Puce Moment

Because of the psychedelic music I didn't believe this was from 1949, but that is probably added a decade or more later. In combination with the pictures it creates a very special experience that I watched over five times (its only six minutes) to let it endure. How the music and the text relates to the images is another thing, its either hippie or pure hedonistic or (strangely) both. What it creates in feeling of reminisce and nostalgia over past times is what makes this so special.

All we see is a diva woman enjoying herself by herself, as a hermit as the music suggests, looking at her garments, smelling her perfumes or out on the terrace with her four greyhounds. She is so self indulgent that she looks high.

'Puce Moment (1949)' is, oddly enough, my first film from director Kenneth Anger. As soon as it began, I realised I'd discovered a filmmaker who stood well ahead of his time. Is that folk rock playing on the soundtrack? Surely, I told myself, such a song has no place in a 1949 film – the technique has since become commonplace in movies and music videos. The film's vibrant colour photography clashes uncertainly with the shaky hand-held filming style, suggesting the rising experimental movement of the 1960s. It's peculiar that Anger wasn't even attempting to be "trendy" or "modern" with his film-making style. 'Puce Moment,' originally intended as a feature, was supposed to be emulating the opulent Hollywood lifestyles of the silent era. The film opens with a 1920s movie star (Yvonne Marquis) lavishly searching for a suitable dress from her extensive wardrobe of flapper gowns, before applying perfume, languishing lazily on a chair, and then taking her four dogs for a walk. Strangely, it all barely feels like the 1920s. Does this mean that the film failed in what it was attempting? Maybe, but it's a glorious failure. Anger's condemnation of the movie star's decadent daily routine preempts Billy Wilder's critique in 'Sunset Blvd. (1950),' and his film-making style clearly influenced the experimental cinema of the coming decades. This was my first film from Kenneth Anger, but it certainly won't be my last.

Anger. She looks through the wardrobe, not knowing what fits her style. The surreal orchestra plays as she finds the one that is the

best without a doubt-the black dress. It is beautiful and sparkling.

She places it on herself and walks around. Once she has had enough she

rests-awaking next morning to find herself in a distraught position outside. The dogs are lined up, she takes them for a walk-leaving her southern Californian house in mourning.

This is indeed one of Anger's best. It depicts his childhood fascinations with movie-stars and bizarre situations.

I recommend this film to every fan of avant garde or follower of a subculture/art.

For me, that is Kenneth Anger is less impressive works, as most of Anger's shorts, the folk-rock music added in the 1960s is amazing. However, that short doesn't tell anything subliminal or interesting. That being said, I liked the intro sequence as well as the color palette.

This is a small 6 minute fragment of what was supposed to title "Puce Women". It was to be about the types of Hollywood actresses from the 1920s.

It begins with a series of beautiful, colorful gowns being shoved at the camera. They were actual gowns worn by 1920s actresses. It shows a woman (Yvonne Marquis) looking for a gown to go out in. She finally finds one that is puce-colored (hence the title). Then we have her lying on a couch which moves around. Next we see her walking four dogs in the puce gown.

There's no real point or story but it IS beautiful to watch and the gowns especially will be a treat to see in color for any fan of old Hollywood movies. It's an interesting short for fans of old Hollywood movies. I give it a 7.