Like a lot of long epics, Marcel Carné's Children of Paradise has an intermission. But there's something odd about it. When the intermission is over, Part II begins with a full repeat of Part I's opening credits, which is then followed by a brief summary of Part I's action. Both seem pointless. Carné wanted to … Continue reading Children of Paradise: Mystery of the Second Credits
Tag: french film
Children of Paradise
Something struck me as I watched Children of Paradise Saturday at the Castro. The main characters are, at heart, all extraordinarily selfish. Even when expressing deep and undying love, they're thinking only of their own needs and desires. They want to own the object of their adoration, but they don't see that object as a … Continue reading Children of Paradise
Mon oncle at the PFA
I saw Jacques Tati’s Mon oncle (My Uncle) at the Pacific Film Archive Wednesday night. Playtime is no longer my favorite Tati movie. Mon oncle may be the funniest visual comedy made after the death of silent film. In typical Tati fashion, you sometimes have to think to get the joke, but that only increases … Continue reading Mon oncle at the PFA
Jacques Tati
Jacques Tati deserves his own special throne in the pantheon of comic star/auteurs--not quite beside Chaplin and Keaton, but not far behind them. If you’re not familiar with Tati, now is your chance to make is acquaintance. His five features (six if you include the made-for-TV, shot-on-videotape Parade) will play this month at at the … Continue reading Jacques Tati
Bayflicks 