A tribute to Emmanuelle Béart

Autumn's already flooding-in after a rather indifferent English summer. Here's something to hopefully cheer things up a bit - a video tribute to prolific actress and one of the most recognisable faces from France, the beautiful and talented Emmanuelle Béart.

One couldn't fit in Ms. Béart's entire filmography in a tribute for very obvious reasons, but at least some of the ones used are memorable, it covers a decent span of her career.

Here's a little guide to films and their directors from which the scenes were taken:

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  Ça commence par la fin - (husband) Michaël Cohen
• La Répétition - Catherine Corsini
• Les Égarés - André Téchiné
• Histoire de Marie et Julien - Jacques Rivette
• Manon des Sources - Claude Berri
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  La Belle Noiseuse - Jacques Rivette

The Soundtrack is one I'd fallen in love with ever since I saw the François Truffaut classic "Jules et Jim" some twenty years ago. Legendary Jeanne Moreau herself sang the utterly charming "Le tourbillon de la vie", which by the way also encapsulates that entire film. Odd choice, perhaps, but what better way to serenade a gorgeous and talented actress than by another exemplary actress. Inspired me nevertheless... :)

Download Links:
Mirror 1 | Mirror 2 | Mirror 3
(unpack with Winrar)

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Reflections on Jacques Rivette's "La Belle Noiseuse" [1991 France]

Jacques Rivette is one of the very few nouvelle vague directors who is impossible to pigeon-hole - he has consistently experimented with cinema using different genres, techniques, and narratives, embodying the true spirit of French New Wave itself.

At first glance, his epic four-hour "La Belle Noiseuse" appears to follow an artist's journey through the course of a painting. Which it nevertheless does, in exquisite detail. It explores artist Frenhofer's quest for capturing the essence of his subject - 'La belle noiseuse' loosely translates as 'the beautiful troublemaker', alluding to a late medieval French courtesan who was coined the aforementioned epithet. A quest that also cannot be carried out alone - the artist needs to discover it through his model, and hence a journey that they should together undertake. The film also delves into the artist's frame of mind, his dilemmas, and moral compulsions - he is after all also justifying a purpose, after his agent persuades him to restart a painting that he'd already given up ten years earlier. The last time he pursued it with his wife as model, in his words, "it was either the painting or my marriage - I chose the latter". He hasn't painted since.

The chosen model, Marriane, girlfriend of a young artist and admirer of Frenhofer, agrees to pose for the resumed project reluctantly at first, but her indignant and cocooned self is subsequently forced open through her sittings for Frenhofer. And along with her inhibitions, Marriane also begins to shed her earlier preconceived notions and denials - she begins to feel liberated, which will inevitably also influence decisions in her personal life henceforth. Frenhofer will also conceive through Marriane his 'La belle noiseuse', and it will turn out to be an image that no one expected, nor even wanted to see...

Frenhofer rigorously working through his drawings - as fascinating as it is to watch, does get a bit tedious after a while, and Marriane's contortionist poses in the nude also lose its novelty rather quickly. If a film had meandered along for four hours by emphasising repetitively what has already been implied before, just to tell a story, one might be forgiven for considering it pretentious. But thankfully, that is not Rivette's main goal in the film. Rivette himself is the artist here and like Frenhofer, is going through several raw sketches of his own to understand his subject, which is also the same as Frenhofer's. It is Rivette using film as his sketchbook and canvas. In just the same way that Frenhofer's final creation is not of great interest to him save the creative journey itself (even the audience don't get to see the finished painting), what Rivette had captured through acres of film is less important to him than the film making process itself. That doesn't mean he didn't really care what he shot - far from it, every shot is thoughtfully chosen, every nuance captured with Rivette's customary attention to detail, and every actor (including the cat) make a perfectly orchestrated entrance. Rivette might just as well be the film's Frenhofer squeezing the soul out of his models, forcing them to strike testing poses, and pushing them as much as he's pushing himself. A clue to his intentions is in the way he keeps reminding us that we are watching something that is being 'filmed'! Not only do we often watch from a viewpoint that doesn't belong to any of the protagonists, we even get to see parts of the filming equipment from time to time, and also some visibly apparent improvisations with dialogue - we are watching the film 'being made'.

