Monday, June 4, 2012

A Little Film Gris

If you get the opportunity, I'd definitely recommend you rent Le Deuxième Souffle. Translated as "second wind," it's really a study of someone on his last leg. This film is filled with atmosphere, great French scenery, and very cool 60s clothing and cars. Even though it clocks in at 2 hours, 24 minutes, I was hooked from the minimalistic, opening sequence. It's billed as a gangster film, but the violence is (a) not so much, and (b) not the real focus. Director Jean-Pierre Melville (one of the most well-known of French film directors) explores the process leading up to and immediately following the actions of Gu, the protagonist. In the end, a game of petanque leads to Gu's undoing.

Watch this example of film gris and decide for yourself.


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It's appropriate on this British Jubilee weekend that American audiences got to watch royalty of a different sort last evening - portions of Adele's concert taped at the Royal Albert Hall. Visit NBC's web page to read its blurb - but grab a video of it. Simply fantastic.

2 comments:

  1. So this is in French? Because I find that I can no longer see the TV well enough to read subtitles. We don't have one of those monster big screen things and I really don't want one, except for the rare occasion when I need to read the screen. Then I sort of wish we had one.

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  2. lol - yes, it's in French and subtitled. :)

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