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January 16, 2005
Jules et Jim
I just saw my first Francois Truffaut movie, and like most European character-driven pieces, it's difficult to judge on first viewing. Also, the fact that it's a renowned work, a Tuffaut film, and in a foreign language all serve to bias my opinion somewhat. In addition, not knowing anything about the context, the films that influenced it, and the films that were in turn influenced by it hurts as well.
In other words, I enjoyed it, but moreso on that "how interesting" level than outward sheer filmic enjoyment. It's the story of a pair of friends, Jim and Jules (French and Austrian, respectively) who are inseperable. Then a woman named Catherine enters their lives, and while she initially goes out with and later marries Jules, it is clear she loves both and eventually goes back and forth with each. And in this manner, her personality changes to suit her respective lover. Ultimately, she cannot decide, and brings everyone to destruction with her.
I just read the following in a review: "Set during the advent of World War I, Jules and Jim is an allegorical film about the turmoil between French nationalism and the German occupation of World War II. As with the characters' doomed love triangle, the film is a scathing indictment of a country led to ruin by lack of conviction and feigned neutrality."
Interesting. Necessary to understand the film? Clearly alegory should always be secondary to the story being told, unless the alegory is so painfully obvious as to be the story itself. Not to compare the two, but people keep talking about the allegory of The Village to the war on terror, and I think it's a secondary arguement to a shitty, shitty story.
Ultimately for me, it was a lyrical film that seems to deserve closer viewing for the more complex matters it alludes to. However, I think too much whimsy and free-floating direction turn me off too much to give it a second glance anytime soon.
****/*****
four/five starsPosted by nick at January 16, 2005 04:46 AM
Comments
blanket statement warning
all allegory blows. either it's
1) too obvious and heavy handed or it's
2) some historical bit that nobody understands (often including the artist himself!) and is therefore secondary to the plot and causes the artist to lose focus on producing a good work.
necessarily detracting in one way or another.
Posted by: jack at January 16, 2005 11:34 AM