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L'Atalante 1934 |
Review by Jonathan Cornwell |
Directed by Jean Vigo
NR, 89 min. |
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Starring: Dita Parlo, Jean Dasté, Michel Simon, Gilles Margaritis, Louis Lefebvre, Maurice Gilles, Raphaël Diligent
Producer: Jacques-Louis Nounez
Screenplay: Jean Vigo, Albert Riéra, Jean Guinee
Cinematography: Louis Berger, Boris Kaufman
Distributor: Cine Classics/Gaumont-Franco Film-Aubert
Released: 1947 (U.S.)
(In French with subtitles) |
Rating:
 (out of ) |
Maybe no other film in cinema history has been more deceptively simple than Jean Vigo's masterpiece L'Atalante. The
French filmmaker is credited with providing inspiration for other great directors such as François Truffaut, and his sense of
poetic and erotic storytelling laminates every frame of his greatest film. L'Atalante walks a stunningly fine line between
irrelevance and poignant, perceptive human emotion. Vigo's seemingly pedestrian storyline is merely the framework for
his work of art, a piece of cinema that haunts film enthusiasts to this day with a combination of groundbreaking cinematography
and a timeless love story. That his film has been copied countless times since is further proof that his vision was ahead of its
time. Tragically, Vigo died of tuberculosis just weeks after L'Atalante's premiere in 1934 Paris, but his short career,
which also included the masterpiece Zero for Conduct (1933), gives new meaning to the word auteur.
From the opening scene, which shows the procession of a marriage ceremony between a village girl, Juliette (Dita Parlo),
and a boat captain, Jean (Jean Dasté), we know that Vigo's film will be anything but conventional. Almost every scene is
shot with originality in mind, and the cinematography by Louis Berger and Boris Kaufman provide haunting images that
set the standard for aspiring films at the time. Juliette "always had to do things differently," and she certainly took a risk
marrying the likes of Jean, who is at times both dishelved and responsible worker. As the boat sets sail through the channels
and rivers of the French countryside, Juliette tries to adjust to life aboard a ship. She does the laundry and prepares the
meals, while struggling to come to terms with Jules (Michel Simon), Jean's right hand man who doesn't like bathing or
shaving, preferring to live freely, much like his multitude of pet cats on board.
It's not long before Juliette and Jean are arguing more than they are making love, bristling at each other's previously
unknown faults, which provides the opportunity for Jules to show his affection for Juliette during a mesmerizing scene
in his cramped quarters. He woos her with his many artifacts and mementos from his journeys, which includes the
hands of his best friend, preserved in a pickle jar. Jean quickly breaks up the party, and promises to take Juliette to
Paris if she behaves herself. Once in Paris, however, Juliette breaks free to see the city on her own, which angers Jean
to the point of leaving her behind. The misery that befalls both Jean and Juliette during their separation inspires their
eventual reunion, as Jules returns to Paris to rescue both of them from heartbroken lives.
There are so many scenes, so many moments that stay with you long after you've seen the film that makes L'Atalante
so memorable. Consider the scene, which many consider the most erotic ever filmed, when Jean and Juliette are separated
and lay awake in their beds thinking about each other. They both fantasize of being with the other, as Juliette caresses
herself and lunges from her bed, while Jean kisses his bicep, that is edited in perfect unison. Or another scene when
Jean longs for Juliette's presence, and he dives into the icy water to see her loving face underwater as a reminder of his
true love (Juliette had instructed Jean to do this earlier as a way to see the face of one's true love). And this is just the
story.
The visuals are striking for its contrast between starkness and dreamlike sequences that suggest comparison between
reality and fantasy. The first of these scenes shows Juliette in her wedding dress walking along the boat in a trancelike state,
with dusk settling around her, in undoubtedly the most memorable scene of the film. Vigo is contrasting her emergence
into womanhood with the stark reality of her new home aboard the L'Atalante. There is also a scene of breathtaking imagery,
as the boat glides along a river in a fog, narrowly missing another ship. We see the faces emerge from the misty shadows
and realize what Vigo is trying to accomplish in terms of the human connection.
The performances of Dita Parlo and Michel Simon highlight the film. Parlo, who is most remembered for her wonderful
role in Grand Illusion three years later, portrays the curious innocence of the young bride to perfection, showing both
dismay and the irresistible elegance of a country girl experiencing new things. Simon plays the rusty Jules, a man who has
obviously lived life to its fullest, collecting both memories and tidbits from his adventurous past. His simplistic life offsets the
complexity of Jean and Juliette's feuding relationship, providing the comic relief for Vigo's study of the gamet of human emotion.
Vigo's simplistic narrative is ironic considering he was an anarchist, but then again it proved the perfect backdrop to communicate
his characters' desire to break free from the mundane and the formality of life. L'Atalante builds its power slowly through the
slightest of scenes, crafting an unforgettable montage of poetic imagery and authentic human performances. It's amazing
that a film this rich in creativity is a scant 89 minutes in length. In terms of importance to the works of cinema and its ability to
captivate the viewer, L'Atalante is a film that must be experienced to be fully appreciated.
© 2003 Jonathan Cornwell
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 | Masterpiece - Film perfection |
 | Excellent - A Must See |
| Good - Highly Recommended |
| Fair - Worth seeing |
| Average - Viewable, but not recommended |
| Below average - View at own risk |
| Poor - Avoid at all costs |
| Very poor - An embarassment to the film industry |
| Zero | Awful - One of the worst films ever made |
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