January 12, 2010

"Classic and romantic, wise and iconoclastic, light and serious, sentimental and moralistic..."

"... he created the ‘Rohmer’ style, which will outlive him," said Nicolas Sarkozy, on the occasion of the death, at age 89, of the film director Eric Rohmer.
“My Night at Maud’s” was the third title in his “Six Moral Tales,” a series of films that Mr. Rohmer began in 1963, though for economic reasons it was the fourth to be filmed. In each of the six films, a man who is married or committed to a woman finds himself tempted to stray but is ultimately able to resist. His films are as much about what does not happen between his characters as what does, a tendency that enchanted critics as often as it drove audience members to distraction.
I sat through "My Night at Maud's" and other Rohmer films back in the 1970s. I can't say that I enjoyed myself very much, but it was the sort of thing one did back then and does not do today.

10 comments:

vbspurs said...

SAD! One of my favourite directors! He had one of those bang-bang-bang careers with successive successes: Ma Nuit Chez Maud, Le genou de Claire, L'amour l'après-midi. He was really cooking for a while.

RIP Eric.

Cheers,
Victoria

traditionalguy said...

When I read the post's headline, I thought it was about this Blog. It fits. If Rhomer had chosen to do a blog instead of films,would he have have had a big following?

vbspurs said...

Incidentally, Sarko is trying to rebury Albert Camus amongst the other giants of French history like Voltaire, Victor Hugo, and Pasteur, in Paris' Panthéon.

Since Camus rethought his previous Communist past, typically, TYPICALLY the French leftists are trying to block Sarkozy from putting Camus where he belongs.

Unfortunately, this includes Camus' son, Jean...

(His still-living twin sister disagrees, and wishes for the reburial)

Cheers,
Victoria

vbspurs said...

My word, that was quick. Congrats TradGuy, Althouse just put your comment on her masthead!

Widmerpool said...

Watched La collectionneuse yesterday - pure coincidence. Consistently watchable films - for adults! RIP

vbspurs said...

A Rohmer retrospective, via Youtube:

Ma Nuit Chez Maud.

Includes the iconic opening credits scene, when Trintignan drives his 1963 Citroën around Clermont-Ferrand, a haunting, trainwhistle sound and image.

La Collectioneuse.

The most intellectualising director of the human body, that perhaps ever existed. That's the beautiful Haydée Politoff, BTW.

For Widmerpool.

La boulangère de Monceau.

Rohmer made the voice over his trademark.

L'amour l'apres-midi.

The reveries of men.

Cheers,
Victoria

michael farris said...

Rohmer has long been a huge favorite of mine, one of the few directors who's able to make conversation into a great spectacle.

There are some duds (I didn't much like Pauline at the beach and found le beau mariage frustrating because it seemed like half a story - as Pauline Kael wrote I wanted to see her learn from her mistakes and start doing things right).

But I lurve My night at Maud's, Love in the afternoon, Claire's Knee, The Aviator's Wife and the Green Ray (whose awkward, infuriating heroine ends up hopeful despite herself).

Less mindless explosions and CGI! more plotless movies with French people talking about the meaning of life!!!

veni vidi vici said...

I prefer Sax Rohmer.





wv: "ovendea" -- Get your head out of the...

rcocean said...

Mixed feelings on his films. Loved some, didn't like others. Loved:

-Claire's Knee
-Night at Maude's
-Love in the Afternoon

Didn't like:

-Pauline at the Beach
-The Collector

Palladian said...

"Incidentally, Sarko is trying to rebury Albert Camus amongst the other giants of French history like Voltaire, Victor Hugo, and Pasteur, in Paris' Panthéon.

Since Camus rethought his previous Communist past, typically, TYPICALLY the French leftists are trying to block Sarkozy from putting Camus where he belongs."

He's the only one of the existentialist crowd who could actually write. Ever try to actually read Sartre? Can you say didactic and turgid? And a filthy commie to boot, along with his horrid wife.