Two By Melville Tonight

[slaytonf]

Not the most prolific filmmaker, and not the best known of French directors.  But even in his not-so-good films, he gives us something worthwhile to see.  TCM has shown one of his films before (Un Flic, with Alain Delon on his SUTS day, last year).  But not his best.  He was better than most at evoking the atmosphere of American film noir, especially in Bob le Flambeur, and Les Doulos.  Tonight we have a good one (Le Silence de la Mer), and a better one (Les Enfants Terribles).  The second will likely not be better appreciated, as is more a psychological examination, and therefore character driven.  The first is more a straight-forward plot-driven war story, though with better characterization than usual.

[mr6666]

Not the most prolific filmmaker, and not the best known of French directors.  But even in his not-so-good films, he gives us something worthwhile to see.  TCM has shown one of his films before (Un Flic, with Alain Delon on his SUTS day, last year).  But not his best.  He was better than most at evoking the atmosphere of American film noir, especially in Bob le Flambeur, and Les Doulos.  Tonight we have a good one (Le Silence de la Mer), and a better one (Les Enfants Terribles).  The second will likely not be better appreciated, as is more a psychological examination, and therefore character driven.  The first is more a straight-forward plot-driven war story, though with better characterization than usual.

 

Anyone catch these 2 terrific films on 'Imports' last night?

Well-done, very moving and both thought-provoking.

Great picks, little known films by director (Jean-Pierre Melville) I hadn't known before.

[mr6666]

Not the most prolific filmmaker, and not the best known of French directors.  But even in his not-so-good films, he gives us something worthwhile to see.  TCM has shown one of his films before (Un Flic, with Alain Delon on his SUTS day, last year).  But not his best.  He was better than most at evoking the atmosphere of American film noir, especially in Bob le Flambeur, and Les Doulos.  Tonight we have a good one (Le Silence de la Mer), and a better one (Les Enfants Terribles).  The second will likely not be better appreciated, as is more a psychological examination, and therefore character driven.  The first is more a straight-forward plot-driven war story, though with better characterization than usual.

 

Anyone catch these 2 terrific films on 'Imports' last night?

Well-done, very moving and both thought-provoking.

Great picks, little known films by director (Jean-Pierre Melville) I hadn't known before.

[kingrat]

I loved both LE SILENCE DE LA MER and LES ENFANTS TERRIBLES. Many thanks to TCM for showing these two films which are not readily available. For instance, our local public library has three or four Melville films, such as LE SAMOURAI, but not these two.

 

LE SILENCE DE LA MER would make a great double feature with either PERSONA or Cocteau's BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (hint to programmers). LES ENFANTS TERRIBLES catches that moment in adolescence when everything, including sexuality, is shapeless and volatile, intense and inconsistent.