:
Henri Alékan,
Henri Alékan,
Jo Amorin,
more...
:
Jacques Richard,
Jacques Richard
see all cast/crew...
: Kino
: Documentary, Foreign, Biographies, France
: 128 min.
: French
: English
see additional details...
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Henri Langlois was, in many respects, the ultimate film fan. In 1936, at the age of 22, Langlois became (along with Jean Mitry and Georges Franju) one of the founders of the Cinémathèque Française, a theater and museum devoted to preserving the history of the motion picture. Initially a tiny operation financed by private funds, the Cinémathèque, with time, grew into Europe's most important film archive, collecting and preserving prints of rare films from all over the world and protecting many rare gems of the French cinema from destruction during the Nazi occupation of World War II. Langlois' enthusiasm for sharing the treasures of his collection with others helped spawn a film-crazy generation who created the French New Wave of the '50s, and in time, the French government acknowledged the importance of the Cinémathèque's work by financing their endeavors. In 1968, the French minister of culture, André Malraux, responded to Langlois' difficult personality and sloppy bookkeeping by pulling the government's financing of his projects, which led to an international outcry leading to the shutdown of the Cannes Film Festival by activists and film buffs. The Cinémathèque's funding and Langlois' leadership were later restored, and in 1973, his work in film preservation was honored with a special Academy Award. Henri Langlois: The Phantom of the Cinémathèque is a documentary which chronicles the life, times, and passions of the legendary archivist and includes interviews with his friends, contemporaries, and colleagues -- including Claude Berri, Claude Chabrol, Jack Valenti, and Daniel Cohn-Bendit. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
With Jacques Richard's documentary Henri Langlois: Phantom of the Cinémathèque coming out on DVD, Sean Axmaker looks at the legacy of the man who, as he ran the Cinémathèque Français, saved countless classics and became something of a midwife to auteurism and the French New Wave. As A.O. Scott has written in the New York Times, he was "one of the most important figures in the history of film and therefore in the history of 20th-century art." Full article >>
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| Mr. Movie Lover
by talltale
August 23, 2006 - 1:41 PM PDT
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3 out of 3 members found this review helpful
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Consider yourself a real movie lover? I always imagined that I was one--until I watched HENRI LANGLOIS: PHANTOM OF THE CINEMATHEQUE. Now I understand the deeper meaning of the term. What a guy. And what a movie. "Never imagine that you know what is of value; save it ALL," is the advice of M. Langlois, who did his best to do just that in his one-of-a-kind museum and cinematheque. This nearly 2-1/4-hour documentary about the man whom the international motion picture world honored above anyone else is a banquet. Unless you speak French, you may have to rewind a bit as each new speaker (and his/her title) appears, rattling off in French as you try to simultaneously read the subtitles and the description of who this person is. But that's a small price to pay for such an informative, interesting film, in which you will see Simone Signoret explain how precious movies were kept from Nazi hands by wheeling the cans of film down the street, covered by blankets in a baby buggy!
Here are Francois Truffaut, Jean-Luc Goddard and other lights of French cinema, plus Claude Chabrol, who regales us with the story of history's first cineplex (among other delights). How did Langlois treat little known actors when they showed up at his Cinematheque? What happened to the money he lent Nicholas Ray to complete one of his films? How did Henri's coworkers imagine him making love to his wife Mary Meerson (such a pair!)? What's the REAL value of filmed pornography? Nope, not the "money" shots but the filmed record of the bourgeoise furniture in the background! What about Henri's ousting from the very museum he had founded and created? And his return? It's all here, along with much more. Rent and feast. (Then watch the short Special Features to observe the day of Langlois' funeral and other fascinating bits and pieces.) |
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GreenCine Member Rating
(Average 8.40)
15 Votes
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