Jacques Rivette

[David Ehrenstein]

I wouldn't call Duelle "talky," exactly. All the dialogue consists of short crisply delivered exchanges in the style of Cocteau, particularly the dialogue he wrote for Bresson's Les Dames du Bois de Boulogne (which is quoted by the film in several contexts.)

English in Noroit consists of quotes from The Revenger's Tragedy. But the primary language in Merry Go Round is English thanks to its star Joe Dallesandro.

[Pinakotheca]

Does the DVD at least have french subtitles? Or just none at all?

[Michael Kerpan]

Duelle has no subtitles at all. Noroit has optional French subtitles right at the beginning -- possibly to compensate for words being drowned out by the environmental noise.

If only the French Rivette DVDs had French subtitles -- oh how much happier I would be. ;~}

[franco]

Amazon.fr seems to sell Duelle, although the 1 to 3 week availability looks fairly suspicious. I got mine from FNAC, and their FedEx thing drove me nuts.

I hardly think that understanding the language would help a viewer's comprehension of the movie, although the information certainly contributes to one's appreciation. Some of Juliet Berto's lines are really funny. I wish there were more scenes with her in the movie, despite her excessive make-up whenever she puts her hair up

[rebelswede]

Duelle has no subtitles at all. Noroit has optional French subtitles right at the beginning -- possibly to compensate for words being drowned out by the environmental noise.

If I remember it correctly, it's because she is speaking english.

Anyone have seen the Japanese DVD of Le Pont du Nord? I'm mostly curious if the Japanese subtitles are hard or soft.

[Michael Kerpan]

Duelle has no subtitles at all. Noroit has optional French subtitles right at the beginning -- possibly to compensate for words being drowned out by the environmental noise.

If I remember it correctly, it's because she is speaking english.

I think even some French lines are subtitled at the beginning -- though it is hard to tell sometimes just what exactly is being said.

[justeleblanc]

Does anyone know when Image's releases of SECRET DEFENSE and GANG OF FOUR when out of print?

[justeleblanc]

BUMP

Does anyone know when Image's releases of SECRET DEFENSE and GANG OF FOUR when out of print?

Also, Lionsgate owns the rights to Jacques Rivette's The Nun.

[justeleblanc]

For what it's worth, the new print of L'Amour Fou, that gorgeous puppy that toured the U.S. is owned by New Yorker Films -- of all companies. I find it ironic that one of the most obnoxious film companies owns the rights to three of Rivette's masterpieces. I think I'm going to start calling their office. Should be fun. Wish me luck.

[domino harvey]

figure out a game plan and I will call as well

[cinemartin]

I don't think that print was new. If it's the same one that played at the NY retro, it's been around for a little while, I think.

[justeleblanc]

I don't think that print was new. If it's the same one that played at the NY retro, it's been around for a little while, I think.

Fair enough, though in comparison to OUT 1, UP DOWN FRAGILE, and LOVE ON THE GROUND, it looked absolutely gorgeous, so I assumed it was new.

[evillights]

I don't think that print was new. If it's the same one that played at the NY retro, it's been around for a little while, I think.

Fair enough, though in comparison to OUT 1, UP DOWN FRAGILE, and LOVE ON THE GROUND, it looked absolutely gorgeous, so I assumed it was new.

I haven't seen either of the prints for 'Up Down Fragile' or 'Love on the Ground' (haven't seen the latter because only the cut version has been circulating at all the recent North American Rivettrospectives), but I have seen 'Out 1' twice, and I thought it looked quite acceptable. That print (err, I guess "those prints" since it's a 12-1/2 hour, 8 episode serial-film) was struck around '89 or '90 for Rotterdam, no?

The first of the recent wave of Rivette screenings that happened in New York — at Anthology last spring/summer — included a print of 'Out 1: Spectre' which was very pink indeed. But it was still sublime, and its condition, I think, only added to the experience, particularly when figuring in piss-breaks that cast one out of the film to run up and down the cacophonous Anthology staircases — très rivettien. Now, the print of 'Out 1: Spectre' during the MoMI series and elsewhere-since is an altogether different beast, according to my friends who have seen it. Word is it's pristine, and involves one in the film in a completely different way than the pink print (an "artifact," I would call it, a time-machine and totally experiential spell straight from avril 1970), obviously. And since we had seen 'Out 1' ('Noli me tangère' although that title has been revoked) once, and then twice, since then, the revelations and engagements with 'Spectre' are, again, something totally different, and maybe even more profound — so I hear.

The print of 'Merry-Go-Round' was also quite pink, although relatively sharp and undamaged. Now that... is a film born of madness. Literally. It's at once the least successful Rivette film (note: for me, every other film in his oeuvre is not just a success, but a resounding one, with 12 or *13* masterpieces), and one of the most fascinating and haunting. Again, it's total cinema, total experience.

(The new print of 'Céline and Julie' is also pristine and a beauty to behold. But, having seen it now on film with the Sénia piano music playing over the end credits, and on DVD multiple times without... I prefer the silence, although I'm not sure which was Rivette's intention. Sans musique the film creates a much more ruminative and unsettling space following the flash of the cat's gaze.)

craig.

[David Ehrenstein]

Rivette thinks Merry Go Round is his worst film.

At the halfway point in the L.A. screening of Out One: Noli Me Tangere.

Beyond Amazing. A tribute to the enduring power of Hawksian mise en scene.

[evillights]

Rivette thinks Merry Go Round is his worst film.

At the halfway point in the L.A. screening of Out One: Noli Me Tangere.

Beyond Amazing. A tribute to the enduring power of Hawksian mise en scene.

Ah, this was this weekend?? Fantastic for all in L.A.! Would love to hear your thoughts David — either here or on a_film_by or email.

craig.

