Claire Denis on DVD
- franco
- Joined: Wed Nov 03, 2004 7:32 pm
- Location: Vancouver
Edited for faulty information.
My apology, I always thought that Noel reviewed the Tartan at DVDTimes, but that's the French version!
I think Mr. Banana has the Tartan version, but it may be a while before he opens it.
My apology, I always thought that Noel reviewed the Tartan at DVDTimes, but that's the French version!
I think Mr. Banana has the Tartan version, but it may be a while before he opens it.
Last edited by franco on Sat Nov 19, 2005 9:16 pm, edited 3 times in total.
- NABOB OF NOWHERE
- Joined: Thu Sep 01, 2005 12:30 pm
- Location: Brandywine River
- Len
- Joined: Sun Nov 21, 2004 7:48 pm
- Location: Finland
- zedz
- Joined: Sun Nov 07, 2004 7:24 pm
See above, but Beau travail is probably the consensus classic that's most readily available, and probably a much easier entry point than Trouble Every Day. Anything, basically.Len wrote:Didn't like Trouble Every Day too much (except for the excellent soundtrack by The Tindersticks), but I've been meaning to check out some other works by Denis, as she seems to be one of the more interesting directors working in france nowadays. Any suggestions?
- zedz
- Joined: Sun Nov 07, 2004 7:24 pm
I probably need to revisit this film (it's been seventeen years already!?), but, although I enjoyed it at the time, it didn't hit me as the revelation of a major talent (in the way that J'ai pas sommeil did and Nenette et Boni - my favourite - did all over again). I think it's definitely the easiest entry point, but my concern is that it misses out on much of the Denis magic (no Agnes! no Nelly!). On the other hand, any film with a soundtrack by Abdullah Ibrahim (the erstwhile Dollar Brand) deserves your attention.davidhare wrote:Nobody has mentioned Chocolat which is available on a decent MGM DVD and is as good an introduction to her work as anything. The transfer is nice but non-anamorphic.
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- Joined: Wed Nov 03, 2004 1:22 am
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For those getting ready to tackle L'Intrus for the first time, I definitely suggest seeing Denis' segment Vers Nancy on Ten Minutes Older: The Cello as a primer (available on an R3 Korean disc) which features Jean-Luc Nancy, author of the novel L'Intrus. It doesn't really decipher Denis' vision, but it does add another dimension to the film's recurring theme of assimilation and rejection and notions of "foreign-ness".
- Arn777
- Joined: Wed Nov 03, 2004 6:10 am
- Location: London
Hmmm, I was going to get this but I noticed the running time listed by DVD Times is only 92 minutes, whereas it was over 2 hours for the French TV broadcast and theatrical release, which explains why Tartan put in on a one layer dvd. I wonder what is going on here, over half an hour missing is not good.
- Subbuteo
- Joined: Wed Nov 03, 2004 2:10 am
- Location: Hampshire, UK
- Oedipax
- Joined: Wed Nov 03, 2004 8:48 am
- Location: Atlanta
Does anyone know if there's a difference between the two UK releases of Trouble Every Day? The teeth cover one goes for £3.97 and the other a whopping £19.99. Different transfers? Different extras? Did Tartan lose the rights? If anyone can shed some light on this I'd be very thankful. As a Denis fan, I'm pretty much required to order it for £3.97, provided it isn't an awful disc.
I remember when I was first exposed to Claire Denis at the Melbourne International Film Festival, where they had a retrospective of her films (around when Beau Travail did the rounds). Unfortunately I couldn't see all her films then, but with those I did see (I Can't Sleep, Chocolat, No Fear No Die) I was struck by the feeling that I believe the films could've run for 5 hours and I would've been just as inthralled. Not since Tarkovsky and Marker had I seen cinema so mesmerising.
and the sound and cinematography just keep getting better (though I thought Friday Night's imagery was so perfect it actually became too distracting, and I didn't quite enjoy this as much). I'd love to hear someone's thoughts on the US DVD of I Can't Sleep, as has been mentioned Denis get's rather neglected on DVD (just like Tsai Ming-Liang). I wish Wellspring would just die die die!
On Trouble Every Day, I remember not thinking much the first time I saw it, but since have seen it a few times and find it gets better each time. Naturally the Tindersticks s/track (something missing also from Friday Night) is wonderful, but the mood it creates is amazing. And Intruder, I really need to see again - Mirror is a very good comparison for the effect on the viewer it creates.
One last thing - Denis' films like all great celuloid need to be seen at the cinema to be truly appreciated, you just can't immerse yourself in them on a TV screen...
