“First of all, I don’t know what I want to do; and second of all, I keep changing my mind!”
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“Dear God, by whose mercy I am shielded for a few hours, let no one snatch me from this heaven.”
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— is completely convincing as a 22-year-old with the mind of a child; but it’s Taylor who really cements the story: while her performance gets off to a bumpy start, we’re soon captivated by her increasingly nuanced portrayal as a self-sufficient prostitute who knows a good deal when she sees it, yet can’t help feeling genuine maternal concern for Cenci. Despite its flaws, Secret Ceremony offers enough provocative moments to make it worth checking out. Redeeming Qualities and Moments:
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“From Apple to Suzanne, from Suzanne to Apple, this little postal traffic was a sign of a deep and rather inexplicable friendship.”
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Yet the film on a whole is so goodhearted and idealistic that one hesitates to fault it (or Varda) very harshly; it’s best viewed as a quaint if dated fable of womanhood and grassroots feminism. Redeeming Qualities and Moments:
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“I’m afraid of everything — birds, storms, lifts, needles — and now, this great fear of death.”
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Cleo (a stage name, short for “Cleopatra”) is clearly a pampered woman, someone who is inordinately obsessed with her own appearance and self-worth; early in the film, she petulantly demands that a taxi driver turn off the radio when one of her hit songs is on (complaining about its technical quality):
… then later, in a cafe, punches her song into the jukebox machine and pouts when no one seems to be listening.
In essence, she’s not a very likable protagonist, and this is the film’s primary fault — despite Cleo’s potentially life-threatening disease, we never feel much sympathy for her, and can’t help wondering whether the entire affair is simply a psychosomatic plea for attention.
Over the course of the film, Cleo evolves ever so slightly, even taking off her fancy hairpiece and allowing a strange soldier to flirt with her and learn her real name:
By this time, however, it’s too late, and one leaves the film with more memories of Cleo’s excursions throughout Paris than of Cleo herself. Redeeming Qualities and Moments:
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(Listed in 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die) Links: |
“All hell’s broke loose in town; nobody knows what’s going on!”
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— to escape and defend themselves; but there’s no telling when the virus may catch them as well. Despite its occasionally uneven narrative, this bleak, timely cautionary tale (remade in 2010) is well worth a look. Redeeming Qualities and Moments:
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“If I’m going to write him in, I hope to find out what he’s about.”
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… Caine is adequate at best, and Berger is inexplicably stiff as a shady character whose motivations are never fully explained.
The entire story is framed as a sort of “what’s real? what’s not?” exploration, with Caine’s attempt to generate grist for his new novel conveniently propelling the action — but the central problem is that we simply don’t care much about any of these characters or their affairs of the heart. Redeeming Qualities and Moments:
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“According to the Bible, Man was created on the Earth. Nothing is ever mentioned of his going to other planets. Not one blessed word.”
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Review: Redeeming Qualities and Moments:
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“One must replace vague ideas with clear images.”
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Response to Peary’s Review: Redeeming Qualities and Moments:
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“All the girls I know are absolutely weird… They don’t want to make love with me. I’ve tried everything! I guess I just don’t understand women.”
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… who discovers that older women — rather than virginal co-eds — are the ticket to sexual bliss; it’s a mildly intriguing premise, but one which never develops into anything more complex. Andras’s first (mutual) “conquest”, Karen Black, is by far the most interesting female character in the film:
… but after Andras cruelly cheats on her, she’s out of the picture. The central problem is that Andras simply isn’t a very likable character — he’s a player, and not ashamed to admit it, but why should we care about him or his life? Redeeming Qualities and Moments:
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“Francois, listen to me – you’ve got to do something. Help me!”
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Review: In characteristic New Wave style, the narrative in Le Beau Serge is rather loose, with more of an emphasis on characters, setting, and philosophical contemplation than straightforward action. While it’s never made clear exactly why Francois is so determined to “save” his friend, it’s hinted that he may be driven by a sentiment of “there but for the grace of God…” — indeed, rural life in the film is depicted as narrow and limited, with sexy Marie (Lafont) channeling all her energy into the pursuit of men, and Serge giving up his dream of an architecture career for life as a husband and truck driver. Does Chabrol intend for us to pity the lives of these “simple” characters? It’s hard to tell, but the film’s baroquely allegorical ending — which posits Francois as a sort of Christian martyr — seems to label the townsfolk as somehow needing salvation. Despite its narrative flaws and ambiguities, however, Le Beau Serge remains an oddly compelling character study, one which clearly demonstrates Chabrol’s passion, talent, and dedication to the craft of filmmaking. Note: Chabrol returned to the theme of country-versus-city in his next film, Les Cousins (1959), in which country-boy Blain comes to stay with his more urbane — and infinitely less sympathetic — cousin (Brialy) in Paris. Redeeming Qualities and Moments:
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