Tuesday, February 25, 2014
Pursuit
Sunday, February 23, 2014
All Things You're Not
Saturday, February 22, 2014
Blue is the Warmest Colour: A love story about social class.
.
The love story affair was intriguing, but how often does a romantic/erotic film include subtle discussion of external factors that allow for deeper analysis and discussion of the film as a whole? Films like Jamon Jamon (1992), Entre las piernas (1999) and I guess you could count Shame (2011) come to mind, but Blue tops them all. While Blue is the Warmest Colour has been heavily promoted as a love story (and undoubtedly, it is) I feel that what has been ignored from most discussion is that it is more so a specific exploration of French social class. The different beliefs regarding sexuality, dinner conversation topics, cultural attitudes, moral values and job oriented goals between a classic bourgeois, independent free-thinking artistic family vs the working class family in which art and philosophy are just ‘hobbies’ and not “real jobs to fall back on”.
Blue follows a decade in the life of Adèle (Adele Exarchopoulos), her rough experience as a high school student, her first love with a woman Emma (Leà Seyoux) and the end of their long-term relationship. Director Abdellatif Kechiche’s camera obsessively follows Adèle; filmed predominantly in close up, the camera oozes over her triumphs and mistakes. Each role is superbly acted in this film, but Exarchopoulos reigns above them all. It reminds me of this interview I watched with Stellen Skarsgard where he mentioned the great thing about Ingmar Bergman’s films were “it’s all in the actor’s eyes” - Adelè’s emotions are all clearly available to the audience to grasp. Swinging between rage, depression and intense euphoria, she is not only marvelous to watch but her expressions are the key defining detail of the film’s multilayered texture. Exarchopolous communicates so clearly and directly with the audience. You feel the stab of pain she feels when her close-minded friends bully her, the hesitation she feels about pursuing writing rather than a ‘safe’ job such as a teacher, a mindset her parents and also social class have influenced upon her
I suggest watching the dinner scenes in Blue closely. The first being when Adelè is invited over to Emma’s house to meet her parents - discussion is filled with opinionated debates about philosophy, art collecting and university. Emma’s bourgeois family doesn’t feel the same fear about wealth and doesn’t discriminate against what is considered ‘real work’ like Adèle’s family. Adèle’s family dinner scene does not have a light atmosphere: it resembles how uncomfortable you feel when you try to make a joke with your parents and it ends up becoming a life lesson. Even Emma (who oozes confidence throughout the film) feels that she needs to lie about her relationships and life aspirations.
Adele isn’t supported artistically and Emma fills that void when the two begin a relationship. Emma to Adèle reaches a pinnacle of amazement and wonder because she represents freedom. Sexual freedom of her own choice, independent study, philosophy, internal confidence and external allure. The second last dinner scene where Adèle throws a party for Emma at their house soon turns dismal and uncomfortable: unable to keep up with Emma’s friends discussion about key modernist artists and existentialism, Adelè feels left out and self conscious that she cannot keep up with them all, this; education that she is not getting. On top of that, she has assumed this role as a housewife: preparing the dinner, setting up, keeping a lid on it all while Emma is free to roam and flirt with others during the party. Gender roles sort of become adopted, an influence no doubt from what they have experienced in their home lives.
Most importantly, the film displays the juxtaposing social attitudes regarding sexuality. Emma’s arty friends from university see nothing wrong with a same sex relationship - whether a fling or something more serious. They are open, they are excited. Adelè’s high school friends on do not share the same joy. When first seen meeting Emma after school, Adelè is met with frightening rude accusations and name calling by her female peers. The argument that quickly arises displays this disappointingly close minded attitude of the non-bourgeois - fear, paranoia and hostility come into play. Adelè’s classmate reminds her that they have slept in the same bed together at sleepovers - and what is the meaning of this? The sudden fear that Adelè is a sex-crazed maniac that is going to force her way with every female she knows is ridiculous and above all and heartbreaking.
image
Blue is not a ‘sex film’, nor is it pornographic. Kechiche has a multilayered script, his mise-en-scene does not look to ridicule or exploit his actresses. The film is very connected to nature: including many establishing shots and montage sequences of both Adèle and Emma enjoying the gardens of Paris, the calming waters of the ocean, their fairy-garden backyard. Yes, the sex scenes are long and are explicit. The camera doesn’t move, only uses reaction-style cuts between each actress to break up the scene. I feel that the sex scenes were not as intimate or erotic as they could have been. The bedroom lighting was acting more as a spotlight with the actresses situated underneath. There wasn’t any lead up or anything either, just a quick cut from the previous scene to the bedroom. But to ignore such scenes (as some critics and not so subtly suggesting?) would be to ignore the key ingredient of Emma and Adele’s relationship. They serve their purpose, but all in all, it still is the ‘male gaze’.
I wish to ignore any other surrounding controversies of the film. They serve no purpose in my discussion. The main point that I wanted to address is my desire for others to see this film not just as a love story but the complications that can arise because of social class influence in (romantic) relationships. Kechiche’s film is long but it its slow rhythm is not purposelessness, the narrative plot points (this film is more plot than story) slowly tangles and detangles itself until it reaches its conclusion. The open ending plus the French distribution title Adelè: Chapters 1 & 2 hint at the possibility of revisiting the characters at a later date…As Shane Danielsen notes Adèle maybe even become the Antoine Doniel of Kechiche’s cinema. Interesting. I certainly wouldn’t mind knowing more, if later adaptions were to come.
Tumblr - hoppervsfonda.
Thursday, February 20, 2014
Tuesday, February 18, 2014
Paris Blue _ Inspired Lyrics
Hanging High
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)