Malle's Lift to the Scaffold may have started the French New Wave but this feels even more like it (to me). This film is definitely not going to be every ones tea. I personally love films where the director takes his time to investigate something simple and does it by exploring everyday life.
Spoilers!!! Is it depressing? Yes (and then some), but i don't think that is the point of the film. It tries to explore why someone would want to kill him/her self. What drives people to the edge? And Malle answers that quite convincingly. He manages to show us how the main character, Alain Leroy, sees the world. How happy friendly gathering look empty and pointless to Alain. He just can't connect. He is not part of this world. He has in a way died long time ago. The suicide is just an official statement of what has already happened.
The scariest part of this film is that it makes you wonder whether Alain's vision of the world is correct. Is life maybe really like he sees it? I for one hope not and if it is then I don't want to know about it. Let me live in ignorance. But the film did get me thinking about my goals in life and where I was heading.
Music is usually so perfect in Malle's films and this is no exception. He could not have used better music than Gnossienne No.1 by Erik Satie. Simple, like the film it self, but still endlessly sad and deep (again, like the film it self). I really liked this film. It is not for everyone, and I'm sure many would complain that nothing happened in it. And if you only look at the surface then they would be right, but this film is not about the surface.
Spoilers!!! Is it depressing? Yes (and then some), but i don't think that is the point of the film. It tries to explore why someone would want to kill him/her self. What drives people to the edge? And Malle answers that quite convincingly. He manages to show us how the main character, Alain Leroy, sees the world. How happy friendly gathering look empty and pointless to Alain. He just can't connect. He is not part of this world. He has in a way died long time ago. The suicide is just an official statement of what has already happened.
The scariest part of this film is that it makes you wonder whether Alain's vision of the world is correct. Is life maybe really like he sees it? I for one hope not and if it is then I don't want to know about it. Let me live in ignorance. But the film did get me thinking about my goals in life and where I was heading.
Music is usually so perfect in Malle's films and this is no exception. He could not have used better music than Gnossienne No.1 by Erik Satie. Simple, like the film it self, but still endlessly sad and deep (again, like the film it self). I really liked this film. It is not for everyone, and I'm sure many would complain that nothing happened in it. And if you only look at the surface then they would be right, but this film is not about the surface.