| Fab First Film |
|
| written by JPielaszczyk |
June 17, 2008 - 3:59 PM PDT |
The two included interviews with the then and now director taught me that Agnes Varda made La Pointe Courte at 25 with personal savings, cash from her mother, and the sweat equity participation of the residents/actors of the Mediterranean village. This was during an era when long years of apprenticeship as third and second director were the norm. The resulting film vividly captures the changing society of 1950s France. The lead character grew up in the village, with its stable ways of shellfishing, music-making and dancing, plus friendly/competitive jousting (!) from large boats powered by a dozen rowers. He too is also a Parisian, and brings back with him a starkly cosmopolitan lover. The two talk too much, says one villager who doesn't expect them to remain together. A young boy mans a boat solo in a swiftly flowing inlet. Women hang volumes of laundry billowed by the mistral wind.
Varda took delight at being deemed the grandmother of the New Wave at age 30. The filming style for scenes with the couple brought to mind Persona as well.
I relish films like these with their presentations of what are now lost worlds of unique psycho-spiritual-economic-geographical character, films where visions were sought instead of corporate profits.
A list could be put together by an enterprising GC member of other Fab First Films, for which I would also nominate Pather Panchali.
|
|
|
Your cart
© 2006 All Media Guide, LLC. Portions of content provided by All Movie Guide®,
a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC.