La vallée

1972
12
1h 41m

IMDb RATING

YOUR RATING

Consul's wife, Viviane took part in an expedition to New Guinea. She falls in love with Gaetan, the leader of a group of explorers, whose objective is to reach a mysterious valley.Consul's wife, Viviane took part in an expedition to New Guinea. She falls in love with Gaetan, the leader of a group of explorers, whose objective is to reach a mysterious valley.Consul's wife, Viviane took part in an expedition to New Guinea. She falls in love with Gaetan, the leader of a group of explorers, whose objective is to reach a mysterious valley.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.4/10

1.5K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

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Featured reviews

AJ4F

Slow-paced, mysterious and ultimately engrossing

Without giving too much away, this is an intellectual road trip movie with a documentary atmosphere in many scenes. It is somewhat muddled for the first 15 minutes, but then you can really get into it (if you're ever going to). It relies on atmosphere more than plot, but it did have a clear meaning to me. Overall it's fairly sobering and I can't say it will leave you happy.

I didn't see this as a "hippie" film, rather a commentary on the human condition. One oddity was the interspersing of French subtitled dialog with segments of non-dubbed English. The scenery was very lush and I don't think a second of the film was shot in a studio.

People who didn't like this are probably in the short-attention-span crowd. I don't think this film has anything to do with being a Floyd fan. The music is mostly in the background and doesn't quite fit what you're watching anyway. Any number of low-key instrumental soundtracks may have made more sense. It really doesn't need music at all, except for the tribal chants. Only a few songs from the Floyd CD were apparent, but I know why they called the album "Obscured By Clouds."

Phantom Moonhead

Film With Pink Floyd Soundtrack

I would bet that most of the people who seek out this film are either Schroeder compilists or Pink Floyd fans. The film follows the odyssey of a bored rich girl who goes looking for rare feathers in a "Mystical" jungle that is covered in clouds. The full title is "The Valley Obscured By Clouds" and the soundtrack(Obscured By Clouds)was Pink Floyd's last soundtrack right before they made "Dark Side of The Moon".

The film contains some generous sex scenes,some nudity and a Pig slaughtering scene that might not appeal to timid viewers but it does have a neat soundtrack and some different versions of Floyd songs can be heard here,if only in snippets. Although it gets a good rating,Schroeder and Floyd fans might be better off with "More" another Schroeder film with a more complete soundtrack.

7Bribaba

Tribal Gatherings

Barbet Schroeder is in danger of becoming a legend in his own lifetime. From this rather beautiful hippie opus, to Single White Female and more recently, an episode of Mad Men, this is a man with no respect for boundaries. The main character in this 1971 film is Vivian (Bulle Ogier), a collector of rare feathers which she sells in a posh boutique. While on holiday in New Guinea she joins a hippie expedition, hoping to add more fluff to her collection. She's the wife of a diplomat, bourgeois, liberal and a 'sport' as she puts it. The primary aim of the trek is to locate a (possibly mythical) paradisaical valley way over yonder, kind of like Richard's pursuit of the perfect beach in the Alex Garland novel, but with a more metaphysical bent.

It's the journey not the arrival that grabs and cameraman Nestor Almendros, whose credits include Malick's Days of Heaven, really comes to the fore as his images compensate for any narrative slack. Eventually the group encounter the isolated but photogenic Magupa tribe, just about to start an incredible festival - cue more stunning images. That's about as dramatic as it gets - there's no manufactured events, just the group interacting with the natives and each other. For Vivian the journey becomes a voyage of self-discovery aided by some local hallucinogenics, though her newly-found freedom is tested both physically and philosophically by her lover as they approach their destination. By this time dialogue is sparse as the film slips into National Geographic mode. But it's Ogier who really keeps things together here, offering a riveting portrayal of a woman in transition. There's some discourse on the relative merits of the contrasting civilisations, and questions which throw doubt on the hippies belief in the superiority of the 'natural' way of life. Pink Floyd contribute the soundtrack (Obscured by Clouds) but its barely audible aside from the closing credits.

nnad

Great Film and music by the Floyd.

The Valley is not for everyone's taste but is still worth a look. Sometimes looking like a cross between Jimi Hendrix's Rainbow Bridge and National Geographic, the Valley pretty much centers on the same themes of the former although it exhibits a much more lucid character development, not to mention poetic discourse. The film follows a group of hippies on an expedition for the `Valley obscured by Clouds.' Interwoven with the story is the relationship of the films two main characters ---- likewise, their infidelities and their hypocrisies. Although somewhat slow at moments (i.e., the group's interaction with a peaceful African tribe) the Valley primarily has a steady pace; however, this minor flaw is (!) obscured by the beautiful cinematography and scenery. I enjoyed a large percentage of this film (especially the incidental music composed by Pink Floyd) but the ending a bit abrupt, a quality that may upset some viewers wanting more. Nevertheless, the Valley is still a great film with a beautiful story and beautiful images. Note: about the music, if you're looking for another Pink Floyd album in this movie, forget it! As mentioned above, it's purely incidental and few of the Floyd's songs are in this film. Go buy the complete soundtrack in the stores.

nnad

Pink Floyd, Hippies, Natives, and the Truth.

The Valley is not for everyone's taste but is still worth a look. Sometimes looking like a cross between Jimi Hendrix's Rainbow Bridge and National Geographic, the Valley pretty much centers on the same themes of the former although it exhibits a much more lucid character development, not to mention poetic discourse. The Valley brings up many ideas of its era: free love, mind expanding drugs, psychedelic music, and ontological excursions. However, the foremost point seems to be a clash between the first and last cited, and sometimes presented sporadically.

The film follows a girl who latches on to group of hippies on an expedition for the `Valley obscured by Clouds.' Her primary motive is to collect rare feathers for her husband in France, but she inevitably falls in love with two of the hippies. Amongst their infidelities and hypocrisies, the group manages to find aid with a friendly New Guinea native tribe who slaughter pigs and perform ritualistic dances. Finally, the group makes their way back on the path, but do they?

Although somewhat slow at moments (i.e., the group's interaction with a peaceful African tribe) the Valley primarily has a steady pace; however, this minor flaw is (!) obscured by the beautiful cinematography and scenery. I enjoyed a large percentage of this film (especially the incidental music composed by Pink Floyd) but the ending a bit abrupt, a quality that may upset some viewers wanting more. Nevertheless, the Valley is still a great film with a beautiful story and beautiful images.

Note: about the music, if you're looking for another Pink Floyd album in this movie, forget it! As mentioned above, it's purely incidental and few of the Floyd's songs are in this film. Go buy the complete soundtrack in the stores.

Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
The soundtrack to this film was released as a Pink Floyd album. Due to a spat with the film company after filming was complete, the Floyd decided not to mention the planned film title, "La Vallee," in the album's title and instead chose to call the release "Obscured By Clouds," echoing a line of dialogue from the film. In response, "Obscured By Clouds" was added as a subtitle so it could gain from Pink Floyd's popularity. This turned out to be a good move as Pink Floyd would soon gain even more fame with the release of "Dark Side of the Moon" just a few months later.

Quotes
Viviane: Olivier, isn't it wonderful... We've become so close to them. We're practically like them. Look at Gaetan and Hermine... it's great! I'm happy. We've found truth, you know.
[kisses his shoulder, but he looks sad]
Viviane: What's wrong, Olivier?
Olivier: It's just the opposite.
Viviane: What's the opposite?
Olivier: We're lying. Whatever Gaetan says, we're tourists here.
Viviane: What do you mean, "tourists"? I don't get it, what's that supposed to mean?
[angry]
Viviane: It's disgusting, hearing you talk like that, you've spent months here with Gaetan, and that's all... You don't understand. What are you, stupid?
Olivier: Dancing's easy. Could you work with them?
Viviane: Yes, absolutely!
Olivier: Women are even more exploited here.
[Viviane starts to think]
Olivier: You know, Viviane, among the Kombugas society is bound by very strict rules.
Viviane: Same with ours.
Olivier: It's not the same thing... We're trying to break ours. When they dance, it's not just for the pleasure of it, it's to obey something. Look, this is the cemetery, they're dancing on their dead. We seek after pleasure, and maybe peace. They couldn't care less about that.
Viviane: I don't know, Olivier, but look at this festival. Everyone's happy together. Why do we all understand, without words... like real friends? Why the understanding, why is it so simple here, eh?
Olivier: It's O.K. But that doesn't mean much.
Viviane: You really disappoint me. You're just like my husband.
Olivier: Sure, we all like each other, but it doesn't go any farther. How can you expect real rapports between us, who tear down our social restrictions, and them, who live in terror and... and respect for taboos?
Viviane: I don't know, but it's possible. We're finding something else, that's all. Don't you believe in mysterious forces?
Olivier: Oh, sure, very much. But not in their way. For us, that's impossible. One can't forget one's past, Viviane. It's not possible to undo your conditioning. Once it's lost, innocence can't be found again. Paradise is a place with many exits, but no entrance... There's no way back from knowledge... When you fall from grace, that's it. I wonder, to find it again, whether we shouldn't do just the opposite of what we've done... If we shouldn't take another bite out of the apple.
[Viviane walks away]