Puce Moment

I probably shouldn't have reviewed this. I had absolutely no interest in the subject matter or the story. So I am not going to dis it but I didn't see anything that was eye popping. I suppose the fact that it was made in 1949 had something to do with its inclusion at this time.

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.

'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.

A six-minute fragment of a film designed to be much longer, Puce Moment follows an archetypal silent movie star as she luxuriates through her opulent surroundings. Beautifully shot in color, the film is rich with fabrics, jewelry and antique Hollywood exotica. Excellent original psychedelic movie score added in the 1960s. Echoes of this work may be felt in Anger's later films of the 60s, particularly "Kustom" and the opening sequence of "Scorpio Rising".

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.