover's apartment, spending the night making love with that woman, and finally resolving their relationship. The images, though often striking, don't have quite the power of her very best work, and while some moments have a real charge-- sexual or emotional -- others feel awkward. An intelligent and complex film, ultimately wistfully touching, but missing that last step to greatness. The first third is very strong, the second almost as good, but the last 'act' feels less complete, and the 15 minute love making scene is sort of awkward in that it's very explicit, but never seems quite real. None-the-less, an impressive first narrative film, that sets the ground for her great dramas to follow.
Jeanne Dielman 23 Quai du Commerce 1080 Bruxelles (1975) ****3/4 Fascinating, powerful, hyper-controlled study of woman slowly coming unglued. Uses its 3 hour+ running time to put you inside the stultifying boredom and ennui of her life, and lets you see the tiny changes in her repetitive days that are powerful and meaningful barometers of the titanic emotions going on behind her blank masque. Not easy or `fun' to watch. By definition (and intention?) it gets slow to the point of boredom at times. (Indeed NY Times critic Vincent Canby, who loved the film, jokingly warned that watching it 'could be fatal' if one was in the wrong mood.) But everything interconnects in an amazingly thought-out way. Every bit of dialogue (of which there's almost none) leaves a clue, or at least a trace. Fascinating camerawork; almost always static images. with every cut at 90 degree angles. And again, when that rule is broken there are specific thematic and storytelling reasons. A challenging, 'difficult' film, but one not to be missed.
News From Home (1977) ***1/2 An interesting experiment; Various images of New York City, mostly still at first, with ever more movement as the film goes along, accompanied by the sound of Akerman reading aloud letters from her mother in France. Stays pretty interesting, though never really gets emotionally involving. Once again, Akerman's city images are great, evoking Hopper. But the images and overall impact seem less to me than the somewhat similar 'Hotel Monterey'.
Les Rendez-Vous D'Anna (1978) **** Amazingly shot, with the film always demonstrating a tremendous, disciplined use of image to convey mood and story. The film is full of long takes using striking symmetry, the camera always finding frames within frames. For me, the story itself is interesting intellectually, but lacks emotional power; traveling to a film festival, a young femme filmmaker has a series of sadly empty encounters with people, leading to long, well-written monologues by the various lost souls. Sometimes too on the nose and speechy with its ideas, but always intelligent, physically beautiful film-making.
La Chamber (1972) **1/2 11 minute experimental short, where the camera slowly turns in circles revealing a room, first one way, than the other, occasionally passing Akerman in bed, staring, sleeping, perhaps masturbating, but treating her as just another object in the room. Interesting as an `idea', but -- for me -- slightly boring to watch.
The set also contains interviews conducted by Akerman with key co-workers, her mother, as well as a segment of a self portrait she did for French television. These interviews aren't as strong as the films, but there are often fascinating nuggets about her working process and (in the case of her mother) her influences. The interviews are a bit odd, as it feels like Akerman is 'leading the witness' a great deal, trying to get specific answers she wants. On the other hand, the self-portrait piece is terrific and made me try to track down the complete French show with English subtitles, to no avail. It's all Akerman simply reading thoughts she has written on herself, her work and her past, but it's funny, self-depricating, honest and rueful.
It should be noted you can get almost the same material for less money by buying the Criterion Collection 'Chantal Akerman in the Seventies' set, along with 'Jeanne Dielmann' seperately. And you don't need a region free player. To my eyes the transfers look just about identical, so I'm sure the same sources were used. This set has a few extra goodies (like the interviews), but not enough to justify paying north of $100. (Of course, I did, but that was before i was aware Criterion had these coming out. Oh well...)
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