I think i could keep talking forever right now
Adam
and the sound and cinematography just keep getting better (though I thought Friday Night's imagery was so perfect it actually became too distracting, and I didn't quite enjoy this as much). I'd love to hear someone's thoughts on the US DVD of I Can't Sleep, as has been mentioned Denis get's rather neglected on DVD (just like Tsai Ming-Liang). I wish Wellspring would just die die die!
On Trouble Every Day, I remember not thinking much the first time I saw it, but since have seen it a few times and find it gets better each time. Naturally the Tindersticks s/track (something missing also from Friday Night) is wonderful, but the mood it creates is amazing. And Intruder, I really need to see again - Mirror is a very good comparison for the effect on the viewer it creates.
One last thing - Denis' films like all great celuloid need to be seen at the cinema to be truly appreciated, you just can't immerse yourself in them on a TV screen...
I think i could keep talking forever right now
Adam
- franco
- Joined: Wed Nov 03, 2004 7:32 pm
- Location: Vancouver
I find Trouble Every Day utterly enthralling. The character interactions are so rich in details and so intense in emotions that I cannot take my eyes away. My favorite scene has to be the one when Shane and June, after entering their hotel room, attempt to make out on the bed that is yet to be made. When they finally register the presence of the maid, June starts to help her with the bed sheet. It's one of these moments, for me, that not only change the way I see things, but also change the things I see. (Phrase stolen from here)
Having read Nancy's essay and done a few comparisons, I now find L'Intrus far more straight-forward and umambiguous than, say, Beau Travail. What Denis has done here is taking Nancy's abstract concepts and inserting them into the connotative space of her images. Her achievement is indeed remarkable in translating someone's stream of consciousness into an image discourse.
For instance, Denis illustrates Nancy's idea of dual identities (brought by the foreign heart) by literally having character doubles. For Nancy, this stranger also seems to have always lain dormant within him. Certainly the idea of a dormant intruder coming from within is brought alive by Louis' alter ego or conscience – Katia's role. Similarly, Sidney's immense longing for his father finds its resonance in the wild woman, who is constantly searching for something and eventually finds her way to Louis' abandoned cabin. As though following her footsteps, Sidney will also find his way to the same location and wear the very same crown of thorns that the wild woman has once put on.
It's really fun and rewarding to decode L'Intrus. I encourage anyone who still haven't done so to seek out Nancy's original essay.
Having read Nancy's essay and done a few comparisons, I now find L'Intrus far more straight-forward and umambiguous than, say, Beau Travail. What Denis has done here is taking Nancy's abstract concepts and inserting them into the connotative space of her images. Her achievement is indeed remarkable in translating someone's stream of consciousness into an image discourse.
For instance, Denis illustrates Nancy's idea of dual identities (brought by the foreign heart) by literally having character doubles. For Nancy, this stranger also seems to have always lain dormant within him. Certainly the idea of a dormant intruder coming from within is brought alive by Louis' alter ego or conscience – Katia's role. Similarly, Sidney's immense longing for his father finds its resonance in the wild woman, who is constantly searching for something and eventually finds her way to Louis' abandoned cabin. As though following her footsteps, Sidney will also find his way to the same location and wear the very same crown of thorns that the wild woman has once put on.
SpoilerShow
Considering its connotation, one may find the final revelation less unexpected, although not in any degree less poignant.
when you say essay do you mean his book that Denis based her film on, or the segment that acquarello mentioned in Ten Minutes Older? Does anyone know if the book can be found in English (for the sadly mono-lingual among us)?franco wrote:It's really fun and rewarding to decode L'Intrus. I encourage anyone who still haven't done so to seek out Nancy's original essay.
by the way zedz, if fairly certain Chocolat has cinematography by Agnes Godard, she's been with Denis since the beginning... and those who haven't should read this fantastic interview with Denis from 2000
- Oedipax
- Joined: Wed Nov 03, 2004 8:48 am
- Location: Atlanta
Indeed it can - here it is as a pdfentizari wrote:Does anyone know if the book can be found in English (for the sadly mono-lingual among us)?
Edit: Also, not to be a pain in the ass about it, but does no one really know the difference (if any) between the R2 Trouble Every Day releases?
Last edited by Oedipax on Mon Jul 03, 2006 1:30 am, edited 1 time in total.
- franco
- Joined: Wed Nov 03, 2004 7:32 pm
- Location: Vancouver
Yes, I meant Nancy's short story. the English translation can be found here but you need access to a library network.
That's right, it's Agnes Godard for Chocolat. At least she's hanging around on the set.
Here's also an insightful essay
EDIT: Oh thanks Oedipax
That's right, it's Agnes Godard for Chocolat. At least she's hanging around on the set.
Here's also an insightful essay
EDIT: Oh thanks Oedipax