This is where the "shorter" version of the film released a year later, "La belle Noiseuse - Divertimento" requires mentioning. When I suggested above that Rivette has used film as his sketchbook and canvas, it wasn't my being spoilt for choice between two words for completing a sentence as sometimes is the case - if "La Belle Noiseuse" is the sketchbook, Rivette's "La Belle Noiseuse - Divertimento" is his finished canvas. In the latter, not only do we see the seemingly repetitive elements/strokes removed, it also incorporates the most ideal film compositions for advancing the narrative, the best takes in terms of acting, and the ideal marriage of visuals and dialogues, all coming together to give us a more 'complete' cinema experience. A typical example is in the passage of play relating to Frenhofer's usage of the earlier unfinished painting as canvas for the new painting - while the earlier work's defacement is shown explicitly and also argued over in depth by his wife in the longer version, the shorter version gets the same message across using the argument alone with barely a hint of the unfinished painting's defacement.

In terms of performance, Michel Piccoli as Frenhofer is the artist himself - to the effect that when I first viewed this film some fifteen years ago, I thought Mr. Piccoli was an accomplished painter himself. An artist's restlessness and self-centred quest for the unknown is vividly brought to life by one of the finest actors in French cinema. This was also the first of many collaborations between an up-and-coming Emmanuelle Béart and Jacques Rivette - one that will stand the test of time. Ms. Béart fits into her character like a glove, and brings forth the vulnerability and confusion of her character hitherto hidden beneath her tough exterior with aplomb.

Among the films of Jacques Rivette that I've had the pleasure to see, this may not be my absolute favourite - that'll be my next Rivette, but "La belle noiseuse" still has its unique charms and is worthy of mention in his remarkable body of work. Borrowing the analogy of films to artworks and how masterpieces are looked at in general, while the longer version (with transitional sketches) is for the connoisseur, the shorter version (finished and framed canvas) is for the enthusiast. We have a choice - both may be the same film, but are distinctive nevertheless, and Highly Recommended Viewing..!

Amazon DVD Link (Longer version)
This is a beautiful Artificial Eye 3-Disc release with one whole disc dedicated to interviews and behind-the-scenes footage.

Amazon DVD Link (Abridged version)
Again from Artificial Eye, this excellent 3-Disc box-set titled The French Collection Volume 4 - Emmanuelle Béart features two other brilliant films of Ms. Béart - Les Témoins, and Histoire de Marie et Julien, both already reviewed in the blog. Three classics from two great directors - now that's value for money.

 

Compilation: Emmanuelle Béart and Michel Piccoli
Enhanced to 720p, this special film is certainly worth the effort, me thinks.



Scene Guide:

• Marianne isn't too pleased to learn that her boyfriend had already agreed on her behalf to pose for veteran artist Frenhofer's forthcoming masterpiece. Marianne is magnificently played by the beautiful and expressive Emmanuelle Béart.
• Marianne's first nervous session with Frenhofer, played by one of Europe's finest actors, Michel Piccoli.
• A sampler-collage taken from different scenes to give an indication of the growing trust and bond between artist and model.

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Emmanuelle Béart in "Les Égarés" [2003 France]

For all its originality and haunting imagery, the wartime drama "Les Égarés" [Eng. Title: Strayed] from André Téchiné remains one of his most underrated films. Much like a summer storm - it is idyllic one moment and nasty another, we won't know how the film is going to end until the last few frames. From a Louis Malle style pace, it swings to the other extreme where events are rushed through, but they will nevertheless linger in your mind long after - there is a clear intention in the seeming chaos.

Storyline:
Set in 1940 when France is invaded by Germany, we watch newly widowed Odile and her two young children Philippe and Cathy in a slow-moving convoy of refugees heading south. They are in their own motorcar, and hoping they're on the road to safety - until they get strafed by a German plane (this is a very well shot scene). Out of nowhere a youth with sheared-off hair appears and ushers them to safety in the woods just as their car is blown apart. After a night's sleep in the open "like animals", the youth, Yvan discovers an abandoned villa and takes the family to live there. He also forages from a nearby abandoned village and hunts rabbits to provide food for the family, in the process becoming the de facto man of the house. Odile and the children cope remarkably well, considering their grief, loss and displacement, and a strange tranquil descends upon the house when the world outside is in utter chaos. During this time Yvan also clumsily proposes to Odile. But there's a feeling of unease that this tranquillity couldn't last for ever, and it doesn't. Their first 'threat' comes in the form of two French soldiers returning from the war, who decide to stay in the villa for the night. Yvan, fearing that they've come to capture him, refuses to return home. We are now provided a hint about the mysterious Yvan, is he escaping from law? But Odile handles the soldiers deftly on her own, and just when they'd seen them off, another threat arrives, after France had fallen to Germany...

