429-430 The Fire Within and The Lovers
- Highway 61
- Joined: Mon Nov 08, 2004 4:40 pm
A brilliant French professor of mine assigned me to catch a screening of The Lovers three years ago. I had a hopeless crush on her and desperately wanted to impress her, so I showed up early, sat in the front row and everything, yet I couldn't keep my goddamn eyes open. I straight-up told her I'd fallen asleep, and she said she couldn't blame me. Ended up writing about Zazie dans le metro instead. Great film.
- domino harvey
- Dot Com Dom
- Joined: Wed Jan 11, 2006 2:42 pm
An infinitely better film in every respect. Interesting to note that Malle's best films, such as Zazie or My Dinner With Andre, are primarily the cinematic product of their authors. Like the Classical Hollywood workhorse I always associate him with, Malle could turn in excellent work when given the right materials.Highway 61 wrote:Ended up writing about Zazie dans le metro instead. Great film.
- tartarlamb
- Joined: Sun Nov 07, 2004 1:53 am
- Location: Portland, OR
I love this movie. My favorite Malle, and a perfect example of how he was able tackle such an incredible diversity of subject matters and employ such a great variety of styles, while still maintaining the same sincere devotion to the material and the same earnest curiosity in almost every film.
But more importantly, does anyone know what kind of glasses Alain wears?
But more importantly, does anyone know what kind of glasses Alain wears?
- ando
- Bringing Out El Duende
- Joined: Mon Dec 06, 2004 6:53 pm
- Location: New York City
Re: 429-430 The Fire Within and The Lovers
Malle admitted that he would have taken a much darker approach to this material had he made the film later - and I can understand that. Moreau's giggling fit (when her husband is referred to as a "big brown bear") is infectious. The" moonlight lit" trist is a highlight but comes too late to save this unbelievably (for Malle) banal melodrama.
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- Joined: Sun Feb 28, 2016 11:07 pm
Re: 429-430 The Fire Within and The Lovers
Could anyone clarify what exactly is being referred to at 1:30, when Marina says to Alain "Once he gets his divorce" and Alain responds "Bravo. That's true love!"
- Mr Sausage
- Joined: Wed Nov 03, 2004 9:02 pm
- Location: Canada
The Fire Within (Louis Malle, 1963)
DISCUSSION ENDS MONDAY, April 25th
Members have a two week period in which to discuss the film before it's moved to its dedicated thread in The Criterion Collection subforum. Please read the Rules and Procedures.
This thread is not spoiler free. This is a discussion thread; you should expect plot points of the individual films under discussion to be discussed openly. See: spoiler rules.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
I encourage members to submit questions, either those designed to elicit discussion and point out interesting things to keep an eye on, or just something you want answered. This will be extremely helpful in getting discussion started. Starting is always the hardest part, all the more so if it's unguided. Questions can be submitted to me via PM.
Members have a two week period in which to discuss the film before it's moved to its dedicated thread in The Criterion Collection subforum. Please read the Rules and Procedures.
This thread is not spoiler free. This is a discussion thread; you should expect plot points of the individual films under discussion to be discussed openly. See: spoiler rules.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
I encourage members to submit questions, either those designed to elicit discussion and point out interesting things to keep an eye on, or just something you want answered. This will be extremely helpful in getting discussion started. Starting is always the hardest part, all the more so if it's unguided. Questions can be submitted to me via PM.
- domino harvey
- Dot Com Dom
- Joined: Wed Jan 11, 2006 2:42 pm
Re: The Fire Within (Louis Malle, 1963)
Malle is as frustratingly uneven as ever here. I know this film has its fans here, but I found this overly self-serious and mediocre in even its best passages. The languid pacing of the initial human interaction that opens the film never convinced me Malle knew why he was holding too long in the shot, and nothing that came after made me accept the inner turmoil or outer despair of the protagonist as anything other than phony posturing on the part of the filmmaker-- call it emotional slumming. As empty a film as suicide is a gesture
- domino harvey
- Dot Com Dom
- Joined: Wed Jan 11, 2006 2:42 pm
Re: The Fire Within (Louis Malle, 1963)
Has the Film Club finally given up and shot itself in the chest?