Customer Reviews

Je, Tu, Il, Elle [VHS]

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Chantal stars in as well as directs this close-focus study of two days in a woman's life. Her use of sparse lighting, black and white film,long scenes, and narration leave the impression that one has watched a low budget documentary. The story is centered around a lonely woman's creative struggles and her emotional distance from most people she encounters. It takes patience to watch this film, but there are rewards for those who stick it out. A good flick for film students and critics, and those who like different types of film-making.

After first watching this film in a Women and Film class, I was amazed by this movie. Yes, the plot is hard to follow. Yes, there are some moments where we do not understand the imagery. But Akerman is doing these things intentionally. We should not feel as the same when we watch a blockbuster movie. Akerman takes away the viewer's knowledge of symbols and events and places us out of reach with identification of the characters of the film. This allows her to create a world in which we as the viewer do not judge. There are no good or bad guys. You are not cheering for one person to succeed. You learn all you can about the characters and accept them for the flawed human beings that they are.