Voyage à travers le cinéma français

I have always loved the French cinema, literature, and culture; my great grandfather was French; I am fluent and French was one of my subjects at universty; and I have steadily collected French films, totalling more than 100.

So when I saw this DVD on sale, I pounced. Alas, while I do not regret buying it, I have found it lacking, especially compared to Martin Scorcese's earlier effort relating to US and Italian cinema, which was far more enlightening, situating each film in its time and context.

VOYAGE A TRAVERS LE CINEMA FRANÇAIS is a mélée of Tavernier's own recollections, and relations with directors and actors, and you see interesting snippets, but ultimately it is Tavernier's own fun.

To me, the single most memorable piece of information in this compilation was Tavernier explaining that the defect in his right eye was caused by tuberculosis at a young age. I find it hard to forgive that he dismissed a masterpiece like Jean-Pierre Melville's LE CERCLE ROUGE but praised a dud like UN SINGE EN HIVER.

Unless you have actually watched the films that appear in this compilation, you are bound to feel frustrated.

First thing to bear in mind is that it is "TAVERNIER' s voyage ,not the history of the French cinema.But a good knowledge of it is necessary ,hence the disappointment of some people (if I had to watch a Korean director 's voyage through the Korean cinema ,I would yawn my head off).

Bertrand Tavernier is certainly a great director and a fine connoisseur of the past masters of the seventh art.

The first half ,to my eyes ,is the most interesting:it is composed of four parts :

1)Jacques Becker :the first film he saw was "Dernier Atout" but his "Coup De Foudre" was "Casque D'Or";he passes over in silence the director's failures ("Ali Baba" and "Arsène Lupin") and insists on the fact that in a movie the characters are more interesting than the plot and we can only approve of Tavernier's opinion ,when he says that Becker's plots are minimal ,but that he creates extraordinary secondary characters (one remembers the uncle who studied in Oxford from "Edouard Et Caroline as much as Manda's fiancé in "Casque D'Or") ;besides ,these human beings work,a lesson contemporary directors should pay attention to)

2)Jean Renoir : the extracts are well chosen: the admirable final sequence of "Une Partie De Campagne" ;this terrifying scene when Gabin tries to strangle Blanchette Brunoy in "La Bête Humaine" ; the advertising in "Le Crime De Monsieur Lange" which was oddly prophetic.Tavernier does not pass over in silence Renoir's debatable attitude at the beginning of WW2.

3)Jean Gabin : the director wanted to show that he was a character actor and he's convincing.This part shows extracts of movies by less known directors :"La Nuit Est Mon Royaume" by Georges Lacombe in which he is cast against type as a blind man ;He restores to favor directors who were unfairly lambasted by the arrogant Nouvelle Vague : Gilles Grangier's "Le Desordre Et La Nuit" and "Gas Oil" ,and mainly Jean Delannoy's "Maigret Tend Un Piège " ,one of the best Simenon adaptations .The biggest flaw of the Gabin sequence is that ,although he mentions him, Tavernier seems to forget that it's Julien Duvivier,not Renoir,who created the myth.What have we got here ? From the thirties, a very tiny fragment of "La Belle Equipe " whereas this movie represents the 1936 zeitgeist ;and what about "La Bandera " which spawned Gabin-the-outcast (Carné would use in "Quai Des Brumes" )?

4)Marcel Carné: "his collaborators,be they Jeanson or Prevert ,used to treat him condescendingly ,nay contempt.So did the notorious Nouvelle Vague although Truffaut would later make amends and say he would trade all his "filmography " for "Les Enfants Du Paradis ".And however,Tavernier concludes ,his masterpieces have stood the test of time gracefully .This part shows glorious Arletty in a flattering light .And to begin this sequence with the (dated ,admittedly ,although it was his next-to -last effort in the...seventies!)"Assassins De L'Ordre" ,is,as Tavernier says himself,a provocation.

The second part is , IMHO, less exciting,although its several absorbing moments make it a worthwhile watch.

