Customer Reviews

The Green Room [VHS]

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I was overjoyed to see Truffaut's "The Green Room" finally released on DVD, even if it is via a disc-on-demand service. Bizarrely, MGM is committing profit suicide by releasing it under one of its obscure alternate Euro titles instead of the more familiar one under which most of us know it.

The disappointments begin with the source, which is a PAL transfer with all the attendant problems that creates. Color is washed out, everybody's voice is pitched too high and the film only runs 90 minutes, not the 95 stated on the box. It's not letterboxed, either, as Amazon claimes; it's full screen.

How about the quality of the transfer? Terrible! The disc freezes up at numerous spots and the picture breaks up frequently. Looking at the recorded side of the disc, it appears striped rather than displaying the smooth, consistent color of a healthy disc. Amazon needs to check their DVD recorders!

I'm hanging on to my old VHS copy.

"The Green Room" tells the story of a lonely man who has lost his wife 11 years ago. She died shortly after they were married, and the man cann't let go of her. One room in his house is sort of like a "shrine" to her. He keeps pictures of her, and talks to her, has candles lit. He feels it would be wrong for him to forget her and move on with his own life. This is a very "dark" movie. It basically is a story of obsessed love. Along the lines of Hitchcock's Vertigo. Given such a story one may think this has hints of Bergman. The dark atmosphere, could lead into a bleak story, perfect for Bergman, but, no, the film was directed by Francois Trufaut. So maybe it's not so odd to think of Hitchcock as well watch this. I think is Truffaut's "darkest" film a complete 180 from his usual "light" films like "Love on the Run", "Stolen Kisses" & "Day For Night".
I enjoyed "The Green Room" quite a bit. I think Truffaut was rather brave to take on such a project and he even stars in the film, and I think does a good job. There's one scene in particular that stands out, and shows that Truffaut was a good actor. He is sitting down starring at picture of his wife. At first we think perhaps he's crazy. He devotes so much time to the dead! Why? But, then something happens. The camera gets a shot of his face. There's such sadness on his face that all of a sudden we feel such empathy for him. We see he's not crazy, but, was truly in love with this woman. Life means nothing now that she's gone.
"The Green Wall" has some twist and turns, and may make it hard for some people to watch this film. Escpecially those who aren't use to seeing this type of film by Truffaut. And I certainly wouldn't suggest this be the movie you start your Truffaut collection with. After you've seen your share of Truffaut's film, then buold your way up to this one. I personally have seen almost all of his films.
I don't want to give away too much of the movie, and think it's better if people are surprised by what they see, and reading about it. The movie though does have nice cinematography by Nestor Almendros, who worked quite often with Truffaut and Eric Rohmer. Plus the acting by Nathalie Baye (Cecilia Mandel) is enjoyable as well. She and Truffaut have good chemistry between them at moments. If you want to see something different, I think this film should work nicely.
Bottom-line: Major departure from Truffaut's usual work, but, it works. Has some wonderful moments, and has a strange but effective message. One of Truffaut's best films.

I say five stars because Francios Truffaut is truly a cinematic master. As for the The Green Room it is his most profound and provocative movie. It gets to the essence of comtemporary feelings concerning, life, death, marriage, religion, committment, traditions, politics, etc etc etc. There is no end on reflections on various human conditions. It is really great art. The scenes are brooding. Dark. Sad. Natalie Baye plays Cecilia the protagist of Julien Davenne, quite sensitively as a solution to Julien's Perplexities of living. She tries to form a relationship just to overcome her own demise. One catches a glimplse that they will become true and life long friends; to be lovers Julien must work himself out but... that's too much to tell. As i said this film is quite interesting and I recommend it highly for people who like to go deep in character analysis. Au revior

This is my favorite Truffault film, and one that is virtually unknown, even by cinema people. Not only is his direction masterful, but he plays the lead quite well, showing that he was as great as an actor as he was a filmmaker. He plays a very lonely man who writes obituaries for a very small paper. He is really obsessed with his job and only his job. He is haunted by survivor's guilt from WWI, and the death of his wife on their wedding night. He meets a woman who attempts to pull him out of his malaise, but he refuses, electing to live for the dead, so to speak. It's a really dark, troubling film at times, but it's one of Truffault's most memorable films by far. It's a film I've never forgotten, and in thinking about it, brings back many feelings I had when watching it. It's not on DVD as of this writing, but hopefully someday. Track it down if you can.

This film based on a Henry James text, has to do with a an who decides to remain long moments of his time reminding the fallen soldiers in the WW1. If you do not drive the European taste or the personal style of Truffaut , may be you leave the film with many questions, but all of you who know the basic cinematography of F.T., surely will enjoy minute to minute of this poignant and painful film.