[justeleblanc]

Rivette thinks Merry Go Round is his worst film.

At the halfway point in the L.A. screening of Out One: Noli Me Tangere.

Beyond Amazing. A tribute to the enduring power of Hawksian mise en scene.

David, did you also catch the film in New York when it played in November? (I didn't see you in March when I went.) I'm interested in your new thoughts on the film.

[David Ehrenstein]

Saw the rest last night. (No I didn't see it in New York.)

An absolute masterpiece of masterpieces: right up there with such ultimate films as Playtime, Lola Montes, La Commune, Star Spangled to Death, 8 1/2, The Mother and the Whore (which wouldn't exist without it) and Those Who Love Me Can Take the Train. Essential viewing for anyone who takes the cinema seriously. Quite a different experience that Out 1: Spectre which uses the theater rehearsals as audio-visual punctuation and concentrates on the "plot" of the search for the 13. The 8 episodes are more or less standard feature-length films. Starting with episode two, each one opens with black and white stills and brief black and white replay of the preceding episode's last scene as an aid memoire. But overall the effect is not like a mini series a la Berlin Alexanderplatz.

It's one giant thing unto itself.

The "theme" captures the most May '68 mood much as Paris Nous Appartient capture what Raymond Durgnat called "The H-Bombs Will Drop At Dawn" atmosphere fo the Cold War. Here it's about Utopias come to nought: A mysterious organization, two theater companies trying to stage Prometheus Bound and Seven Against Thebes, and two outsiders who stumble into the whole thing. It's why the Cahiers critics moved from Right to Left. Incredible performances by Jean-Pierre Leaud, Juliet Berto, Michel Lonsdale, Bernadette Laffont, Bulle Ogier (without whom Rivette does not exist), Michelle Moretti, Pierre Baillot, plus telling cameos by Barbet Schroeder, Eric Rohmer (as a Balzac scholar), Jean-Francois Stevenin (as sinister gay hustler who beats up Berto), Michael Delahaye (as an ethnographer/filmmaker clearly meant to evoke Jean Rouch) and many more.

While the length is daunting the actual film in terms of character and dramatic action is not. This is a straightforward as the plan Americain itself -- here revealed to be the essential unit of cinema (Guess what, fans? Chaplin beats Keaton!)

Essential reading: Histoire des 13, La Ventre de Paris (Balzac's book about Les Halles), Benjamin's unfinished Arcades Project, and anything by Georges Bataille, particularly the essays found in Visions of Excess: Selected Writings 1927-1939 (University of Minnesota Press, 1985)

More later.

[justeleblanc]

I've emailed Criterion repeatedly about releasing this title. The impression that I have is that no one at Criterion is that big of a fan of Jacques Rivette, and none of the staff went to Queens to see this film or his other films in November.

Yet they all flew to Germany for the Fassbinder. Is there really any comparison?

[David Ehrenstein]

Criterion isn't the only game in town. Someone's going to put this out of DVD sooner or later. Maybe sooner than we all think.

[Gropius]

Celluloid purists aside, I think there is a good justificiation for putting Out 1 out on DVD (if Satantango can fit on three discs, it could fit on four), especially as it was initially conceived as a TV serial.

[Steven H]

Criterion isn't the only game in town. Someone's going to put this out of DVD sooner or later. Maybe sooner than we all think.

I hope so. Its not coming to my neck of the woods anytime soon, and I've only seen the shoddy Italian subtitled version that's floating around ebay. And struggling through half understanding Italian for a few days can get a bit distracting (even if its still stunning in so many ways).

Rivette's shunning on DVD is ridiculous.

[justeleblanc]

Criterion isn't the only game in town. Someone's going to put this out of DVD sooner or later. Maybe sooner than we all think.

New Yorker is busy trying to get out CELINE AND JULE (and possibly L'AMOUR FOU). I've contacted Lionsgate, Koch, Kino and Masters of Cinema about OUT 1 and I've gotten no response. Do we know who owns the distribution rights to OUT 1 in North America? Is it Barbet Schroeder? Is it Rivette?

[domino harvey]

In all seriousness, how much would it cost to restore and release Out 1 on DVD? Perpee or anyone else in the know/with experience in the field care to guesstimate?

[David Ehrenstein]

The print of Out One currently available is copyrighted 1990 by Stepane Tchalgadjieff, Sunchild Productions. (Those who've seen Out One know what fate awaits him in the film itself.)

Barbet was an associate producer.

I hope more screenings can be arranged because the film should be seen with an audience. The way we drift apart and reassemble at each break mirrors the comings and goings of the characters on screening -- particularly the two acting companies.

[ptmd]

Do we know who owns the distribution rights to OUT 1 in North America? Is it Barbet Schroeder? Is it Rivette?

Nobody owns the distribution rights in North America as it's never been distributed in North America (the only showings have been the ones in New York, Chicago, and now LA over the last year). I also think it's extremely unlikely that it ever will have a distributor. The one circulating print that is making the rounds is also in dire need of restoration work. The sound, in particular, is very problematic.

Rivette has a devoted fanbase who will travel across the country to see this film, but I really don't think there is as much of an audience for this on DVD as there is even for something like Satantango. Rosenbaum aside, the film has received very, very little championing by critics over the years and I think it has next-to-no-name recognition even among the majority of avid cinephiles. Kino is trying to release a DVD version of Out 1: Spectre, but I don't think even they are willing to risk Out 1, especially given the restoration costs involved.

None of this is to suggest that the film shouldn't be released. It really is a towering masterpiece and it deserves to be seen by a wider audience, but the economics of that seem prohibitive to me and I will be genuinely (but pleasantly) surprised if this comes out on DVD.