Random Thoughts

This is very 70s. I mean, in a good way. It’s apparently a totally random documentary thing where they spent a couple of weeks in one specific place in Paris and interviewed people walking by.

I love all these people, but Malle and his team seem to go after the more… “interesting”… people. I don’t know what their intentions were — perhaps just giving a snapshot of people in one specific neighbourhood as a snapshot of humanity, or something equally 70s. But the people they give most screen time are, well, pretty er odd, so it’s (so far) tending towards an awkward “cavalcade of freaks”, which is kinda mean?

That is, it feels like Malle is making fun of these people.

I’m really disappointed by this one. Malle’s previous docu, Humain, trop humain was amazing, but… this feels lazy and mean.

Place de la République. Louis Malle. 1974.

This blog post is part of the Eclipse series.

This is utterly fascinating. It’s a documentary from a car factory? There’s no commentary track or sound be, so we have to just sit here and look at people assembling cars.

Oh, they’re assembling the wiring harness for the car? Ooo.

Of course, this wouldn’t be that fascinating if it hadn’t been for the amazing colours and cinematography.

I could watch this forever, but they’ve basically assembled the car now? And we’re just 15 minutes in? What’s Malle going to do for the rest of the movie? We have an hour to go.

Now they’re at a car show. Are they gonna, like, follow the life of a car? Being made, sold, used, trashed?

We’re still at the car show, fifteen minutes later.

Me too!

This is nowhere near as fascinating as the car factory…

But then we return to the factory! WHAAAA

Oh, but while the first fifteen minutes was all cool stuff: Huge metal sheets being cut! Robot arms spraying cars! Electrical harnesses! Now it’s smaller things that are hard to work out just what the purpose of is. I.e., kinda alienating and repetetive… I think Malle has a plan with this movie!

I also think the people in the factory might have been notified that there was going to be a camera team present, because they look awesome. And I love that — that they’re being allowed to present themselves the way they prefer.

Except for this guy who I think has as much paint on his face as on the car. Oh, the joys of solvents…

This movie is absolutely fantastic. Wouldn’t change a second of it.

Human, all too human. Louis Malle. 1973.

This blog post is part of the Eclipse series.

Oh, this is a documentary about that bicycle thing?

Louis Malle, Louis Malle… It’s such a familiar name, but I can’t quite remember… he’s done a bunch of movies I’ve seen, right?

Aaah! My Dinner with Andre. Of course.

But I think that’s basically the only movie of his I’ve seen?

Oh, and Au revoir les enfants, which has a weirdo name up there.

This is mostly about bikers hydrating, peeing and getting into accidents. It’s like a… Tragedy of the Bikers.

I’m guessing Malle wasn’t really into sports?

It looks great, though.

And it’s funny.

Vive le Tour!. Louis Malle. 1962.

This blog post is part of the Eclipse series.