1)The music in films ,focussing of Jaubert who passed away in 1940 ,after giving memorable scores ,notably "Carnet De Bal" and "La Bête Humaine" ;Tavernier points out that,unlike the American directors of the era, French ones would choose their music :hence the extraordinary scores of Bresson's "Un Condamné A Mort S'est Echappé "or Cocteau's "La Belle Et La Bête".

2)Edmond T GReville :his work is not very known in France ;with the exceptions of "Menaces" and "L'Envers Du Paradis" ,none of the works I've seen ("brief ecstasy" "secret life" "Le Port Du Désir" "Les Menteurs" "L'accident") really filled me with enthusiasm.But Tavernier talks about two very attracting movies : "Remous" and "Le Diable Soufflé " which are ,alas,nowhere to be seen.

3)Eddie Constantine sequence :"at a time when French thrillers were sluggish" ..Well Decoin ,sluggish? And what about Henri-Georges Clouzot ,totally absent in the whole documentary,not a single extract?Constantine's movies ,OK ,just for fans.Tavernier keeps harping about on Tarentino ,particularly "inglorious bastards " ,in which the American pays a tribute to Clouzot (twice).

3)A long time is given over to Jean-Pierre Melville ,who was Tavernier's mentor;much good may it do to his numerous fans .Personally ,my favorite is "Leon Morin Prêtre " ,particularly for the Belmondo/Riva confrontation.

4)As far as I am concerned, Jean-Luc Godard is not my cup of tea,but there's no accounting for taste .These pictures may be sublime ,after all...But as for me,the short appearance of Fritz Lang remains the only good moment.The Nouvelle VAguelette is also represented by Claude Chabrol (but the choice of the movies is poor)and the lovely "Cléo De Cinq A Sept".

5)Claude Sautet's extracts ,on the other hand ,are excellent: the extraordinary "Classes Tous Risques" ,"Les Choses De LA vie ",an editing Tour De Force ,and his short return to thriller with "Max Et Les Ferrailleurs".

Mini- sequences are devoted to Jean Delannoy's "Le Garçon Sauvage " ,to Pierre Schoendorffer 's "La 317 Eme section" and ,yes! to Truffaut.

TO be continued as a miniseries on TV.....(8 more episodes)

Tavernier is a very important figure in the history of not only French but world cinema. There is no better man suited to direct a documentary about the history of French cinema. Alas, this is a very subjective voyage through French cinema based on Tavernier personal connections and recollections and, most importantly, own taste.

The first half is fantastic, but the movie loses itself after the tale of Gabin, France greatest actor. There is no thread liking one part with another, no message to be told. It is just one recollection after another, which could go on forever, and indeed it went on as TV series of 10 episodes.

The movie or documentary fails because he actually carries very little interest. If you know French cinema prior to see this documentary, you will learn very little. If you don't know much about French cinema then yes, you will learn about Renoir, Becker, Gabin and The Great Illusion (the undisputed greatest movie ever made) but you will miss out on the legends that were Raimu, Fernandel, Bourvil, Clouzot, Dassin, De Funes and the greatest director out of them all Robert Bresson.

How come they've been left out? One might ask, well, for one thing, by time restrictions, although Clouzot and Guitry were touched upon in the TV series. But the main reason is Tavernier's own taste. Tavernier likes film noir and gritty films, hence the omission of all the comics of France Golden Age. He also isn't a particularly spirituel director, hence the omission of Bresson and Bunuel. It's a shame, it is similar to directing a documentary about the France football team and omitting to talk or even mention Zidane, Cantona and Papin.

A nice effort but lacking too much in structure and interest, although the first half is brilliantly told.

Tavernier does a tour de force as he introduces us to all aspects of French cinema. He focuses on directors, of course, but also the music and composers, cinematography, the entire milieux. From Becker to Melville and back. I have been given a boost as to what I can study and explore.

I saw it as a beautiful confession. Subjective out of doubts. But charming exactly for the public exposure of stories, enthusiasm, choices, stories, portraits, fragments of films. A nice trip across French cinema, having as pleasant guide Bertrand Tavernier. Confession of an admirable director, it can be not the expected film. But it is ot exactly a list of must see films but bricks of a long way to understand , love and make cinema.