I cannot quite praise this accomplished film enough - right from the direction and cinematography to the performances by the main cast - Emmanuelle Béart is particularly magnificent as the complex and charming Odile, and a young Gaspard Ulliel impresses as the impetuous yet resourceful and well-intentioned Yvan. This film is without doubt a classic, and Highly Recommended Viewing..!

Amazon DVD Link




Compilation: Emmanuel Béart and Gaspard Ulliel



Scene Guide:

• Odile is in the bath after they've turned squatters in an abandoned villa. Odile is played by the talented and beautiful Emmanuelle Béart.
• This is a remarkable sex scene where a lot is revealed implicitly. When Odile and Yvan have sex for the first time, it is in the open - their sexual tension had been building up over a period, which is all let loose when the unwelcome guests - a couple of retreating French soldiers, decide to leave. Not only will we learn Yvan has never seen a woman naked before, but also this is not his first sexual intercourse either - after he asks Odile permission for taking her from behind, the way he's used to! :)

Off-topic: After one more Ms. Béart film review, it will be time for the blog's very own Emmanuelle Béart tribute compilation. ;)

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Emmanuelle Béart in "Histoire de Marie et Julien" [2003 France, Italy]

Jacques Rivette is definitely one of the influential directors of the Nouvelle Vague, even if he's probably lesser known than the likes of Godard and Chabrol outside of France. His style is telling a story through observation - you get to know the characters through a series of vignettes performing seemingly mundane and sometimes repetitive tasks. Consequently his films tend to be long, sometimes stretching into several hours, and demands a greater attention span from its audience. Dreams and visions are one of his frequently explored themes. I wouldn't call his style experimental, but one can say with certainty that he will spare little time for those less informed.

But he is also a fine example of how great directors themselves draw inspiration from others, in his case from all over the world including Hollywood greats such as Otto Preminger and Alfred Hitchcock. Like Rohmer and Roeg, he didn't start making feature films until after many years in the industry, and had worked under legends like Renoir and Becker before venturing out on his own.

I'll start Rivette's filmography here with one of his later films, the fantasy drama "Histoire de Marie et Julien" [Eng. Title: The Story of Marie and Julien], one that was also in gestation for close to three decades. In an insightful interview among the DVD extras, he describes the extent to which his lead actors influenced not only the screenplay, but the script as well - his original plan had Leslie Caron and Albert Finney play the lead roles, but took on a different shape when Emmanuelle Béart and Jerzy Radziwilowicz were finally cast for the production. Ms. Béart too explains her input into the characterisation. While it is a fine film that rewards one with patience, this isn't actually my favourite Rivette. This is also one for Emmanuelle Béart completists. But if you're a die-hard Rivette enthusiast, the film is Highly Recommended Viewing..!




Recommended Amazon DVD Link
This was taken from my Artificial Eye "French Collection" box-set 4, focussing on Emmanuelle Béart. While it also includes Rivette and Béart's previous collaboration "La Belle Noiseuse", you must bear in mind that it is the abridged version - half the length of its original four hour run-time, but also the version I most enjoyed.




Storyline:
If revenants speaking in Gaelic are your thing, this is pretty much up your alley. Julien, a middle aged clocksmith keeps dreaming about a woman he met a while ago, Marie - she was with a boyfriend at the time. But Marie has died since and suddenly reappears to embark on a sensual relationship with Julien. For all intents and purposes, she's real, save the tiny detail that she can't or won't shed a tear nor bleed when cut, even if she could obtain physical orgasm in full flow. An ideal scenario, a man might think - an attractive woman who doesn't complain (cry) nor need taking care of (cottonwoolled), but one readily available for sexual pleasure. Until this pesky little thing called 'love' creeps in. And when Julien learns the fate of the 'real' Marie, one or the other has to crossover to the other side to stay together. Who will it be - Julien, or Marie? Only time will tell...




