{"id":8960,"date":"2009-08-10T14:36:33","date_gmt":"2009-08-10T21:36:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=8960"},"modified":"2021-01-27T09:38:22","modified_gmt":"2021-01-27T16:38:22","slug":"atalante-l-1934","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=8960","title":{"rendered":"Atalante, L&#8217; (1934)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>&#8220;Paris, Paris! Oh infamous, marvelous city!&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/08\/LAtalante-Poster.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/08\/LAtalante-Poster-208x300.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"208\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-55157\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/08\/LAtalante-Poster-208x300.png 208w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/08\/LAtalante-Poster-710x1024.png 710w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/08\/LAtalante-Poster-89x128.png 89w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/08\/LAtalante-Poster-187x270.png 187w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/08\/LAtalante-Poster.png 769w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 208px) 100vw, 208px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong><br \/>\nA pair of young newlyweds (Dita Parlo and Jean Daste) find their happiness threatened when Parlo becomes bored with life aboard Daste&#8217;s barge, L&#8217;Atalante, and desires more excitement in Paris.\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>\n<strong>Genres:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>At Sea<\/li>\n<li>City vs. Country<\/li>\n<li>French Films<\/li>\n<li>Marital Problems<\/li>\n<li>Newlyweds<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Review: <\/strong><br \/>\nIn addition to his 47-minute featurette <em>Zero de Conduite<\/em> (1933), Jean Vigo only made one full-length film &#8212; this tale of newlywed bliss and strife &#8212; before his untimely death from lung failure at the age of 29. More a visual &#8220;tone poem&#8221; than a complex narrative (indeed, the dialogue is almost superfluous), <em>L&#8217;Atalante<\/em> tells the simple yet powerful story of newlyweds whose marital happiness is quickly disrupted by Parlo&#8217;s realization that life aboard her husband&#8217;s shipping vessel is cramped, dirty, and boring, and won&#8217;t offer nearly the level of excitement she was hoping for when leaving her provincial home. Fortunately, photogenic Parlo never comes across as shrewish in her demands; rather, she&#8217;s seductively sweet as a true innocent learning about both the wider world and conjugal bliss for the first time. Her scenes with Daste &#8212; they grasp for each other at every chance &#8212; are alternately playful and deeply erotic, effectively depicting the strong sexual tensions holding this couple together despite the challenges they face.<\/p>\n<p>Parlo gains at least some measure of enjoyment from getting to know &#8220;Papa Jules&#8221; (Michel Simon), Daste&#8217;s grizzled shipmate with a penchant for odd curios, and a mild crush on the young bride. Whenever he&#8217;s on-screen, Simon &#8212; only 40 in real life, though his character appears to be older &#8212; dominates the story. Simon was an acknowledged star by this point in his career, and his semi-improvised scenes throughout <em>L&#8217;Atalante<\/em> show why; with his hound dog countenance and clownish demeanor, he&#8217;s both riveting and hilarious to behold. He&#8217;s incorrigible, too &#8212; as indicated in his irreverent retort to Daste when questioned about a photo of a nude woman on his cabin wall: <\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong>Daste:<\/strong> &#8220;What&#8217;s the picture?&#8221;<br \/>\n<strong>Simon:<\/strong> &#8220;Me as a kid!&#8221;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>The true &#8220;stars&#8221; of <em>L&#8217;Atalante<\/em>, however, are Vigo and cinematographer Boris Kaufman (along with composer Maurice Jaubert), who collectively depict some of the most haunting and memorable images in French film history. Notable sequences (just a few among many) include the opening &#8220;wedding march&#8221;; Parlo discovering Simon&#8217;s &#8220;pickled hands&#8221; in a jar; Daste seeing Parlo&#8217;s bridal visage while swimming underwater; and Vigo&#8217;s masterful depiction of the couple reaching out to one another in sleep from their separate beds. <em>L&#8217;Atalante<\/em> makes it clear that Vigo possessed a uniquely poetic voice in cinema; this &#8220;first feature&#8221; is a sad hint of his future genius, had he lived past the age of 30. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Redeeming Qualities and Moments: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>A sweet, sensual depiction of newlywed love<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/08\/atalante-romance2.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/08\/atalante-romance2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-8972\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Michel Simon as Papa Jules<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/08\/atalante-simon.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/08\/atalante-simon.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-8964\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Dita Parlo as Juliette<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/08\/atalante-parlo3.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/08\/atalante-parlo3.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-8966\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Excellent use of naturalistic locales<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/08\/atalante-locales.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/08\/atalante-locales.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-8968\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Boris Kaufman&#8217;s cinematography<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/08\/atalante-cinematography.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/08\/atalante-cinematography.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-8965\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Countless memorable images and scenes<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/08\/atalante-imagery2.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/08\/atalante-imagery2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-8967\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/08\/atalante-hands.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/08\/atalante-hands.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-8969\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/08\/atalante-imagery4.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/08\/atalante-imagery4.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-8970\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/08\/atalante-imagery5.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/08\/atalante-imagery5.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-8971\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Maurice Jaubert&#8217;s playful score<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Must See? <\/strong><br \/>\nYes, as an early classic of French cinema. Listed as a film with Historical Importance and a Personal Recommendation in the back of Peary&#8217;s book. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Categories<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Foreign Gem<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p> (<span style=\"color:red;font-weight:bold;\">Listed in <a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-static\/1001Movies.htm\"><em>1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die<\/em><\/a><\/span>) <\/p>\n<p><strong>Links: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0024844\/\">IMDb entry<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rogerebert.com\/reviews\/great-movie-latalante-1934#:~:text=Jean%20Vigo's%20%22L'Atalante%22,off%20to%20a%20shaky%20start.&#038;text=Truffaut%20saw%20Vigo's%20life%20work,to%20less%20than%20200%20minutes.\">Roger Ebert&#8217;s Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/movies.tvguide.com\/latalante\/review\/103908\">TV Guide Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/wp-srv\/style\/longterm\/movies\/videos\/latalantenrhowe_a0b2b9.htm\">Washington Post Review (Desson Howe)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/wp-srv\/style\/longterm\/movies\/videos\/latalantenrhinson_a0a9b7.htm\">Washington Post Review (Hal Hinson)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.timeout.com\/movies\/latalante-1934\">Time Out Capsule Review<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;Paris, Paris! Oh infamous, marvelous city!&#8221; Synopsis: A pair of young newlyweds (Dita Parlo and Jean Daste) find their happiness threatened when Parlo becomes bored with life aboard Daste&#8217;s barge, L&#8217;Atalante, and desires more excitement in Paris. Genres: At Sea City vs. Country French Films Marital Problems Newlyweds Review: In addition to his 47-minute featurette Zero de Conduite (1933), Jean Vigo only made one full-length film &#8212; this tale of newlywed bliss and strife &#8212; before his untimely death from&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=8960\"> Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8960","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-reviews"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8960","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=8960"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8960\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":66345,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8960\/revisions\/66345"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=8960"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=8960"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=8960"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}