Le 2 octobre - Ascenseur pour l'Echafaud (Elevator to the Gallows)
Ascenseur pour l'échafaud / Elevator to the gallows
(1958) dir. Louis MALLE
88 min. | In French with English subtitles
Directed by Louis Malle and released in 1958 in France (1961 in the US as Elevator to the Gallows), Ascenseur pour l'Echafaud stars Jeanne Moreau and Maurice Ronet as criminal lovers whose perfect crime begins to unravel when Ronet is trapped in an elevator. The film is often associated by critics with the film noir style, but also introduces techniques so that it can be considered a very important experience at the base of the Nouvelle Vague (French New Wave).
The movie presents also unique and completely new solutions in the history of cinema in the relationship between music and image.
(1958) dir. Louis MALLE
88 min. | In French with English subtitles
Directed by Louis Malle and released in 1958 in France (1961 in the US as Elevator to the Gallows), Ascenseur pour l'Echafaud stars Jeanne Moreau and Maurice Ronet as criminal lovers whose perfect crime begins to unravel when Ronet is trapped in an elevator. The film is often associated by critics with the film noir style, but also introduces techniques so that it can be considered a very important experience at the base of the Nouvelle Vague (French New Wave).
The movie presents also unique and completely new solutions in the history of cinema in the relationship between music and image.
Le 9 octobre - A bout de Souffle (Breathless)
About de souffle / Breathless
(1960) dir. Jean-Luc GODARD
87 min. | In French with English subtitles
Breathless (in French : À bout de souffle) is a 1960 French film directed by Godard, which features himself for the first time. At the time, the film attracted much attention for its bold visual style and the innovative use of jumps cuts.
Michel (Jean-Paul Belmondo) is a young petty criminal who models himself on the film persona of Humphrey Bogart. After stealing a car in Marseille, Michel shoots a policeman who has followed him onto a country road. Penniless and on the run from the police, he turns to his American girlfriend Patricia (Jean Seberg), a student and aspiring journalist, who sells the Herald Tribune in Paris. The ambivalent Patricia unwittingly hides him in her apartment as he simultaneously tries to seduce her and call in a loan to fund their escape to Italy.
Breathless, together with François Truffaut's The 400 Blows (in our theater last august) and Alain Resnais's Hiroshima, Mon Amour, both released a year earlier, brought international acclaim to the French New Wave, as one of the first and most influential films of this movement.
(1960) dir. Jean-Luc GODARD
87 min. | In French with English subtitles
Breathless (in French : À bout de souffle) is a 1960 French film directed by Godard, which features himself for the first time. At the time, the film attracted much attention for its bold visual style and the innovative use of jumps cuts.
Michel (Jean-Paul Belmondo) is a young petty criminal who models himself on the film persona of Humphrey Bogart. After stealing a car in Marseille, Michel shoots a policeman who has followed him onto a country road. Penniless and on the run from the police, he turns to his American girlfriend Patricia (Jean Seberg), a student and aspiring journalist, who sells the Herald Tribune in Paris. The ambivalent Patricia unwittingly hides him in her apartment as he simultaneously tries to seduce her and call in a loan to fund their escape to Italy.
Breathless, together with François Truffaut's The 400 Blows (in our theater last august) and Alain Resnais's Hiroshima, Mon Amour, both released a year earlier, brought international acclaim to the French New Wave, as one of the first and most influential films of this movement.
Le 16 octobre - Plein Soleil (Purple Noon)
Plein Soleil / Purple Noon
(1960) dir. René CLEMENT
115 min. | In French with English subtitles
Purple Noon (in French : Plein Soleil), is a 1960 film based on the book The talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith. It stars Alain Delon in his first major film. We can notice that Romy Schneider appears briefly in an uncredited role as Freddie Miles' companion.
Tom Ripley (Delon) has been sent to Italy to persuade his wealthy friend, Philippe Greenleaf (Maurine Ronet), to return to the United States and take over his father's business. Philippe intends to do no such thing, however, and the impoverished Tom enjoys living a life of luxury, so the two men essentially spend money all day and carouse all night. Tom is fixated on Philippe and his girlfriend Marge (Marie Laforêt), and covets the other man's life. The spoiled, arrogant Philippe eventually grows bored with his friend's fawning and becomes cruel and abusive to him. The final straw is when, during a yatching trip, Philippe strands Tom in the dinghy and leaves him to lie in the sun for hours.
Back on board, Tom hatches a plan to kill Philippe and steal his identity...
The film's source novel was adapted again in 1999, this time under the original title and directed by Anthony Minghella, starring Matt Damon, Jude Law and Gwyneth Paltrow.
(1960) dir. René CLEMENT
115 min. | In French with English subtitles
Purple Noon (in French : Plein Soleil), is a 1960 film based on the book The talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith. It stars Alain Delon in his first major film. We can notice that Romy Schneider appears briefly in an uncredited role as Freddie Miles' companion.