Compilation: Emmanuelle Béart



Scene Guide:

• Marie is always the one with the initiative, and Julien the willing participant. Marie is played by an intense Emmanuelle Béart.
• There's not much nudity here - just a long conversation piece where they describe together a sensual dream. So I left the subtitles on for this scene to save time describing.
• More sensual dream-sharing between Marie and Julien, seemingly somewhere from the Celtic period.

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Emmanuelle Béart in "Les Témoins" [2007 France]

Director of repute André Téchiné's "Les Témoins" [Eng. Title: The Witnesses] may not be his finest film, but it still oozes his customary class. The film is intelligently written and meticulously crafted, be it the direction, photography, sound, editing, acting, or the casting - it is an inspired choice indeed to have chosen Emmanuelle Béart to play the part of Sarah, a children's book author who isn't particularly fond of children - she's an ambivalent mother herself.

Set in the early 80's when the world woke up to a new reality called AIDS, the film's narrative is given by Sarah as she writes the story of Manu, a young gay lad recently arrived in Paris, one who acquaints himself with her family through her best friend - a doctor who's gay himself. The narrative follows Manu's life as he becomes ones of the early casualties of the dreaded disease. The characterisations are quite unconventional, but Téchiné handles them delicately enough to ensure it doesn't look like a gimmick. He stays honest to his intentions which is to explore happiness and love from different perspectives, and allows the viewer to draw his own conclusions. Needless to say, Highly Recommended Viewing..!




Compilation: Emmanuelle Béart and Julie Depardieu
The scenes here are mostly of Sarah, played by Emmanuelle Béart, except for one of Manu's sister Julie, played by the fine actress Julie Depardieu.



Scene Guide:

• Sarah admits to police officer-husband Medi her desire to have some time away from the baby. He tells her off, but they make up soon after.
• Brief scene of Julie with brother Manu - he's staying in her flat until he could find his feet in Paris. Julie tells Manu that his nakedness doesn't bother her, but is concerned of him ogling at her every morning. He admits he's only curious as he's not had the opportunity to see women in the nude.
• Medi watches Sarah in the shower, and asks her out of the blue if she's had any affairs since they got married. She matter-of-factly admits that she sees her editor now and again. She also tells him that she knew he might also be having the odd fling, but is nevertheless confident of his love for her.
• Medi finds it hard to perform with a condom - when Sarah asks him why he's using them all of a sudden, he tells his shocked wife that he's waiting for some test results, until which it is best to be on the safe.side. He makes his apologies and leaves.
• After the tests turn out negative, a relieved Medi returns home and asks Sarah whether she'd still like to have him around. The scene is actually beautifully written and executed.

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Emmanuelle Béart in "Ça Commence par la Fin" [2010 France]

I was going to start the lovely Emmanuelle Béart's filmography with some better known classics, but after Johan's email request, decided to start with one of her more recent films, "Ça commence par la fin" [Eng. Trans: It Starts from the End].

A film directed, written and co-stared by Ms. Béart's real-life husband - actor Michael Cohen, it starts with Jean meeting Gabrielle at a party - they had separated a year ago after an intense relationship. The film explores this relationship in reverse order, trying to piece together the reasons why it ended. I haven't read Cohen's novel upon which this film is based - but I felt the film, while trying to be innovative, fails to develop its characters fully. We can see what the film is trying to say - that there is still scope for this couple to get back together as they were still in love when they decided to separate. But the audience won't care much less as we don't get to connect with them at all. There's hardly any romance even towards the end - their bond is depicted through extended and repetitive sex scenes, which in itself isn't enough.

While technically it is competent, the film as whole doesn't work for me. The cinematography could be a lot better - especially the outdoor night scenes of Paris, which evokes neither romance nor nostalgia. Perhaps there is a great story waiting to be told, and may be better screenplay and direction would have made this into something special.

As you may have guessed, there are several instances of nudity or partial nudity by Emmanuelle Béart who plays Gabrielle, but I've included only the first scene - probably the only one worth watching. Jean visits Gabrielle after their chance encounter following their breakup a year ago. It is rumoured that this is an unsimulated sex scene - I can't tell for certain, but then again there's no reason why it couldn't be - Béart and Cohen are after all real-life partners. The scene was cut from a DVD.





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