End of Rivette Retrospective

Arthur's whimsical comment revolving Planet Berto gave me the thought of changing the blog name. Evidently, the doorknob has stayed in the train for too long, even though those who love Juliet can still take the train. If Planet Berto is not far from Solaris, then I should stop wallowing in memories, and seek new orbits! Whoa, I shall leave corny decisions for the days after my final exams.

Meanwhile, let me try to sort the Rivette films I've seen in orders of preference. If I don't list a film, it means that I haven't seen it:

1. Céline et Julie vont en bateau
2. Duelle
3. La Bande des quatre
4. L'Amour par terre
5. Haut bas fragile
6. Histoire de Marie et Julien
7. Hurlevent
8. La Belle noiseuse
9. Va savoir
10. Secret défense
11. Out 1: Spectre
12. Jeanne la Pucelle
13. Noroît
14. L'Amour fou
15. Paris nous appartient

Now, 3-6 is a pretty close stretch. I almost wanted to put the 4 films on the same level. The only film I find inadequate is Paris nous appartient. My feeling towards L'Amour fou remains one that mixes appreciation and exasperation. Jeanne la Pucelle, despite the gorgeous cinematography throughout, is quite underwhelming - perhaps because Rivette sticks so close to the original story and allows little room for innovation. Part I does suffer from the obligation to shoot battle scenes, which the meager budget simply doesn't permit. In contrast, the tone of Part II is more balanced and reflective. Even its brief depiction of the futile siege on Paris is extremely effective.

Oh, should I mention Divertimento? A sad, butchered, mutilated version of La Belle noiseuse, missing too many good shots, with actually less than ten scenes that feature alternative angles. It is so compromised that I refuse to consider.

Still missing:

- Le Pont du Nord (DAMN IT!)
- Merry-Go-Round
- Out 1: Noli me tangere (missing it TWICE last year is my greatest regret of all time)
- La Religieuse

Perhaps I should really stop dreaming and worry about my exams.