Tom Ripley (Delon) has been sent to Italy to persuade his wealthy friend, Philippe Greenleaf (Maurine Ronet), to return to the United States and take over his father's business. Philippe intends to do no such thing, however, and the impoverished Tom enjoys living a life of luxury, so the two men essentially spend money all day and carouse all night. Tom is fixated on Philippe and his girlfriend Marge (Marie Laforêt), and covets the other man's life. The spoiled, arrogant Philippe eventually grows bored with his friend's fawning and becomes cruel and abusive to him. The final straw is when, during a yatching trip, Philippe strands Tom in the dinghy and leaves him to lie in the sun for hours.
Back on board, Tom hatches a plan to kill Philippe and steal his identity...
The film's source novel was adapted again in 1999, this time under the original title and directed by Anthony Minghella, starring Matt Damon, Jude Law and Gwyneth Paltrow.
Le 23 octobre - Le Doulos
Le Doulos
(1962) dir. Jean-Pierre MELVILLE
108 min. | In French with English subtitles
Starring Jean-Paul Belmondo, Le Doulos is based on a novel by Pierre Lescou. While the film comes before Melville’s masterpieces of the genre, Le Samouraï (1967) and Le Cercle Rouge (1970), one can unmistakably observe several of Melville’s trademark techniques in this film. Intertitles at the beginning of the film explain that its title refers both to a kind of hat, and to the slang term for a police informer.
The narrative unfolds through two characters, Maurice and Silien, and consistently switches back and forth between them, leading the audience to grasp randomly for a distinct main character or hero (despite the fact that both are criminal anti-heroes). Through Maurice and Silien’s actions, the film explores just how deeply qualities such as friendship and loyalty run.
Le Doulos begins by introducing the audience to Maurice, an ex-con, just released from prison after serving a six-year sentence. He then murders his friend, Gilbert, and steals the jewels he had been hiding. Shortly afterwards, Maurice plans a heist of a rich man’s estate and shares his plan with Silien, who is rumored to be a police informant. Silien is later picked up and questioned by the police. The film unfolds from there, incorporating a number of plot twists revealed through Melville’s traditionally styled hard-boiled dialogue and picturesque visuals.
(1962) dir. Jean-Pierre MELVILLE
108 min. | In French with English subtitles
Starring Jean-Paul Belmondo, Le Doulos is based on a novel by Pierre Lescou. While the film comes before Melville’s masterpieces of the genre, Le Samouraï (1967) and Le Cercle Rouge (1970), one can unmistakably observe several of Melville’s trademark techniques in this film. Intertitles at the beginning of the film explain that its title refers both to a kind of hat, and to the slang term for a police informer.
The narrative unfolds through two characters, Maurice and Silien, and consistently switches back and forth between them, leading the audience to grasp randomly for a distinct main character or hero (despite the fact that both are criminal anti-heroes). Through Maurice and Silien’s actions, the film explores just how deeply qualities such as friendship and loyalty run.
Le Doulos begins by introducing the audience to Maurice, an ex-con, just released from prison after serving a six-year sentence. He then murders his friend, Gilbert, and steals the jewels he had been hiding. Shortly afterwards, Maurice plans a heist of a rich man’s estate and shares his plan with Silien, who is rumored to be a police informant. Silien is later picked up and questioned by the police. The film unfolds from there, incorporating a number of plot twists revealed through Melville’s traditionally styled hard-boiled dialogue and picturesque visuals.
Le 30 octobre - Le Cercle Rouge
Le Cercle Rouge
(1970) dir. Jean-Pierre MELVILLE
140 min. | In French with English subtitles
Le Cercle rouge (meaning The Red Circle) is a 1970 crime film set in Paris. Directed by Jean-Pierre Melville, it stars Alain Delon, André Bourvil, Gian Maria Volonté and Yves Montand.
After five years of prison in Marseille, Corey is about to be released when, on the eve of his departure, the warden of the prison offers him a "deal". Upon his release, Corey is quick to find one of his old buddies. Bitter, it takes two accomplices to recover his money. The two men find Corey playing alone in a
pool hall. The reckoning ends with a shot instantly killing one of the gunmen. Just before the shooting, Corey (Delon) grabs a pool cue and a red chalk, traces a red circle before dispersing the balls.
This movie is perhaps best known for its final heist sequence which is about half an hour in length.
(1970) dir. Jean-Pierre MELVILLE
140 min. | In French with English subtitles
Le Cercle rouge (meaning The Red Circle) is a 1970 crime film set in Paris. Directed by Jean-Pierre Melville, it stars Alain Delon, André Bourvil, Gian Maria Volonté and Yves Montand.
After five years of prison in Marseille, Corey is about to be released when, on the eve of his departure, the warden of the prison offers him a "deal". Upon his release, Corey is quick to find one of his old buddies. Bitter, it takes two accomplices to recover his money. The two men find Corey playing alone in a
pool hall. The reckoning ends with a shot instantly killing one of the gunmen. Just before the shooting, Corey (Delon) grabs a pool cue and a red chalk, traces a red circle before dispersing the balls.
This movie is perhaps best known for its final heist sequence which is about half an hour in length.